Yuta Watanabe is a 6-foot-9 left Forward who plays for the Phoenix Suns in the NBA. He is a versatile defender who has the potential and suggests a promising future ahead. He was an undrafted player who earlier signed a two-year contract with the Grizzlies and their affiliate G-League Team, the Memphis Hustle.
In 2018, Watanabe made his NBA debut with the Memphis Grizzlies. During his rookie season, he averaged 2.6 points, and 2.1 rebounds in the limited minutes on the court. He only played for two seasons with the Grizzlies in a total of 33 games.
He moved to the East and signed with the Toronto Raptors. In this stint, Watanabe earned his minutes thanks to his defense and raw offensive game. Defensively, he was tasked to guard the top-tier players of the opposition. He appeared in 88 games for the Raptors and averaged 4.3 points, and 2.4 rebounds on shooting 42.5% from the field including 37.3% from the 3-point line.
After playing two seasons with the Raptors, he inked a deal with the Brooklyn Nets. Watanabe boosted the wing defense and drastically improved his outside shooting. In 2023 free agency, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns.
The addition of Watanabe has bolstered the Phoenix Suns roster this off-season. The Forward has brought more defensive intensity into the lineup and will play alongside the Team’s MVP Kevin Durant and superstar Devin Booker to give the Suns a deep postseason run.
Yuta Watanabe Salary
Watanabe is set to earn a salary of $2.3 million for the ongoing 2023/24 NBA season by virtue of his two-year contract. The new contract will run until the 2024/25 season and he will be an unrestricted free agent in the 2025 off-season.
| Seasons | Salary | Team |
| 2023/2024 | $2.3 million | Phoenix Suns |
| 2024/2025 | $2.6 million | Phoenix Suns |
| 2025 | Unrestricted free agent |
Yuta Watanabe’s Contract
Watanabe signed a two-year contract with the Phoenix Suns for $5.0 million, of which the entire amount is guaranteed. The contract also involves a player option in the second year. He is also set to earn an annual average of $2,500,629.
Watanabe donned the Japanese National Team jersey from an early age and was also inducted into the Japanese roster for the FIBA World Cup of 2023.
FAQs
A. Yuta Watanabe weighs around 97 kg (215 lb).
A. Yuta Watanabe is 29 years old as of November 2023.
A. The ongoing 2023/24 NBA season is the sixth year for Yuta Watanabe.
A. Last season, Yuta Watanabe averaged 16 minutes, averaging 5.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game over 58 games.
A. Yuta Watanabe is a Japanese player who was born in Yokohama, Japan.
A. On December 16, 2021, Yuta Watanabe put up a career-high 26 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
