The Phoenix Suns today announced that the team has signed free agents forward Keita Bates-Diop, center Drew Eubanks, forward/center Chimezie Metu and forward Yuta Watanabe.
“The additions of Keita, Drew, Chimezie and Yuta bolster our depth and each of them will help us in our pursuit of winning a championship,” said Phoenix Suns President of Basketball Operations and General Manager James Jones. “Each of these players possess unique skillsets that complement the rest of our roster and make us a more dynamic team.”
“Keita’s combination of length, defensive versatility and shooting is extremely valuable to our team. Drew brings intensity, toughness and an exceptional combination of skill and athleticism for a player of his size. Chimezie possesses infectious energy and provides us with great athleticism at the forward/center position; his versatility makes him unique. Yuta has proven to be one of the best three-point shooters in the league and has the size and ability to defend multiple positions.”
Bates-Diop (6’-8”, 229 pounds) posted career highs of 9.7 points per game, 1.5 assists per game and 39.4% shooting from three-point range while playing a career-high 67 games (42 starts) with the San Antonio Spurs last season. The 27-year-old ended the season by scoring in double figures in a career-long seven consecutive games, and in 22 games following the All-Star break averaged 12.9 points on 53.0% shooting from the field, 43.5% from three-point range and 80.3% from the free throw line plus 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
A five-year NBA veteran, Bates-Diop has appeared in 230 career games with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets and San Antonio, also playing five postseason games with the Nuggets in 2020. Bates-Diop has 65 career games scoring in double figures with 39 of those coming in the 2022-23 season. He recorded his single-game scoring high on Dec. 23, 2021, at the Los Angeles Lakers when he scored 30 points on a perfect 11-of-11 shooting from the field, the most points scored in a game without missing a field goal in Spurs franchise history.
Initially selected with the 48th overall pick in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft by Minnesota, Bates-Diop entered the NBA following four collegiate seasons at The Ohio State University. The Normal, Illinois native earned Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus All-America honors in 2017-18.
Bates-Diop’s name is pronounced KAY-tuh Bates-DEE-op.
Eubanks (6’-10”, 245 pounds) played a career-high 78 games with the Portland Trail Blazers last season, averaging 6.6 points on 64.1% from the field plus 5.4 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 1.3 assists in 20.3 minutes. He ranked 11th in the NBA with 102 total blocks and 14th in the league with his 1.3 blocks per game. Over his final 10 games of the 2022-23 season, Eubanks scored in double figures six times, averaging 10.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 2.2 assists over this stretch. The 26-year-old scored a season-high 23 points on April 6 at San Antonio, shooting 9-of-13 from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point range while also blocking five shots.
A five-year NBA veteran, Eubanks has appeared in 248 career games with San Antonio and Portland. He has shot 60.7% from the field for his career, one of just 15 active players to hold a career field goal percentage over 60% on at least 1,000 career field goal attempts. Eubanks has recorded 54 career games scoring in double figures and has posted 13 career double-doubles, scoring a career-high 27 points to go with 14 rebounds for Portland on March 28, 2022 against Oklahoma City.
A native of Troutdale, Oregon, Eubanks began his professional career in 2018 following three seasons at Oregon State University, leaving the school ranked fourth all-time in career field goal percentage and third in blocked shots.
Metu (6’-9”, 225 pounds) played a career-high 66 games for the Sacramento Kings last season, shooting a career-high 58.9% from the field while averaging 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds in 10.4 minutes. A five-year NBA veteran, Metu has appeared in 209 career games with San Antonio and Sacramento, plus three playoff games with the Kings this past postseason. The 26-year-old averaged career highs of 8.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 21.3 minutes with Sacramento during the 2021-22 season. Metu has 44 career games scoring in double figures and six career double-doubles, scoring a career-high 22 points for the Kings in a win at Indiana on March 23, 2022.
Originally the 49th overall pick in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft by San Antonio, Metu entered the NBA following three collegiate seasons at the University of Southern California where he earned All-Pac-12 First Team honors in 2017-18.
Born in Los Angeles, Metu spent much of his childhood in Nigeria and has played for the Nigerian national team in international competition, including at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. He was a member of the D’Tigers team that recorded a 90-87 win over the United States in an exhibition on July 10, 2021, the first win ever by an African team over the U.S. men’s national team in basketball.
Metu’s name is pronounced chi-MEH-zee Meh-tu.
Watanabe (6’-8”, 215 pounds) posted career highs of 5.6 points per game on 49.1% shooting from the field and 44.4% from three-point range while appearing in a career-best 58 games with the Brooklyn Nets last season. His 44.4% mark from beyond the arc was fifth best in the NBA in 2022-23 among those who totaled at least 50 three-point makes. The 28-year-old recorded 13 of his 26 career games scoring in double figures this past season, scoring a season-high 20 points while making a career-high five three-pointers for the Nets in a win at Portland on November 17.
A five-year NBA veteran, Watanabe has appeared in 179 career games with the Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn, also appearing in five career playoff games with the Raptors and the Nets. He began his professional career following four collegiate seasons at George Washington University where he was named Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year in 2017-18.
A native of Kagawa, Japan, Watanabe has played for Japan’s national team since he was 18 years old and helped the team earn a bronze medal at the 2013 East Asia Basketball Championship. Since that initial appearance, he has represented Japan at several international competitions including the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. When Watanabe made his NBA debut in 2019, he became just the second Japanese-born player in NBA history following only Yuta Tabuse, who became the first NBA player from Japan when he played four games for the Suns in 2004.
Watanabe’s name is pronounced YOU-tuh wah-tuh-NAH-bay.
– Suns.com –