Yuta Watanabe is moving on from the NBA.
After a tumultuous year with the Suns and Grizzlies, Watanabe will return to his native Japan to continue his basketball career.
The six-year NBA veteran announced his decision in a video streamed on Instagram Live. He later took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to share a message to reflect upon his NBA career.
"Although there were a lot of things that happened, it was the best six years ever," Watanabe wrote, as translated by Google.
いろいろあったけど最高の6年間でした！！🙏 pic.twitter.com/OfXRYagSN2
— Yuta Watanabe 渡邊 雄太 (@wacchi1013) April 20, 2024
Watanabe appeared in 34 games during the 2023-24 season. After signing with the Suns during the 2023 offseason, Watanabe was traded to the Grizzlies, appearing in five games before a wrist injury cut his season short.
Before returning to Japan's B League, Watanabe will have an opportunity to represent his country at the 2024 Paris Olympics, so long as he is recovered from his wrist ailment.
As he embarks on the next chapter of his career, look back at some of the highlights from Watanabe's six years in the NBA.
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Yuta Watanabe NBA career
After going undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft, Watanabe signed with the Nets' Summer League team.
Watanabe stood out with his Summer League performance and earned a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies, splitting time with the NBA franchise and its G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle.
Watanabe appeared in 33 games with the Grizzlies from 2018 to 2020. As a free agent in 2020, he signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Raptors, which was converted to a two-way contract ahead of the 2020-21 season.
During the 2020-21 season, Watanabe saw his two-way contract converted to a standard NBA deal. He would remain with the Raptors for one more season, scoring a career-high 26 points against the Cavaliers in late December 2021.
At the end of his tenure with the Raptors, Watanabe signed with the Nets as a free agent, wowing Durant and others with his work ethic and sharpshooting. A free agent following the 2022-23 season, Watanabe reunited with Durant by signing with the Suns.
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Yuta Watanabe NBA stats
Watanabe appeared in 213 NBA games with the Grizzlies, Raptors, Nets and Suns. He also made nine starts.
Here are his career averages:
- 4.2 points per game
- 2.3 rebounds per game
- 42.6 percent field goal shooting
- 37.0 percent 3-point shooting
- 67.5 percent free throw shooting
Yuta Watanabe career earnings
Watanabe made $6.4 million in his NBA career, per Spotrac. He has a $2.7 million player option in his contract for the 2024-25 season.
| Season | Team | Salary |
| 2020-21 | Raptors | $321,893 |
| 2021-22 | Raptors | $1,762,796 |
| 2022-23 | Nets | $1,968,175 |
| 2023-24 | Grizzlies | $890,095 |
| 2023-24 | Suns | $1,456,519 |
