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Emotional Confession: Former Suns Sensation Spills All on Departure from NBA, Unveils Unexpected Next Move
Yuta Watanabe, a former player for the Phoenix Suns, will return to Japan after declining his player-option.
Phoenix: Yuta Watanabe, a former shooter for the Phoenix Suns, declared live on Instagram that he would be refusing his $2.65 million player option for the 2024–25 season after being moved to the Memphis Grizzlies during the NBA trade deadline.
Watanabe is returning to her native Japan.
All I want to do is shoot hoops. “I want to perform like I do in practice when I go into the game,” he remarked (source: Kyodo News). “I pushed during my 20’s but now I expect to play basketball in a manner I like.”
Watanabe stated that he made his decision primarily for mental health reasons because he was surprised to find himself despondent following his trade from Phoenix. When Watanabe turned thirty, he claims he wanted to go back to Japan and resume his love of hoops.
“I was having a hard time,” Watanabe admitted. “I wanted to continue working in America throughout my twenties, no matter what. Remain persistent no matter what. At times, it was enjoyable, but it also required a lot of labor.”
Upon his release from Brooklyn last summer, Watanabe was initially considered a steal for Phoenix, giving them a reliable three-point shooter with experience to play alongside Kevin Durant.
Watanabe, though, had trouble in his early Suns career and was eventually dropped from the starting lineup.
He participated in just five games for Memphis after being traded to the Grizzlies, and the league’s injury report listed “personal reasons” as the reason he missed the last stretch of the season.
I wish Watanabe continued success. Watching him support Japan in the next Olympics will be interesting, and ideally, he’ll flourish in a more comfortable setting back home.
