Former Ohio State basketball forward and Big Ten Player of the Year, Keita Bates-Diop, has signed a new contract with the Phoenix Suns according to ESPN’s NBA insider, Adrian Wojnarowski.
The deal is reportedly worth $5 million over two years.
Bates-Diop originally entered the NBA when he was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves as the No. 48 in the 2018 NBA draft. That was after a career at Ohio State that was a slow burn because of some injuries, but one that ended with him averaging 19.8 points. 8.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists during his final season in Columbus.
He spent his first two seasons in Minnesota and struggled to make the transition to the game’s highest level, averaging just 6.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per contest. He was traded to Denver in 2019 but was released after struggling to get on the court. The San Antonio Spurs signed Bates-Diop in 2020 where he showed some promise, starting 56 games and averaging 6.8 points in three seasons.
Free agent F Keita Bates-Diop has agreed to a two-year, $5M deal with the Phoenix Suns, co-head of @CAA_Basketball Austin Brown tells ESPN. Deal includes a player option. Bates-Diop will have a chance to earn a starting forward spot.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2023
Now, Bates-Diop will try to compliment a Suns team that has plenty of talent to try and compete for some pretty special things next season.
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