Memphis Grizzlies forward Yuta Watanabe appears to be on his way out of the NBA. According to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews, the Japanese forward will move back to his homeland and is close to joining the Chiba Jets. Watanabe started the 2023-24 campaign with the Phoenix Suns before getting traded to Memphis in February. He made 34 appearances this season, averaging 3.4 points and 1.6 rebounds in 13.6 minutes. Watanabe has career averages of 4.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 213 games. The 29-year-old has struggled to make an impact in the Association and will decline a $2.6 million player option to move back to Japan.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Yuta Watanabe (personal) will remain out of the lineup on Saturday against Orlando. He's been absent for personal reasons for quite a while and will miss a 14th consecutive game. Watanabe's absence hasn't had a big impact on Memphis, as the Japanese forward has averaged fewer than 14 minutes per game in 2023-24. His next chance to return comes on Monday in a matchup against the Pistons.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Yuta Watanabe (wrist) will remain out on Friday versus Atlanta, missing a fourth consecutive game. He continues to nurse a sprained right wrist. Wataname's absence has opened up extra minutes for Jake LaRavia and Lamar Stevens off the bench. The former has had a couple of outstanding games lately and will carry quite a bit of momentum into Friday's encounter with one of the league's worst defenses. Steven's numbers have stayed average, but he could get a lift on Friday with the absence of GG Jackson II (knee), who's listed as questionable for the game.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Yuta Watanabe (wrist) has been ruled out for Monday's clash with Brooklyn. The 29-year-old won't be able to have a reunion with his former team due to a right wrist sprain. After starting the campaign in Phoenix, Watanabe landed with his original team, the Grizzlies, last month. He's played a slightly larger role in Memphis, but hasn't done anything to garner the attention of fantasy managers. In 16.4 minutes across five games, Watanabe has recorded 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds. With him out of the lineup, Lamar Stevens and Matt Hurt will likely be the main beneficiaries, and the two should also profit from Jaren Jackson Jr.'s (quadriceps) absence.
Phoenix Suns forward Yuta Watanabe (quadriceps) will miss another game on Tuesday against Portland. He was unavailable for Sunday's clash with Utah due to a left quadriceps contusion, and the ailment is still bothering him. Before getting hurt, Watanabe had been ever-present for the Suns this season, averaging 18.6 minutes off the bench. He's put up 5.3 points and 2.7 rebounds. Keita Bates-Diop can pick up extra work with Watanabe missing, while Nassir Little also saw a boost in playing time on Sunday. There could be plenty of garbage time available for the Suns bench on Tuesday, as the home team is seen as a 13-point favorite for the contest.
Phoenix Suns forward Yuta Watanabe (quad) will not be suiting up on Sunday against the Utah Jazz as he deals with a left quad contusion. So far this season, Watanabe has been better utilized either as a streaming option or in very deep leagues. He's been seeing 18.6 minutes per contest, so his minutes will likely be split between Keita Bates-Diop and Josh Okogie. Both of them should be available in most leagues and can serve as solid streaming options as they've been two of the top options off of the bench.
Yuta Watanabe Is Building Great Chemistry In Phoenix
Phoenix Suns forward Yuta Watanabe seemed to be a great locker room presence and "glue guy" when he was playing for Brooklyn and Toronto the last couple of seasons. The 28-year-old was already able to build chemistry with Kevin Durant while in Brooklyn, but Frank Vogel has noticed that he's forming an on-court bond with Devin Booker as well. Booker seems to know where Watanabe is on the floor and has been finding him for more open shots. Beyond the stars on this team, the role-player rotation is yet to be known. In fantasy terms, Watanabe could be an end-of-the-draft name to watch if he rises closer to the surface of the role-player pool.
According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, Yuta Watanabe is among the Phoenix Suns' potential targets in free agency. The Japanese forward is coming off a one-year, $1.97 million deal with the Brooklyn Nets and is an unrestricted free agent. "Suns are a prime destination for vet minimum free agents," Gambadoro added. Watanabe posted a bunch of career-highs with the Nets last season, but he averaged only 16 minutes per game, and the 28-year-old likely won't get enough playing time in Phoenix either to make a significant fantasy impact.
Brooklyn Nets forward Yuta Watanabe (back) is expected to go through a "precautionary MRI" on Wednesday. Watanabe has already been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Phoenix Suns after experiencing back tightness in Monday's game. Joe Harris and TJ Warren should see increased minutes with Watanabe out.
Brooklyn Nets forward Yuta Watanabe (hamstring) will be sidelined for yet another game as he's still nursing a strained right hamstring. This will be his tenth consecutive game watching from the bench. His production off of the bench has been missed, but the team has found ways to win as they've gone 6-3 so far in his absence. Once he's back, he'll likely take a game or two to get back up to speed and then he would only be relevant in much deeper fantasy leagues after that.
