Yuta Watanabe, the former Toronto Raptors forward, has announced his decision to step away from the NBA through an Instagram post. He intends to decline his player option and return to Japan for the upcoming season.
Watanabe began his NBA journey during the 2018-2019 season with the Memphis Grizzlies after going undrafted from George Washington University. Subsequently, he joined the Toronto Raptors in 2020, surprising many by securing a spot on the roster. Throughout the season, he emerged as a valuable rotation player, appearing in 50 games and averaging 4.4 points in 14.5 minutes per game. His dedication and work ethic earned accolades from Toronto’s coaching staff.
Although Watanabe continued with the Raptors in the following season, persistent injuries hindered his performance. Limited to just 38 games, his three-point shooting efficiency declined, prompting Toronto to part ways with him at the end of the season.
Over the past two seasons, the 6-foot-9 Japanese native had stints with the Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns before returning to Memphis towards the end of the previous year. Notably, he achieved a 44.4% three-point shooting percentage with the Nets in the 2022-2023 season before signing a multi-year contract with the Suns. However, Watanabe was traded to Memphis by the Suns just before the February trade deadline.
In the most recent season, Watanabe appeared in 34 games, averaging 3.4 points and 1.6 rebounds per game, with shooting percentages of 35.3% from the field and 29.4% from three-point range.
Watanabe exits the NBA as one of only three Japanese players to have played in the league, alongside Yuta Tabuse and Rui Hachimura.
