Former Raptors Favorite Says He Wanted to Sign with 905 Had NBA Opportunity Not Come

Watanabe joined the Raptors during the 2020-21 season in which the organization was forced to relocate to Tampa. He was an unknown on the roster, a surprise addition who beat out Oshae Brissett for the team’s final roster spot.

In an otherwise disappointing season, Watanabe was a feel-good story for the team. He played in 50 games for the Raptors and became one of the few players then-coach Nick Nurse seemed to trust in the rotation.

But Watanabe’s luck didn’t last.

Toronto brought him back the following season in 2021-22 and the Japanese forward never seemed to find his rhythm. He battled constant injuries, appearing in just 38 games, and by the end of the year, the Raptors were ready to move on.

“I keep saying it was hard; he was really good and then not so good, and dealt with a lot of injuries and sickness. So it was hard to decide if we were going to continue. We didn’t,” Nurse said last season.

Watanabe eventually latched on with the Brooklyn Nets where he developed a connection with Kevin Durant as a role player and valuable shooter to space the floor for his superstar teammates. Watanabe connected on 44.4% of his three-pointers last year and when the offseason rolled around this summer it was Durant, he said, who gave Watanabe a call to convince him to sign with the Phoenix Suns.

This season, Watanabe is once again proving he’s an NBA rotation player. He’s played in 16 games for the Suns, averaging 18.3 minutes per game, while shooting 36.7% from three-point range. He may not be a huge difference-maker but he’s certainly an NBA player and the kind of shooter a team like the Raptors could use these days.