Former NBA player Yuta Watanabe has signed a historic deal with the Japan B.League team, Chiba Jets, as the contract could exceed $5 million.
Japanese basketball superstar Yuta Watanabe has officially signed with the Chiba Jets, confirming the information reported on BasketNews.
The Jets will hold a special official press conference after the Paris 2024 Olympics to provide background on Watanabe's signing, per the press release.
The 29-year-old, 2.06 m forward is set to join Chiba for the 2024-25 season, according to the announcement.
Sources indicate Watanabe signed a multi-million dollar contract, which is expected to be the highest in B.League history. According to BasketNews sources, the contract might exceed $5 million.
A 6-year NBA veteran who appeared in 213 NBA games is set to make his B.League debut next season.
After making his NBA debut in 2018, Watanabe became the second Japanese player to appear in the world's best basketball league and had the longest NBA stint for a Japanese player.
He played for the Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies during the 2023-24 season, averaging 3.4 points and 1.6 rebounds in 14 minutes per game.
In his best season with the Brooklyn Nets (2022-23), Watanabe averaged 5.6 points (44.4% from 3P), 2.4 rebounds, and 0.8 assists.
The biggest star in Japanese basketball will also appear at the Paris Olympics this summer.
He averaged 14.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Last season, the Jets reached the semifinals of Japan's top division and won the East Asia Super League.
Coached by former Ludwigsburg head coach icon John Patrick, the Jets lineup featured two top 10 scorers in the league: 1.70 m point guard Yuki Togashi (17.9 PPG, 5.4 APG) and stretch big John Mooney, who is also a top 3 rebounder in the league (17.4 PPG, 11.6 RPG).
The team also included two-time Australian league champion Xavier Cooks (13.9 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 2.9 APG) and Chris Smith (14.5 PPG, 18.7 MPG).
DJ Stephens (9.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG), known for his high-flying abilities in Europe, was also part of the team and won the dunk contest.
