UPDATE: The Brooklyn Nets Twitter account also confirmed the news.
The Brooklyn Nets have been a constantly talked about team this offseason.
With superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on the list, they are always a topic of conversation.
Last season they were swept in the first round of the NBA playoffs by Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics, so they are coming off a very disappointing year.
On Sunday, the team announced that they had signed a new player (according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post).
Lewis: “The #Nets have signed free agent forward Yuta Watanabe. The 6-foot-8, 214-pound player from Yokohama, Japan, has played in 121 games (eight starts) in four #NBA seasons with Memphis #Grizzlies (2018-20) and Toronto #Raptors (2020-22).”
Watanabe played for the Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies during his four-year NBA career.
The 27-year-old played 38 games for the Raptors last season and had a modest 4.3 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.
He also appeared in four of the Raptors’ playoff games against the Philadelphia 76ers (they lost in Game 6).
In 121 career regular season games, he averages 3.8 points, 2.5 rebounds on just over 35% three-point shooting.
It’s not a huge blow, but it’s at least worth noting that the Nets are adding a solid veteran to their bench.
The Nets were the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference last season, but were expected to be title contenders.
If they are healthy, they will have to compete for an NBA championship again.
