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Darius Bazley

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Darius Bazley
Bazley with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2022
Free agent
PositionPower forward
Personal information
Born (2000-06-12) June 12, 2000 (age 24)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight216 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school
NBA draft2019: 1st round, 23rd overall pick
Selected by the Utah Jazz
Playing career2019–present
Career history
2019–2023Oklahoma City Thunder
2023Phoenix Suns
2023–2024Delaware Blue Coats
2024Philadelphia 76ers
2024→Delaware Blue Coats
2024Utah Jazz
2024→Salt Lake City Stars
Career highlights and awards
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at NBA.com
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at Basketball-Reference.com

Darius Denayr Bazley (born June 12, 2000) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended Princeton High School in Sharonville, Ohio after playing his first two years at Finneytown High School. He was a consensus five-star recruit and the top prospect in his state, earning McDonald's All-American honors in 2018.

Bazley initially committed to and signed with Syracuse but later chose to bypass college with intentions of joining the NBA G League, a decision that drew national attention. However, he instead chose to train independently as an intern for New Balance throughout the season leading up to the 2019 NBA draft. In the draft, he was selected 23rd overall by the Utah Jazz before immediately being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies and then to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Bazley spent four seasons with the Thunder before being traded to the Phoenix Suns in 2023.

High school career

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Bazley began playing high school basketball at Finneytown High School in Springfield Township, Ohio. He was ruled ineligible for the first half of his freshman season.[1] As a sophomore, Bazley started drawing interest from several college programs, including Ohio State and West Virginia.[2] On December 19, 2015, he posted 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks against Woodward High School.[2] After averaging 15.8 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.4 blocks and 1.5 steals, he was named to the Division III Southwest Ohio all-district second team.[3][4]

Entering his junior campaign, Bazley was the top-ranked player in Ohio.[4] In July 2016, it was announced that he would transfer to Princeton High School in Sharonville, Ohio.[5] He was sidelined for his first 11 games because of transfer rules.[6] In August, Bazley committed to Ohio State, being rated a four-star recruit by 247Sports at the time.[7] On January 11, 2017, he debuted for Princeton, recording 11 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals in a loss at the Flyin' To The Hoop Invitational.[8] In April, Bazley announced his de-commitment from Ohio State due to his desire for a "bigger stage."[9] About two months later, he committed to Syracuse, and in November, he signed a letter of intent.[10][11] On January 16, 2018, in his senior season, Bazley was named to the West team for the 2018 McDonald's All-American Boys Game.[12] On January 19, he led his Princeton team with 24 points in a nationally televised game against top recruit Romeo Langford and New Albany High School.[13] Bazley also took part in the Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit in April.[14][15]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Darius Bazley
SF 		Cincinnati, OH Princeton (OH) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Jul 3, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 93
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 18  247Sports: 23  ESPN: 13
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Syracuse 2018 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  • "2018 Syracuse Orange Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  • "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 18, 2018.

Professional career

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On March 30, 2018, Bazley announced that he would skip college with plans to join the NBA G League directly from high school.[16] In April, he hired sports agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group.[17] Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim, who Bazley was expected to play under in college before the move, responded, "I hope he does great. But I don't think it's the way it will be. I think it will be proven it's not the way to get to the NBA."[18] On August 27, Bazley announced that he would drop his G League plans altogether, opting instead to train on his own for the season.[19] On October 25, he began a three-month internship with New Balance worth $1 million.[20] After concluding his internship, Bazley became one of the first players to enter the 2019 NBA draft,[21][22] later being named one of 77 overall prospects invited to the 2019 NBA Draft Combine.[23]

Oklahoma City Thunder (2019–2023)

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Bazley was drafted 23rd overall by the Utah Jazz but was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies,[24] who then traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder.[25] On November 15, 2019, Bazley made his NBA debut, recording five points in a 127–119 overtime win over the Philadelphia 76ers.[26] On August 9, 2020, he scored a season-high 23 points, along with seven rebounds, in a 121–103 win over the Washington Wizards.[27]

On April 19, 2021, Bazley logged a season-high 26 points, along with seven rebounds and three assists, in a 107–119 loss to the Washington Wizards.[28] Two days later, he matched this total alongside nine rebounds in a 116–122 loss to the Indiana Pacers.[29]

On March 13, 2022, Bazley recorded a career-high 29 points, along with ten rebounds, in a 118–125 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.[30] On March 28, he was ruled out for the remainder of the 2021–22 season with a tibial plateau fracture in his right knee.[31]

Phoenix Suns (2023)

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On February 9, 2023, Bazley was traded to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Dario Šarić, a 2029 second-round pick and cash considerations.[32]

On July 16, 2023, Bazley signed with the Brooklyn Nets,[33] but was waived on October 19.[34]

Philadelphia 76ers / Delaware Blue Coats (2023–2024)

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On December 8, 2023, Bazley joined with the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League[35] and on February 20, 2024, he signed a 10-day contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.[36] On March 1, he returned to Delaware.[37]

Utah Jazz (2024)

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On March 12, 2024, Bazley signed with the Utah Jazz.[38] However, he was waived on July 24.[39]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

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Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2019–20 Oklahoma City 61 9 18.5 .394 .348 .694 4.0 .7 .4 .7 5.6
2020–21 Oklahoma City 55 55 31.2 .396 .290 .702 7.2 1.8 .5 .5 13.7
2021–22 Oklahoma City 69 53 27.9 .422 .297 .688 6.3 1.4 .8 1.0 10.8
2022–23 Oklahoma City 36 1 15.4 .449 .400 .554 3.4 .9 .5 .8 5.4
2022–23 Phoenix 7 0 8.7 .480 .250 .400 2.3 .9 .4 .7 4.0
2023–24 Philadelphia 3 0 3.3 .000 — — .3 .7 .0 .0 .0
2023–24 Utah 6 0 23.7 .621 .250 .833 4.5 .8 1.0 1.2 8.0
Career 237 118 23.4 .414 .309 .677 5.2 1.2 .6 .7 8.9

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2020 Oklahoma City 7 0 18.0 .419 .500 .900 6.7 .9 .0 .4 6.6
Career 7 0 18.0 .419 .500 .900 6.7 .9 .0 .4 6.6

References

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  1. ^ Baum, Adam; Robbe, Nick (November 28, 2014). "Roger Bacon basketball looking to reload". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Schmetzer, Mark (December 22, 2015). "Finneytown's Bazley handles spotlight, roundball". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  3. ^ "SW Ohio All-District boys hoops teams named". The Cincinnati Enquirer. March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Dyer, Mike (June 20, 2016). "Finneytown's Darius Bazley is ranked Ohio's No. 1 player in the 2018 class". WCPO-TV. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  5. ^ Dyer, Mike (July 30, 2016). "Finneytown basketball standout Darius Bazley transfers to Princeton". WCPO-TV. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  6. ^ "Five things to know: Darius Bazley". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  7. ^ Landis, Bill (August 27, 2016). "Darius Bazley, Justin Ahrens -- pair of 2018 Ohio prospects -- commit to Ohio State basketball". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  8. ^ Dyer, Mike (January 16, 2017). "Princeton basketball standout Darius Bazley reflects on season debut". WCPO-TV. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  9. ^ Spain, Kevin (April 28, 2017). "Ohio State loses basketball recruit Darius Bazley who wants 'bigger stage'". USA Today. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  10. ^ Zucker, Joseph (July 3, 2017). "4-Star SF Darius Bazley Commits to Syracuse over Louisville, Maryland, Others". Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  11. ^ Waters, Mike (November 8, 2017). "Syracuse basketball recruit Darius Bazley signs letter of intent". The Post-Standard. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  12. ^ Daniels, Evan (January 16, 2018). "McDonald's All-American Rosters". 247Sports. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  13. ^ Winstead, Kenzie (January 19, 2018). "Langford fights through injuries, leads New Albany to nationally televised win over Princeton". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  14. ^ Gutierrez, Matthew (April 8, 2018). "At Jordan Brand Classic, Darius Bazley offers glimpse of what he would have brought to SU". The Daily Orange. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  15. ^ Clark, Dave (March 13, 2018). "Princeton's Bazley invited to Nike Hoop Summit". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  16. ^ Borzello, Jeff (March 30, 2018). "Five-star recruit Darius Bazley to de-commit from Syracuse, join G League". ESPN. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  17. ^ Zagoria, Adam (April 23, 2018). "Darius Bazley Charts Yet Another Path to the N.B.A.: The Development League". The New York Times. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  18. ^ Clark, Dave (April 4, 2018). "Boeheim on Bazley: 'It's not the way to get to the NBA'". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  19. ^ Charania, Shams (August 27, 2018). "Darius Bazley, the first top high school prospect to choose the G League over college, opts to train on his own instead". The Athletic. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  20. ^ "Rich Paul: Darius Bazley's $1M internship a by-product of 'broken system'". ESPN.com. October 24, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  21. ^ Bowers, Brendan (April 1, 2019). "Did Darius Bazley and Klutch Sports make the right call?". lebronwire.usatoday.com. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  22. ^ "NBA announces early entry candidates for 2019 NBA Draft presented by State Farm". pr.nba.com. April 23, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  23. ^ "Sixty-six players expected to attend NBA Draft Combine". NBA.com. May 19, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  24. ^ "Memphis Grizzlies acquire Grayson Allen, Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver, draft rights to Darius Bazley and future first round draft pick from Utah Jazz". NBA.com. July 6, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  25. ^ "Thunder Acquires Draft Rights to Darius Bazley". NBA.com. July 6, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  26. ^ Brunt, Cliff (November 16, 2019). "GALLINARI, PAUL LEAD THUNDER PAST 76ERS 127-119 IN OT". NBA.com. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  27. ^ "THUNDER KEEP WIZARDS WINLESS IN BUBBLE WITH 121-103 WIN". NBA.com. August 9, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  28. ^ Nuckols, Ben (April 19, 2021). "BEAL, BERTANS LIFT WIZARDS PAST THUNDER FOR 5TH STRAIGHT WIN". NBA.com. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  29. ^ Marot, Michael (April 21, 2021). "PACERS' SMALL BALL COMES UP BIG IN 122-116 WIN OVER THUNDER". NBA.com. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  30. ^ Martinez, Justin (March 13, 2022). "GRIZZLIES LEAD FOR ALL BUT 25 SECONDS IN WIN OVER THUNDER". NBA.com. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  31. ^ Almanza, Clemente (March 28, 2022). "OKC Thunder news: Darius Bazley out for the rest of the season with knee fracture". USA Today. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  32. ^ "SUNS ACQUIRE DARIUS BAZLEY FROM OKLAHOMA CITY". NBA.com. February 9, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  33. ^ "Brooklyn Nets Sign Darius Bazley". NBA.com. July 16, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  34. ^ "Brooklyn Nets Waive Darius Bazley". NBA.com. October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  35. ^ Delaware Blue Coats [@blue_coats] (December 8, 2023). "welcome to Delaware, Darius!👋 OFFICIAL: the Delaware Blue Coats acquire the rights to Darius Bazley from the Wisconsin Herd in exchange for a 2024 1st round pick. #GetYourCoatsOn" (Tweet). Retrieved December 10, 2023 – via Twitter.
  36. ^ "Darius Bazley Signed by 76ers". NBA.com. February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  37. ^ "2023-2024 Delaware Blue Coats Transaction History". RealGM.com. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  38. ^ "Utah Jazz Sign Darius Bazley". NBA.com. March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  39. ^ Rincon, Jeremy (July 24, 2024). "Utah Jazz Waive Darius Bazley and Kenneth Lofton Jr". NBA.com. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
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