The Suns have made it official with two free agents who agreed to join the team early in free agency, having officially signed center Drew Eubanks and forward Keita Bates-Diop, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.
While many deals reported over the weekend can’t be formally completed until this Thursday, minimum-salary signings are one of the transactions that can be finalized during the July moratorium. Both Eubanks and Bates-Diop agreed to two-year, veteran’s minimum deals that feature second-year player options.
Eubanks, 26, emerged as a reliable rotation player in Portland over the last season-and-a-half, averaging 8.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 22.3 minutes per game across 100 appearances (50 starts). He also shot 64.3% from the floor during his time as a Blazer. He’ll have an opportunity to back up Deandre Ayton in Phoenix, with Jock Landale leaving the Suns for the Rockets and Bismack Biyombo seemingly unlikely to return.
Bates-Diop, a second-round pick in 2018, is coming off his best season as an NBA player. He averaged 9.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists with a .508/.394/.793 shooting line in 67 games (21.7 MPG), including 42 starts, for the Spurs last season. He’ll be among the Suns’ minimum-salary signings who will vie for minutes in a rotation headed by the star trio of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal.
The Suns still have several more reported signings to officially complete, including minimum-salary deals with veteran guard Eric Gordon and forward Yuta Watanabe.
No Craig? A little long in the tooth, perhaps, but a solid known quantity and they have EBRs. Perhaps it was the luxury tax finally mattering.
Phoenix is cobbling together a good second unit, maybe better than what they had last season.
Eubanks is a good signing. He put in solid performances in his year and a half with Portland. Better than Biyombo.
Eubanks is a steal for the Sun’s. His star will rise on this team.