How Darius Bazley fits the Nets' roster going into this season
Darius Bazley of the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on March 8, 2023. Credit: Getty Images
Darius Bazley isn’t worried about proving himself again. Not even after a season where he was limited to 43 games.
He’s getting a fresh start with the Nets, who signed him to a one-year contract. But after four seasons, he’s not motivated solely by last season’s trade from the Thunder or playing just seven games with the Suns.
“Just me being the person I am. My competitive nature, my will and wanting to be the best that I can, that’s what drives me,” Bazley said on a Zoom call with reporters Thursday.
Bazley, a former first-round pick, averaged career-lows in points (5.2), rebounds (3.2) and minutes (14.3). Despite starting the previous two seasons with the Thunder, where he’s played since 2019, he struggled to stay in the rotation last year.
He also suffered a fractured knee in March 2022 but recovered to be available at the start of last season. The injury is behind him, Bazley said, and he’s looking toward bringing defensive versatility to a Nets team he admired for their up-tempo style.
“They looked like they had fun, they looked like they played hard and together. It was just something I wanted to be a part of,” Bazley said.
Bazley is the latest part of the Nets’ trend this summer of adding free agents on one-year deals along with Lonnie Walker IV and Dennis Smith Jr.
It fits what general manager Sean Marks has spoken about with trying to evaluate a core fused by two midseason trades. Whether or not Bazley has something to prove, he’s on a team with a similar attitude trying to figure out their identity going forward.
“This is something that, what can they show us in this next season that proves that they should be part of this group in the next year or two after this,” Marks said at NBA Summer League. “As the group evolves and their game evolves too, we can grow together like [coach] Jacque [Vaughn] has mentioned in the past.”
Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
