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Darius Denayr Bazley (born June 12, 2000) is an American professional basketball player. 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.
Entering his junior campaign, Bazley was the top-ranked player in Ohio. In July 2016, it was announced that he would transfer to Princeton High School in Sharonville, Ohio. He was sidelined for his first 11 games because of transfer rules. In August, Bazley committed to Ohio State, being rated a four-star recruit by 247Sports at the time. 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. In April, Bazley announced his de-commitment from Ohio State due to his desire for a "bigger stage." About two months later, he committed to Syracuse, and in November, he signed a letter of intent. On January 16, 2018, in his senior season, Bazley was named to the West team for the 2018 McDonald's All-American Boys Game. 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. Bazley also took part in the Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit in April.
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. Two days later, he matched this total alongside nine rebounds in a 116–122 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
On March 13, 2022, Bazley recorded a career-high 29 points, along with ten rebounds, in a 118–125 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. On March 28, he was ruled out for the remainder of the 2021–22 season with a tibial plateau fracture in his right knee.
On July 16, 2023, Bazley signed with the Brooklyn Nets, but was waived on October 19.
On July 2, 2025, Bazley was announced as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2025 NBA Summer League. During a game vs the Boston Celtics on July 17, Bazley suffered a serious lower leg injury and left the game in a wheelchair.
| style="text-align:left;"| Phoenix
| 7 || 0 || 8.7 || .480 || .250 || .400 || 2.3 || .9 || .4 || .7 || 4.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2|
| style="text-align:left;"| Philadelphia
| 3 || 0 || 3.3 || .000 || || || .3 || .7 || .0 || .0 || .0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Utah
| 6 || 0 || 23.7 || .621 || .250 || .833 || 4.5 || .8 || 1.0 || 1.2 || 8.0
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career
| 237 || 118 || 23.4 || .414 || .309 || .677 || 5.2 || 1.2 || .6 || .7 || 8.9
Professional career
On March 30, 2018, Bazley announced that he would skip college with plans to join the NBA G League directly from high school. In April, he hired sports agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group. 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." On August 27, Bazley announced that he would drop his G League plans altogether, opting instead to train on his own for the season. On October 25, he began a three-month internship with New Balance worth $1 million. After concluding his internship, Bazley became one of the first players to enter the 2019 NBA draft, later being named one of 77 overall prospects invited to the 2019 NBA Draft Combine.
Oklahoma City Thunder (2019–2023)
Bazley was drafted 23rd overall by the Utah Jazz but was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, who then traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder. On November 15, 2019, Bazley made his NBA debut, recording five points in a 127–119 overtime win over the Philadelphia 76ers. On August 9, 2020, he scored a season-high 23 points, along with seven rebounds, in a 121–103 win over the Washington Wizards.
Phoenix Suns (2023)
On February 9, 2023, Bazley was traded to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Dario Šarić, a 2029 second-round pick and cash considerations.
Philadelphia 76ers / Delaware Blue Coats (2023–2024)
On December 8, 2023, Bazley joined with the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League and on February 20, 2024, he signed a 10-day contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. On March 1, he returned to Delaware.
Utah Jazz (2024)
On March 12, 2024, Bazley signed with the Utah Jazz. However, he was waived on July 24.
Guangdong Southern Tigers (2024)
On September 6, 2024, Bazley signed with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association.
Return to Delaware (2024)
On November 15, 2024, Bazley returned to the Delaware Blue Coats. However, he was bought out on December 16.
Career statistics
NBA
Regular season
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma City
| 61 || 9 || 18.5 || .394 || .348 || .694 || 4.0 || .7 || .4 || .7 || 5.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma City
| 55 || 55 || 31.2 || .396 || .290 || .702 || 7.2 || 1.8 || .5 || .5 || 13.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma City
| 69 || 53 || 27.9 || .422 || .297 || .688 || 6.3 || 1.4 || .8 || 1.0 || 10.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2|
| style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma City
| 36 || 1 || 15.4 || .449 || .400 || .554 || 3.4 || .9 || .5 || .8 || 5.4
|-
Playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2020
| style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma City
| 7 || 0 || 18.0 || .419 || .500 || .900 || 6.7 || .9 || .0 || .4 || 6.6
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career
| 7 || 0 || 18.0 || .419 || .500 || .900 || 6.7 || .9 || .0 || .4 || 6.6
External links
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> USA Basketball bio
Categories: 2000 Births, Living People, 21st-century American Sportsmen, American Expatriate Basketball People In China, American Men's Basketball Players, Basketball Players From Boston, Basketball Players From Cincinnati, Delaware Blue Coats Players, Guangdong Southern Tigers Players, Mcdonald's High School All-americans, Nba High School Draftees, Oklahoma City Thunder Players, Philadelphia 76ers Players, Phoenix Suns Players, Power Forwards, Salt Lake City Stars Players, Small Forwards, Utah Jazz Draft Picks, Utah Jazz Players
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