Yuta Watanabe Says He Wants to Be Back With the Raptors Next Season
Yuta Watanabe says he's hoping he can re-sign with the Toronto Raptors next season after falling out of the rotation this past year
Yuta Watanabe
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Born
1994-10-13
Birth Place
Yokohama,_Kanagawa
Nationality
Japanese
Height
2.032
Education
George_Washington_Colonials_men's_basketball
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Raptors’ Yuta Watanabe confirms he wants to return to Toronto
The Toronto Raptors have some big names that could decide to pack up and leave in free agency this summer, with Chris Boucher and Thad Young topping the list. Those two need to be taken care of, but Yuta Watanabe can’t be forgotten in the shuffle after his rise from the G League to the playoffs.
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CBS Sports
Raptors' Yuta Watanabe: Handles small bench role Friday
Watanabe (quadriceps) posted three points (1-3 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-1 FT), three rebounds and two steals across 12 minutes Friday in the Raptors' 117-115 win over the Rockets. After a four-game absence, Watanabe was upgraded to available for the contest and held a small role on the second unit. Toronto didn't have OG Anunoby (thigh) or Fred VanVleet (knee) available Friday, so Watanabe could be squeezed out of the rotation when both return to action for the postseason, if not Sunday's regular-season finale versus the Knicks.
CBS Sports
Raptors' Yuta Watanabe: Upgraded to available
Watanabe (quadriceps) is available for Friday's game against the Rockets, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports. Despite Watanabe initially being ruled out for the game, he'll end up being available. It's possible he ends up in the rotation with the team shorthanded.
CBS Sports
Raptors' Yuta Watanabe: Out next two games
Watanabe (quad) will miss at least the Raptors' next two games, Michael Grange of SportsNet reports. The Raptors are said to be targeting a Sunday (at NYK) return for Watanabe, but he hasn't been a part of the regular rotation, so his absence doesn't have much of an effect on the fantasy landscape.
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CBS Sports
Raptors' Yuta Watanabe: Doubtful Thursday
Watanabe (quad) has been downgraded to doubtful for Thursday's game against the 76ers. Watanabe looks to be on course for his fifth straight absence, but he's not a part of the regular rotation, so this development won't carry any real fantasy implications.
CBS Sports
Raptors' Yuta Watanabe: Questionable vs. 76ers
Watanabe (quadriceps) is questionable for Thursday's game against the 76ers. Watanabe continues to deal with a quad injury and hasn't appeared in the past four games. Once he's healthy, he's not a guarantee to be in the rotation, especially during the playoffs.
CBS Sports
Raptors' Yuta Watanabe: Out again Tuesday
Watanabe (quadriceps) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Hawks, Blake Murphy of The Athletic reports. Watanabe will miss a third consecutive game and his fourth over Toronto's last five contests. However, he's a fringe rotation player when healthy, so his absence shouldn't affect how the minutes are divided.
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CBS Sports
Raptors' Yuta Watanabe: Remains out Sunday
Watanabe (quadriceps) has been ruled out for Sunday's contest against the Heat, Blake Murphy of The Athletic reports. Watanabe will be sidelined for the third time over his last four games. Regardless, he's a fringe rotation player when healthy, so his absence shouldn't impact Toronto's rotation.
CBS Sports
Raptors' Yuta Watanabe: Questionable vs. Heat
Watanabe (quadriceps) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Heat, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports. Despite some concern following an MRI that revealed a "little problem," Watanabe still has a chance at playing Sunday. That said, he's not always a part of the rotation when available.
CBS Sports
Raptors' Yuta Watanabe: Remains out Friday
Watanabe (quadriceps) has been ruled out for Friday's contest against the Magic, Blake Murphy of The Athletic reports. Watanabe has played just 18 total minutes across the Raptors' last five games, including a healthy DNP. His absence isn't expected to impact Toronto's rotation.
CBS Sports
Raptors' Yuta Watanabe: MRI results cause concern
Coach Nick Nurse said Friday that Watanabe (quadriceps) underwent an MRI that revealed a "little problem," Eric Koreen of The Athletic reports. Watanabe was unavailable for Friday's game against Orlando due to his quadriceps soreness, and he'll be re-evaluated once the Raptors return to Toronto this weekend. It's not yet clear when the 27-year-old will be able to return.
CBS Sports
Raptors' Yuta Watanabe: Questionable Friday
Watanabe is questionable for Friday's game against the Magic due to quad soreness , Aaron Rose of SI.com reports. Watanabe remains a fringe part of the Raptors' rotation. If he sits out, it won't affect much.
Should the Raptors give Yuta Watanabe more rotation time?
The Toronto Raptors were getting some solid contributions out of their bench in recent weeks, but injuries have forced Nick Nurse to revert to his old ways of leaning on his starters for 40 minutes a night. Role players like Yuta Watanabe have been left in the dust as a result.
CBS Sports
Raptors' Yuta Watanabe: Plays four minutes in loss
Watanabe accumulated two points (1-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt), two rebounds and one block in four minutes during Monday's 113-99 loss to the Bulls. Watanabe saw action for the first time in over a week and for just the fifth time this month. With the Raptors opting to run an extremely shallow rotation, Watanabe appears to have fallen out of favor. Even in deeper formats, his role is far too limited for him to be considered a viable asset.
Yardbarker
Raptors Assign Dalano Banton, Malachi Flynn, & Yuta Watanabe to G League
A brief homestand for the Toronto Raptors means the shuttle bus to and from the G League is back up and running. The Raptors have assigned Dalano Banton, Yuta Watanabe, and Malachi Flynn to the G League for Monday night's game against Westchester. It'll be a chance to get some extra playing time in for the trio who have each seen their playing time limited, if not vanish in recent weeks.