Darius Bazley
Darius Bazley | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 12, 2000 United States |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 2019–present |
| Known for | NBA player |
Darius Denayr Bazley (born June 12, 2000) is a professional basketball athlete from the United States. He spent his early high school years at Finneytown High School before transferring to Princeton High School located in Sharonville, Ohio. Recognized as a consensus five-star recruit and regarded as Ohio’s premier basketball talent, Bazley was honored as a McDonald's All-American in 2018.
Initially, Bazley committed to play collegiate basketball for Syracuse, but he chose to forgo college and pursue a career through the NBA G League, generating considerable national interest. Instead of joining the G League, he spent the season training independently while undertaking an internship with New Balance prior to the 2019 NBA draft. Bazley was selected 23rd overall by the Utah Jazz but was immediately traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, who then traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He played four seasons with the Thunder before being traded to the Phoenix Suns in 2023.
High school career
Bazley began his high school basketball journey at Finneytown High School in Springfield Township, Ohio, although he missed the first half of his freshman year due to eligibility restrictions. As a sophomore, he attracted recruitment interest from programs such as Ohio State and West Virginia. On December 19, 2015, he delivered a standout performance with 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks against Woodward High School. Finishing the season with averages of 15.8 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game, Bazley earned a spot on the Division III Southwest Ohio all-district second team.
Ranked as Ohio’s top player entering his junior year, Bazley transferred to Princeton High School in July 2016 but was sidelined for the first 11 games due to transfer regulations. In August of that year, he committed to Ohio State as a four-star recruit according to 247Sports. His Princeton debut took place on January 11, 2017, where he posted 11 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. In April, Bazley withdrew his commitment from Ohio State seeking opportunities on a "larger stage," subsequently committing to Syracuse two months later and signing a letter of intent in November.
During his senior season, Bazley was selected for the West team in the 2018 McDonald's All-American Boys Game on January 16. He led Princeton with 24 points in a nationally televised matchup against top recruit Romeo Langford and New Albany High School. Additionally, he competed in both the Jordan Brand Classic and the Nike Hoop Summit held in April.
Professional career
On March 30, 2018, Bazley declared that he would bypass college basketball to enter the professional ranks directly through the NBA G League. The following month, he signed with prominent sports agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group. Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim, under whom Bazley was expected to play collegiately, publicly expressed doubts regarding this non-traditional route to the NBA. However, on August 27, Bazley abandoned his plans for the G League and opted instead for independent training throughout that season. Beginning October 25, he commenced a three-month internship valued at $1 million with athletic brand New Balance. Upon completing this internship, Bazley declared for the 2019 NBA draft and was selected among 77 prospects invited to participate in the 2019 NBA Draft Combine.
Oklahoma City Thunder (2019–2023)
Bazley was selected 23rd overall by the Utah Jazz but was immediately traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, who subsequently sent him to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He made his professional debut on November 15, 2019, contributing five points in a 127–119 overtime triumph over the Philadelphia 76ers. On August 9, 2020, Bazley achieved a season-best performance with 23 points and seven rebounds during a 121–103 win against the Washington Wizards.
On April 19, 2021, Bazley reached a new season-high by scoring 26 points along with seven rebounds and three assists in a defeat to the Washington Wizards. He matched this scoring output two days later while also grabbing nine rebounds versus the Indiana Pacers. On March 13, 2022, he posted a career-high of 29 points and pulled down ten rebounds in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Unfortunately, Bazley’s season ended prematurely on March 28 due to a tibial plateau fracture in his right knee, sidelining him for the remainder of the 2021–22 NBA season.
Phoenix Suns (2023)
Bazley was traded to the Phoenix Suns on February 9, 2023, in exchange for Dario Šarić, a second-round pick in 2029, and cash considerations.
On July 16, 2023, Bazley inked a contract with the Brooklyn Nets, but he was waived on October 19.
Philadelphia 76ers / Delaware Blue Coats (2023–2024)
On December 8, 2023, Bazley joined the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League after his rights were acquired from the Wisconsin Herd in return for a first-round pick in 2024. He signed a 10-day deal with the Philadelphia 76ers on February 20, 2024, before returning to Delaware on March 1.
Utah Jazz (2024)
Bazley signed with the Utah Jazz on March 12, 2024; however, he was released on July 24.
Guangdong Southern Tigers (2024)
On September 6, 2024, Bazley joined the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, marking his first venture into Asian professional basketball.
Return to Delaware (2024)
Bazley rejoined the Delaware Blue Coats on November 15, 2024, but his contract was bought out on December 16.
On July 2, 2025, Bazley was announced as part of the Los Angeles Lakers' squad for the 2025 NBA Summer League. During a matchup against the Boston Celtics on July 17, he sustained a severe lower leg injury and had to leave the court in a wheelchair.
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 |- | 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
Playoffs
|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2020 | style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma City | 7 || 0 || 18.0 || .419 || .500 || .900 || 6.7 || 0.9 || 0.0 || 0.4 || 6.6 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Overall | 7 || 0 || 18.0 || .419 || .500 || .900 || 6.7 || 0.9 || 0.0 || 0.4 || 6.6