Phoenix Suns sign guard Duane Washington Jr. to 2-way contract
Aug 3, 2022, 1:15 PM | Updated: 1:19 pm
Duane Washington Jr. #4 of the Indiana Pacers reacts after forcing a turnover by Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks during the second half at State Farm Arena on March 13, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The Phoenix Suns have officially signed guard Duane Washington Jr. to a two-way contract, the team announced Wednesday.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the signing on Tuesday night.
Washington takes up one of the Suns’ two two-way contract spots.
He was also ironically one of the players waived by the Indiana Pacers in order to sign Phoenix center Deandre Ayton to an offer sheet earlier this offseason.
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Washington was born abroad in Frankfurt, Germany, but he grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Suns All-Star guard Devin Booker is from.
Booker told reporters back in January that he has been watching Washington play the game of basketball since he was eight years old.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound guard went undrafted out of Ohio State in 2021 before signing with the Pacers as a free agent.
In 48 games his rookie season – which included seven starts — the 22-year-old averaged 9.9 points on 40.5% shooting from the field in 20.2 minutes per game.
He also paced 1.8 assists, 1.7 rebounds and 0.5 steals per contest while shooting 37.7% from three-point range and 75.4% from the free throw line.
In addition to playing for the Pacers in his first professional season, Washington spent time with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants — Indiana’s G League affiliate.
