Darius Denayr Bazley (born June 12, 2000) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player for the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA). He attended Princeton High School in

Sharonville, Ohio Sharonville is a city largely in Hamilton County, Ohio, Hamilton County in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 14,117 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Sharonville is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area and located about ...

after playing his first two years at

Finneytown High School Finneytown Secondary Campus is a public high school in Finneytown, Hamilton County, Ohio, and is the only public High School in the Finneytown Local School District. The district serves the entirety of Finneytown which is in Springfield Townsh ...

. He was a consensus five-star recruit and the top prospect in his state, earning

McDonald's All-American McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American multinational fast food chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese chain Mixue Ice Cream & Tea. Brothers ...

honors in

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

. Bazley initially committed to and signed with

Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...

but later chose to bypass college with intentions of joining the

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the Minor league#Basketball, developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of ...

, a decision that drew national attention. However, he instead chose to train independently as an intern for

New Balance New Balance Athletics, Inc. (NB), doing business as New Balance, is one of the world's major sports footwear and apparel manufacturers. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the multinational corporation was founded in 1906 as the New Balance Arch Su ...

throughout the season leading up to the

2019 NBA draft The 2019 NBA draft was held on June 20, 2019. It took place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible p ...

. In the draft, he was selected 23rd overall by the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...

before immediately being traded to the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...

and then to the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...

. Bazley spent four seasons with the Thunder before being traded to the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...

in 2023.

High school career

Bazley began playing high school basketball at

in Springfield Township, Ohio. He was ruled ineligible for the first half of his freshman season. As a sophomore, Bazley started drawing interest from several college programs, including

Ohio State The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...

and

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

. On December 19, 2015, he posted 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks against Woodward High School. After averaging 15.8 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.4 blocks and 1.5 steals, he was named to the Division III Southwest Ohio all-district second team. 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

. 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 247Sports is an American network of websites that focus mainly on college recruiting, athletic recruitment in college football and college basketball, basketball. It is owned and operated by Paramount Global, Paramount. The website hosts a large ...

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

, and in November, he signed a

letter of intent A letter of intent (LOI or LoI, or Letter of Intent) is a document outlining the understanding between two or more parties which they intend to formalize in a legally binding agreement. The concept is similar to a heads of agreement, term she ...

. On January 16, 2018, in his senior season, Bazley was named to the West team for the

2018 McDonald's All-American Boys Game The 2018 McDonald's All-American Boys Game was an All-star basketball game that was played on Wednesday, March 28, 2018 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, home of the Atlanta Hawks. The game's rosters featured the best and most highly recr ...

. On January 19, he led his Princeton team with 24 points in a nationally televised game against top recruit

Romeo Langford Romeo James Langford (born October 25, 1999) is an American professional basketball player who last played for BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque of the French LNB Élite. He played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers and was ranked as one of the ...

and New Albany High School. Bazley also took part in the

Jordan Brand Classic The Jordan Brand Classic is a high school all star basketball game played annually in April. The game's rosters feature the best and most highly recruited high school boys and girls in the senior class. In 2015, a girl's game was introduced. Th ...

and

Nike Hoop Summit The Nike Hoop Summit is an international basketball all-star game sponsored by Nike, Inc., Nike, held once a year, which features the USA Basketball Men's Junior Select Team against a World Select Team of international players. The players demons ...

in April.

Professional career

On March 30, 2018, Bazley announced that he would skip college with plans to join the

directly from high school. In April, he hired sports agent

Rich Paul Richard Paul (born December 16, 1980) is an American sports agent and the founder and chief executive officer of Klutch Sports Group. His most notable client is basketball player LeBron James, with whom he has been a longtime friend. Paul is al ...

of Klutch Sports Group. Syracuse head coach

Jim Boeheim James Arthur Boeheim Jr. ( ; born November 17, 1944) is an American former college basketball coach and current Special Assistant to the Athletic Director at Syracuse University. From 1976 until 2023, he was the head coach of the Syracuse Orange ...

, 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

worth $1 million. After concluding his internship, Bazley became one of the first players to enter the

, 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

but was traded to the

, who then traded him to the

. On November 15, 2019, Bazley made his NBA debut, recording five points in a 127–119 overtime win over the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...

. On August 9, 2020, he scored a season-high 23 points, along with seven rebounds, in a 121–103 win over the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...

. 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

. Two days later, he matched this total alongside nine rebounds in a 116–122 loss to the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

. On March 13, 2022, Bazley recorded a career-high 29 points, along with ten rebounds, in a 118–125 loss to the

. On March 28, he was ruled out for the remainder of the 2021–22 season with a

tibial plateau fracture A tibial plateau fracture is a bone fracture, break of the upper part of the tibia (shinbone) that involves the knee joint. This could involve the medial, lateral, central, or bicondylar (medial and lateral). Symptoms include pain, knee effusion, ...

in his right knee.

Phoenix Suns (2023)

On February 9, 2023, Bazley was traded to the

in exchange for

Dario Šarić Dario Šarić (; born 8 April 1994) is a Croatian professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. He also represents the senior ...

, a 2029 second-round pick and cash considerations. On July 16, 2023, Bazley signed with the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...

, but was waived on October 19.

Philadelphia 76ers / Delaware Blue Coats (2023–2024)

On December 8, 2023, Bazley joined with the

Delaware Blue Coats The Delaware Blue Coats are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Wilmington, Delaware. They are the G-League affiliates of the Philadelphia 76ers. The Blue Coats play their home games at Chase Fieldhouse. The Bl ...

of the

and on February 20, 2024, he signed a 10-day contract with the

. On March 1, he returned to Delaware.

Utah Jazz (2024)

On March 12, 2024, Bazley signed with the

. However, he was waived on July 24.

Guangdong Southern Tigers (2024)

On September 6, 2024, Bazley signed with the

Guangdong Southern Tigers Guangdong Hongyuan Southern Tigers () or Guangdong Southern Tigers, also known as Guangdong Dongguan Bank () for sponsorship reasons, are a Chinese professional basketball team owned by the Guangdong Winnerway (Hongyuan) Group. The team is one of ...

of the

Chinese Basketball Association The Chinese Basketball Association (), often abbreviated as the CBA, is the first-tier men's professional basketball league in China. The league is commonly known by fans as the CBA, and this acronym is even used in Chinese on a regular basis ...

Return to Delaware (2024)

On November 15, 2024, Bazley returned to the

. However, he was bought out on December 16.

2025-present: More basketball with the Lakers

Bazley is on the Lakers

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

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, 55 , , 55 , , 31.2 , , .396 , , .290 , , .702 , , 7.2 , , 1.8 , , .5 , , .5 , , 13.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 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;",

, 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 Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, 3 , , 0 , , 3.3 , , .000 , , , , , , .3 , , .7 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

, 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

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2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

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, 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

References

External links

USA Basketball bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bazley, Darius 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