Darius

Bazley

Lofton and Bazley played with the Jazz last season, with the former appearing in four games and the latter six. Neither departure will impact fantasy basketball, as Lofton and Bazley weren’t in the rotation most nights.

Bazley signed a three-year with Utah in March, but he has only seen the floor over their last five games. During that stretch, he has averaged 9.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks per game, which has him ranked inside the top-125 over the past two weeks. He should be a reliable depth piece for the Jazz next season, but it is unlikely that he plays anywhere close to enough minutes to impact fantasy basketball. It’s nice to see him playing well, and he may have another solid game in the finale on Sunday, but that should be his final good performance until next silly season.

Bazley logged just nine total minutes for the 76ers in three appearances this season, but he more than tripled that playing time in his Jazz debut on Friday. Baz was recalled from the G League on Wednesday, and Utah wasted no time in getting him involved in the rotation. Bazley tied for second in team scoring on what was a pitiful effort from the rebuilding Jazz, and he led all players in minutes. With Utah eliminated from playoff contention, multiple key players injured and just one week remaining in the season, Bazley is among the depth options on Utah’s roster that could see meaningful minutes for the final five games of the 2023-24 campaign.

Bazley has balled out for the Delaware Blue Coats of the G League, and he’ll get a shot with a Jazz team that’s shuffled its frontcourt rotation repeatedly throughout the season. Keep an eye on Baz as we get into the thick of “silly season.”

Baz played the first three seasons of his career in Oklahoma City, and he split time between the Thunder and Suns in 2022-23. He hasn’t appeared in the NBA this season, but he’s been one of the best players in the G League behind averages of 20.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals, 2.5 blocks and 1.3 triples for the Delaware Blue Coats. The Sixers aren’t exactly the deepest team in the Association, so Bazley has a chance to carve out a meaningful role for his new team.

Bazley signed with Brooklyn in July after spending the end of last season with Phoenix following a trade from the Thunder. It has been a whirlwind eight months, and he’ll now be looking to join his fourth organization in that time frame. Bazley has some solid upside, but he hasn’t had the opportunity to display it frequently. He’ll receive plenty of interest from multiple teams across the league.

Another free agent is off the board, with Bazley moving to the Nets after finishing up last season with the Suns. The 2019 first-round pick spent his first three-plus season with the Thunder before being traded at the deadline in February. Bazley didn’t play much while in Phoenix, so the change in scenery could be a good thing for him. With Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and Dorian Finney-Smith all under contract for next season, Bazley faces a tough fight to get the minutes he would need for fantasy relevance.

Phoenix rested four of its usual five starters on Sunday, as the outcome wasn’t going to impact the team’s playoff seeding. That meant a move into the starting lineup for Lee, and he made the most of his 44 minutes on the court. In addition to the 25 points and nine assists, he was responsible for just one turnover. Darius Bazley (16/9/2/0/2 with one 3-pointer) and Jock Landale (15/8/2 with one 3-pointer) played well in the frontcourt, and like Lee, they aren’t guaranteed rotation minutes once the postseason begins. Landale’s the best positioned of the three, as backup center Bismack Biyombo is dealing with a knee injury (that isn’t expected to keep him sidelined for the playoffs). The Suns will host the Clippers in Game 1 of their series next weekend.

Acquired from the Thunder for Dario Saric at the trade deadline, Bazley was available to make his Suns debut Tuesday night. But he was not in the rotation, with Suns coach Monty Williams playing 10 players, two of whom logged fewer than 10 minutes (T.J. Warren and Saben Lee). This isn’t a good sign for Bazley fantasy-wise because there will be even fewer minutes available once Kevin Durant (knee) is healthy enough to play. He’s only rostered in three percent of Yahoo leagues, so the DNP-CD won’t impact fantasy leagues.

Bazley has played well when given the chance, but an inconsistent rotation in Oklahoma City prevented him from providing value all the time. He should get the chance with the Suns, especially with Kevin Durant sidelined. He’ll cut into Torrey Craig’s minutes in this game.