Suns signs guard Saben Lee, waives Duane Washington Jr.

The Phoenix Suns sign Saben Lee to a two-way contract and are without Duane Washington Jr. Had GM James Jones kept Washington, Phoenix would have had to sign Lee for the rest of the season to keep him.

In January, Lee signed two 10-day contracts with the team after being waived by the Philadelphia 76ers last year. Of course, two-way contracts aren’t part of an NBA team’s 15-man roster.

According to some NBA betting sites, the Suns have the 11th place odds to win the championship. Check out which sportsbooks are offering higher odds for the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors.

The Phoenix Suns are signing guard Saben Lee to a two-way NBA deal and waiving Duane Washington Jr., sources say @TheAthletic @Stadion. Lee gets a deal with Suns after a strong 10-day stint. Washington has scoring opportunities, averaging 8 points in 13 minutes per game this season.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 1, 2023

In 12 games off the bench this season, Lee is averaging a career-high 6.3 points, along with 1.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. Also, in its third year, the guard shooter career achieved bests of 47.9% on the field and 46.2% off the arc.

On Jan. 19, in the Suns’ 117-112 win over the Brooklyn Nets, the Vanderbilt product recorded a season-high 15 points in 30 minutes. In addition to three boards, six assists and a steal, Lee shot 6-of-11 (54.5%) off the floor and dumped two 3s.

Suns sign Saben Lee to two-way after signing two 10-day contracts, waive Duane Washington Jr.

As for Washington, sophomore guard stats are lower than last season. He has averaged 7.9 points, 1.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 12.7 minutes in 31 appearances this season with Phoenix.

While Washington averaged more points than Lee, the 22-year-old undrafted guard saw less playing time. It’s particularly unfortunate considering Washington hit a career-high 26 points in a 125-108 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Dec. 27.

During his 2021-22 rookie season with the Indiana Pacers, Washington recorded 9.9 points, 1.7 boards, 1.8 assists and 20.2 minutes per game in 48 contests.

#To sunbathe Re-sign Saben Lee to a two-way deal and ditch Duane Washington Jr. who had a two-way deal. pic.twitter.com/4VsfCsE2Ca

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) February 1, 2023

Additionally, Ishmail Wainright takes the other two-way spot with the Suns. Although two-way players are not eligible for the playoffs, signers are still valuable assets for NBA teams.

Phoenix now needs all the play it can get. Devin Booker (groin), Cameron Payne (foot), Landry Shamet (foot) and Jae Crowder (personal) are staying out indefinitely. Not to mention the Suns are 6-4 in their last 10 games.

Halfway through the 2022-23 season, the team is 27-25 and seventh overall in the Western Conference. Phoenix ranks 20th in the standings with an average of 112.9 points per game. However, they award the fifth fewest points per contest (111.5).