Thaddeus Young signs new NBA deal after being cut following trade from Raptors

Less than a week after being cut from the Toronto Raptors, Thaddeus Young has found a new home.

The veteran forward is set to sign with the Phoenix Suns, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Free agent F Thaddeus Young is finalizing a deal to join the Phoenix Suns, sources tell ESPN. More veteran, frontline depth for the Suns’ stretch and playoff run. Young has spent the past two-plus seasons with the Toronto Raptors. pic.twitter.com/Ilyq2leTx2

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 13, 2024

The 35-year-old originally came to the Raptors back in 2022 from the San Antonio Spurs in a deal centred around sending point guard Goran Dragic in the other direction.

This year, Young was traded on deadline day along with Dennis Schroder from Toronto to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie. Both Young and Dinwiddie were waived following the deal, with the moves seemingly made to give the three veteran players new opportunities over the stretch drive of the season.

Young averaged five points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 103 games for the Raptors throughout three seasons. His stats this year were right in line with his career averages with Toronto, as he put up five points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 23 games across 15.2 minutes of action.

He was sparsely moved for much of the opening part of the season, however, hitting the court just six times in the team’s first 32 games, before they traded OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks, which bumped him up in the team’s rotation.

The Suns will be the eighth team of Young’s 17-season NBA career. Throughout his time in the league since his debut with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2007-08, Young has averaged 12.2 points and 5.7 rebounds in 1,162 regular-season games.

The Suns currently sit sixth in the Western Conference with a record of 31-22, occupying the final guaranteed playoff spot. The Raptors themselves have gone 1-2 since the deadline, and sit 12th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 19-35.

They have one game left before the NBA All-Star break, when they host longtime Raptor Pascal Siakam and the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night. Tipoff is set for 7:30 pm ET at Scotiabank Arena.

You might also like:
• Rajakovic calls out Raptors' effort in another blowout loss