Former Ohio State forward Keita Bates-Diop signs two-year deal with Phoenix Suns

Keita Bates-Diop is on the move.

According to a report by ESPN NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, the former Ohio State men's basketball forward agreed to a two-year, $5 million deal with the Phoenix Suns. The deal includes a player option.

Bates-Diop is one of 26 players to be drafted out of Ohio State that have played for head coach Chris Holtmann after being selected in the second round of the 2018 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In NBA seasons with the Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs, Bates-Diop has averaged 6.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, shooting 48% from the floor.

During the 2022-23 season, Bates-Diop started in 42 of his 67 appearances with the Spurs, recording a career-high 9.7 points in 21.7 minutes per game. Bates-Diop played with former Ohio State guard and 2022 first-round pick Malaki Branham in 2022-23, who started 32 of 66 games with the Spurs as a rookie.

In 2017-18, Bates-Diop was a consensus All-American and the Big Ten Player of the Year, averaging 19.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, while shooting 48% from the field.

In four seasons and 109 games at Ohio State — including 70 starts — Bates-Diop, a Bloomington, Illinois native, averaged 11.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Bates-Diop was one of seven former Ohio State players that played in the NBA during the 2022-23 season along with Branham, guard Mike Conley, center Micah Potter, guard D'Angelo Russell, forward Jae'Sean Tate and guard Duane Washington Jr.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Keita Bates-Diop, former Ohio State forward, signs with Phoenix Suns