Ohio State basketball: Duane Washington back in the NBA

The Ohio State basketball program has plenty of alumni in the league, even if it’s not as many as some other college programs. One of those players is Duane Washington, who started out in the league last season as a rookie in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers.

Washington was signed to a two-way deal by the Pacers and eventually got a full-time deal from them. He was ultimately let go after the Pacers tried to sign Deandre Ayton in order for them to be under the cap. Washington was eventually picked up by the Suns though.

This season for the Suns, he played in 31 games and averaged 7.9 points per game. He was let go earlier in the year once Chris Paul came back from his injury. He’s been looking for a home since. Now, he has a new home as the regular season starts to wind down.

Washington has signed a two-way deal with the New York Knicks. That deal could allow Washington to see more time in the NBA after some time with their G-League affiliate, depending on how well he does with them. It’s a good opportunity for him to get back in the league.

In order for Washington to stick with a team, he needs to get better on defense and shoot it better. He’s shooting just 36.7% from the field this year. The reason he got signed by the Knicks is that he shoots 36% from three so he can be a threat from outside.

I was disappointed that my Pacers let him go. I wanted to see him grow and develop on a young team that could afford him minutes. I’m not sure how many minutes he’ll get with the Knicks. Perhaps this is just a good way for him to improve his play in the G-League.

I’d like to see him get consistent minutes in the league though! He was great for the Ohio State basketball team.