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NBA Draft 2019 Prospect Watch: Darius Bazley

By Jordan Treske

CHICAGO, IL - MAY 14: Darius Bazley poses for a portrait at the 2019 NBA Draft Combine on May 14, 2019 at the Chicago Hilton in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 14: Darius Bazley poses for a portrait at the 2019 NBA Draft Combine on May 14, 2019 at the Chicago Hilton in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 08: (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 08: (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO) /

One of the biggest enigmas in this year’s NBA Draft, Darius Bazley is making the jump to the pros after essentially sitting out the last year without playing any level of competitive basketball.

While you may not have seen Darius Bazley play, there’s a great chance you know the road he’s taken and how it’s now led him to entering the 2019 NBA Draft.

A five-star recruit as well as a McDonald’s All-American, Bazley had originally committed and signed a letter of intent to attend Syracuse University before the start of his senior season in the fall of 2017.

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However, Bazley reversed course on his decision to play with the Orange five months later and announced his intent to skip college altogether and become the first high schooler to go directly to the G League.

Some several months later, though, Bazley scrapped those plans and decided to sit out the 2018-19 season to develop his game and prepare for the professional level on his own terms.

Through the help of his representatives, which happens to be agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, Bazley locked down a shoe contract with New Balance that also included a three-month internship that gave him financial security with a chance to earn even more depending on how his professional career unfolds as Paul told Marc Stein of the New York Times in October last year.

As strange and winding of a road Bazley has taken over the last year-plus and in spite of the many questions that swirl around him as a result, he’s now on the precipice of achieving his dream of reaching the NBA with this year’s draft less than a week away.

So without further ado, let’s dive deep into Darius Bazley’s game, starting with his strengths, weaknesses, learn how draft experts evaluate him less than a week from the draft and explore his potential fit with the Milwaukee Bucks.

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