Damion Lee returning to Suns on 1-year contract, per report

Damion Lee did not pick up his $2.8 million player option with the Phoenix Suns for the 2024-25 season but, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, will return on a one-year contract.

If Lee can fully get back up to speed, he would provide the Suns with some added depth at the shooting guard position led by Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Grayson Allen. He could fill in a slot occupied last season by the departed Eric Gordon, who left to join the Philadelphia 76ers.

He brings the roster of players under contract and known additions to 14, with one roster spot open.

Lee sat out the entirety of 2023-24 after suffering a right meniscus injury in the offseason that required surgery.

Originally signing on with Phoenix for the 2022-23 season, Lee averaged 8.2 points on 44.2% shooting and 44.5% from long range in 74 games played (five starts). He added three rebounds and 1.3 assists across 20.4 minutes per game.

The following offseason, Lee and the team agreed on his current deal that included the player option.

Lee entered the league with the Atlanta Hawks as an undrafted rookie out of Louisville in 2016.

With the Hawks, he appeared in 15 games (11 starts) for new Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer during the 2017-18 season.

He signed a pair of 10-day contracts before inking a deal for the rest of the year, then averaged 10.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 26.9 minutes per game with Atlanta.

From there, Budenholzer went on to coach the Milwaukee Bucks after parting ways with the Hawks, while Lee headed to Golden State on a two-way contract. He eventually signed a multi-year deal in 2020.

With the Warriors from 2018-22 (201 games played), Lee averaged 8.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists across 20.6 minutes per game in the regular season.

He was also a part of Golden State’s run to an NBA championship in 2022, adding 2.0 points and 1.6 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per game across 16 contests.