PHOENIX – Jamaree Bouyea's NBA journey has taken him to all corners of the country. He has made stops in Miami, Washington, Portland, San Antonio and Milwaukee, with none lasting more than a handful of games.
Now at stop No. 6, Bouyea may have found a home in Phoenix. Earlier this season, the Suns signed Bouyea to a two-way deal, but on Monday they converted his contract to a standard NBA contract, setting off a moment of quiet reflection and celebration at home.
"I was sitting with my girlfriend, and we were just sitting at the house last night eating dinner, and I got the call," he said. "Just sat there and talked about it with her, gave her a hug, and just embraced it."
The Suns are the sixth team that Bouyea has played for in just four seasons. However, he already has played in more NBA games (33) for Phoenix than he did with the other five combined (19).
After playing five seasons at the University of San Francisco, Bouyea signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Miami Heat after going undrafted in 2022. An Exhibit 10 contract is a one-year, non-guaranteed minimum deal, normally given to extend training camp invitations to players and secure G-league rights. That was the start of Bouyea's four-season odyssey.
"I came from having no offers to one offer to being the best player on my college team to being undrafted and back in the G-League and all this other stuff," he said.
Bouyea prides himself on playing hard defense. In a room of scoring guards such as Devin Booker , Jalen Green and Grayson Allen, Bouyea stands out because of the effort he exerts on the defensive end.
"I think the biggest thing for me is just playing defense." Bouyea said. "Obviously, being a small guard, I think just being feisty, being a pest, and I mean, I'm trying to learn from Goody (Jordan Goodwin) as well, because he's a pest on defense, and that's how you get out there and earn minutes."
Bouyea is another example of a high-effort, gritty player who the Suns seem to covet in their effort to change their culture over the past year. They announced his new contract to the team after practice.
"I think just seeing the group's reaction to him earning it, those things are pretty memorable for not only us but I'm sure for him," coach Jordan Ott said. "(He) earned it, got it, we'll see where it goes, work left to do but what he's brought to our group, it's definitely been beneficial."
With Bouyea's contract transitioning into an NBA deal, the Suns roster is now full. They waived Cole Anthony to make space for Bouyea. Anthony never played in a game for the Suns after he was acquired at the trade deadline in a multi-team trade from Milwaukee.
Ott was complimentary of Bouyea but he also mentioned the new challenges that come with an NBA contract.
"When he did get the spot, especially there early, you know, he really had a lot of pop for us, and then we start getting healthier and having different people in and out of our lineup," Ott said. "So that's always a challenge in this league to get into the league, but then when you are in the league, being ready for your next opportunity."
The Suns also recently signed forward Haywood Highsmith, whom Bouyea crossed paths with during his time in Miami.
"In Miami, we had competitive days and battled against each other," Bouyea said. "He was with the starting unit and I was with the young group and now we're here battling again."
With the Suns' roster full, Bouyea has a chance to fully latch onto his dream. His contract has an option for the 2026-27 season that the Suns will decide on after the season. Ott has given Bouyea a road map to help the team make that decision.
"Since Day 1, he's just told me to be myself," Bouyea said. "Obviously, we have great scorers on this team. I can score but scoring is not my position right now. We have Book and Dillon (Brooks) and Jalen.
"Him coaching me and telling me to bring energy and make plays and just impact the game in a positive way is what I try to do."
This article first appeared on Cronkite News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
