Florida forward Tyrese Samuel has signed an Exhibit-10 Deal with the Phoenix Suns, according to Jon Chepkevich, the Director of Scouting for Draft Express. An Exhibit-10 contract is a one-year, minimum salary contract with no other bonuses. The Exhibit-10 attachment gives NBA teams the ability to convert the contract into a Two-Way deal, but only if they do it before the start of the regular season.
Samuel started all 36 games in his grad season at Florida, finishing with 500 points while averaging career-bests of 13.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game to earn AP second-team All-SEC honors.
A prolific rebounder on the offensive glass, Samuel posted the third highest single-season total in UF history with 102 offensive rebounds, joining Micah Handlogten (108) to become Florida’s first duo to hit the century mark in offensive boards. Samuel hauled in 11% of his offensive rebounding opportunities, which ranked 156th in college basketball, according to KenPom.
Playing four seasons at Seton Hall prior to joining Florida, Samuel finishes his five-year career with 1,315 points, 779 rebounds, a .529 field goal percentage, 123 assists, 108 steals and 107 blocked shots.
“He’s fantastic. He’s one that, the game just seems like it’s coming so easy to him,” Florida’s head coach Todd Golden said on Samuel. “He’s just a veteran, really understands where to get his baskets.”
While Samuel is an average athlete for his size, he’s comfortable with the ball in his hands and can be a threat in half course or transition offense.
Samuel’s offensive skillset is something he’ll need to develop in order to maximize his chances at making an NBA roster. Samuel attempted 25 three pointers at Florida and made just four of them, a three-point percentage of .160.
The 6’10, 240 pound forward excels at drawing contact around the rim, ranking 151st in free throw rate in college basketball last season. However, Samuel cashed in on just 56.2% of his free throws in 2023-24.