The Duke basketball program is losing another player in the chaotic offseason.
More offseason news has hit the Duke basketball program as freshman guard DJ Steward announced that he will be entering the 2021 NBA Draft.
The Chicago, Illinois native released a prepared statement via Twitter on Thursday evening which stated that he would be hiring an agent, indicating that he will not be withdrawing his name from the process and returning to Durham for one more season.
https://twitter.com/swipasnipa/status/1377757676193583104?s=20
Many expected the 6-foot-2 guard to be a one-and-done upon entering Duke, but his inconsistencies and falling draft stock led many to believe he could return for his sophomore campaign.
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However, despite the up-and-down season, Steward was still named to the ACC All-Freshman Team after averaging 13.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game on 42.6-percent shooting from the floor and 34.1-percent from three-point range.
DJ Steward becomes the second Blue Devil to declare for the 2021 NBA Draft, but the first to do so while completing his entire freshman basketball season at Duke.
Good luck to our guy @swipasnipa as he chases that NBA dream pic.twitter.com/9VM8bXgJnK
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) April 1, 2021
Steward will join a strange group of Vernon Carey Jr. and Cassius Stanley to leave Duke after one full season and not play in the NCAA Tournament.
Duke has also seen players such as Jaemyn Brakefield, Jordan Goldwire, and Patrick Tape announce their departures from Durham and into the transfer portal, with the latter two taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility handed out by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
DJ Steward decision prefaces bigger Duke basketball news
The news of DJ Steward declaring for the 2021 NBA Draft one day before the decision of five-star recruit Trevor Keels is not a coincidence.
Duke appears to be the heavy favorite to land Keels over Villanova, Virginia, and Kentucky, and the departure of Steward only strengthens that prediction.
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Trevor Keels will be making his announcement on Friday, April 2 at 4:30pm EST on ESPN2 during a semifinal game at the GEICO Nationals in Fort Myers, Florida.
DJ Steward is ranked as the No. 63 player in the ESPN Top 100 Big Board but isn’t ranked in the Sports Illustrated Top-60 Big Board or The Athletic’s NBA Draft 1.0 Big Board, which lists the Top-118 players.
The 2021 NBA Draft is scheduled for July 29.