Former Duke basketball guard DJ Steward is looking to revive his NBA career after a strong first performance with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2025 NBA Summer League. Steward put up 20 points and six assists for Los Angeles on 7-of-10 (70%) shooting from the field in the team's 89-84 loss to the Golden State Warriors. The former Blue Devil played the third-most minutes of any Laker last night, tallying 27.
Steward has been a journeyman around both the NBA and G-League levels and is still searching for a home to be a consistent contributor as a pro. After spending the last four seasons in the G-League, the 23-year-old inked a Summer League deal with the Lakers and is making the most of his opportunity early.
In his lone season with the Blue Devils through the 2020-21 season, Steward averaged 13.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists on 42.6% shooting from the floor and 34.1% shooting from three-point range. Following his freshman season, the guard declared for the 2021 NBA Draft but wasn't selected.
After going undrafted, Steward spent the 2021 Summer League with the Sacramento Kings and was later signed to the franchise's G-League affiliate, the Stockton Kings. Over the past few seasons, he's spent time with the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls, mainly in the G-League as well.
Steward spent the 2024-25 season with the Memphis Hustle, the G-League affiliate of the Memphis Grizzlies. Appearing in 29 games and starting 26 of those, Steward averaged 19.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists on 49.9% shooting from the field and 34.4% shooting from beyond the perimeter.
“This is a good opportunity to be myself," Steward said after the performance. "There’s a lot of things [the coaching staff] wants me to hone in on, controlling the controllables, picking up 94 feet, communicating, and getting guys involved.”
The former Blue Devil standout guard is continuing to battle to keep his professional career alive in the NBA. As the Lakers continue through the Summer League, Steward will look to make the most of his moment. Los Angeles plays next on Tuesday, July 8th, against the San Antonio Spurs.