DJ Steward, a key player for last season’s Maine Celtics, has signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls, as announced by the team on Monday.
The undrafted guard from Duke has been impressive for the Bulls in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 17.4 points and 6.4 assists over five games. Steward shot 47% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc for Chicago.
In a notable performance, he scored 37 points and added seven assists in Chicago’s 103-99 overtime win against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.
Transitioning from the Celtics organization to the Bulls may increase Steward’s chances of playing more frequently in the NBA, given the Bulls’ rebuilding phase and their 19 players under contract for the 2024-25 season, including Steward, Andrew Funk, and Adama Sanogo on two-way contracts.
Steward averaged 19.4 points, 3.9 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game while playing nearly 30 minutes across 32 games for the Celtics’ G League affiliate.
The 6-foot-2, 162-pound Chicago native was named the G League Player of the Week for March 11-17, posting averages of 27.5 points, 5.5 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game during that period. He also had a nine-game streak of scoring 20-plus points from Feb. 25 to March 21.
Entering his fourth professional season, Steward has averaged 15.5 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.9 rebounds over 90 games with the Celtics and the Sacramento Kings’ G League affiliate in Stockton. He played one season with the Duke Blue Devils before turning pro, where he averaged 13 points, 2.4 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game.
