The Celtics signed D.J. Steward, a 6-2, 21-year-old guard who played his first two professional seasons playing between the Sacramento Kings’ G-League affiliate and the Vancouver Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. Steward will reportedly compete for the Celtics’ final two-way roster spot, with the other two filled by J.D. Davison and Summer League standout Jay Scrubb.
Steward himself thrived in Utah and Las Vegas with the 76ers, averaging 14.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 48.8% from the field and 45.2% from three. Boston signing Steward increased their offseason roster to 16 out of a maximum 21. The NBA added a third two-way roster spot in the new collective bargaining agreement, a spot the Celtics used in the past to sign Tacko Fall, Tremont Water, Jabari Bird and Mfiondu Kabengele.
Here are some things to know about Steward as he enters training camp:
- Steward attended high school around his native Chicago at Fenwick and Whitney Young, the latter formerly home to Jahlil Okafor and Quentin Richardson. He played football and became a McDonald’s All-American in basketball by averaging 22.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 4.1 APG as a senior. He shot 41% on the AAU circuit during the previous summer, receiving offers from Duke, North Carolina, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Louisville and Texas.
“Playing different sports– I actually also played volleyball in middle school – helps you,” Steward said. “You never know what is going to be your better sport, and the skills can carry over from another sport.” - Steward committed to Duke in 2019, joining Hornets center Mark Williams, Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, along with upperclassman Wendell Moore Jr., who now plays for the Timberwolves. Steward ranked No. 1 in Illinois (five stars, 98/100) and No. 6 among combo guards, according to 24/7 Sports, with four future NBA guards, Jalen Green, Jalen Suggs, Jaden Springer and Josh Primo, ahead of him.
- He averaged 13.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG and 2.4 APG on 42.6% FG (34.1% 3PT, 81.1% FT) in his lone season at Duke in 2020-21, the Blue Devils’ (13-11, 9-9 ACC) first season falling outside of the NCAA Tournament since 1994-95, when Mike Krzyzewski missed part of that season with a back injury, and only the fourth time in the Hall-of-Famer’s tenure. Steward finished 37.1% from three over his final 14 games (70 att.), including 21 points and seven assists against Syracuse and 17 points in an ACC Tournament win vs. BC. Duke beat Louisville before the team backed out of the tournament due to a positive COVID test on the team.“What’s translated well for me from high school is just playing off the ball, coming off of screens and knocking down shots, playing great defense, getting my hands in the passing lanes and just always being in attack mode as well,” Steward said.
- Steward went undrafted after declaring for the 2021 NBA Draft, ranked No. 78 in the class by The Athletic, which lauded his shiftiness, three-pointer and toughness while acknowledging his deficient NBA size, poor passing and load-up time on his jump shot. Sam Vecenie consider Steward a first-round pick before his Duke season. The Kings signed Steward for Summer League, then waived him to assign him to the G-League, where he averaged 13.3 PPG on 46% FG and 36.8% 3PT across two seasons (40.9% 3PT, 4.1 APG in 2023).
- The Vancouver Bandits signed Steward in 2023, where he only appeared in two games before joining Philadelphia for Summer League, where he unloaded 36 points and six assists against the Pelicans by shooting 5-for-10 from three. He showed more burst and attempted over 60% of his field goals from two. Mavericks guard AJ Lawson’s success in the Summer League after playing in Canada inspired Steward to join Vancouver.
- Steward named Kobe Bryant as his favorite basketball player of all-time: “I watch a lot of Ja Morant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lou Williams,” he said. “I also like to throw it back and watch Steve Nash and Tony Parker. I like to watch their pace, their ability to set up their teammates and score.”