DJ Steward, who spent his first two high school seasons at Fenwick, inked an one-year, two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls following a quality showing with the team during NBA Summer League play last week in Las Vegas.
Steward, a 6-2 guard, who grew up in Oak Park and played at Brooks Middle School, averaged 17.4 points and 6.4 assists per game and shot 40 percent from three-point range in five games with the Bulls. He had a game-high 37 points and added seven rebounds in the Bulls’ overtime victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
As a freshman at Fenwick in 2016-17, Steward was a starter on the Friars’ IHSA Class 3A state runner-up team. In the title game against Morgan Park, he turned in one of the best performances in state finals history, scoring 26 points (10-for-10 on field goal attempts, including 2-for-2 from three-point range; 4-for-4 from the free-throw line) and adding seven rebounds and four steals. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as Fenwick couldn’t hold on to a late lead in regulation and lost in overtime, 69-67.
In his sophomore year, Steward was named the Chicago Catholic League Player of the Year, averaging 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, three assists, and two steals per game, shooting 52 percent from the field (41 percent from three-point territory). He also played football for the Friars’ freshman team as a wide receiver.
Steward and his family moved to Chicago before his junior year, and he played his final two seasons with Chicago powerhouse Whitney Young. He was named to the 2020 McDonald’s All-American Team and opted to play college basketball at Duke University.
Steward spent only one season with the Blue Devils, leading all Atlantic Coast Conference freshmen in scoring with 13 points per game. He also had 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
Steward declared for the 2021 NBA Draft, but went unselected. He signed a free-agent deal with the Sacramento Kings and spent two years with their NBA G-League affiliate, the Stockton Kings. Steward then spent a year with the Vancouver Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.
He returned to the States last year to join the Philadelphia 76ers’ summer league team, then signed with the Boston Celtics in the fall. He was released before the regular season, but agreed to a deal with Boston’s G-League affiliate, the Maine Celtics.
Signing a two-way contract means Steward will be able to play for both the Bulls and their G-League affiliate, the Hoffman Estates Bulls. The G-League is designed for developing young players like Steward, and with the Bulls undergoing a rebuilding process, there is a real opportunity for Steward to make his NBA debut this coming season.