DJ Steward, one of the most impactful players on last season’s Maine Celtics team, has signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls, the team announced on Monday.
The undrafted guard from Duke has been a standout for the Bulls in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 17.4 points and 6.4 assists in five games. Steward shot 47% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc for Chicago.
He dropped 37 points and added seven assists in Chicago’s103-99 overtime win against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.
Moving on from the Celtics organization may give Steward a shot at playing more frequently in the NBA because the Bulls are in the process of a rebuild with 19 players under contract for the 2024-25 season, including Steward, Andrew Funk and Adama Sanogo under two-way contracts.
Steward averaged 19.4 points, 3.9 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game while playing just under 30 minutes in 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. Steward posted averages of 27.5 points, 5.5 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game during that span. He recorded a nine-game, 20-plus point streak from Feb. 25 to March 21.
Steward is entering his fourth professional season. Through 90 games with the Celtics and the Sacramento Kings G League affiliate in Stockton, he has averaged 15.5 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.9 rebounds. Steward played one season with the Blue Devils before turning pro and averaged 13 points, 2.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game.
