Trent: new guard arrives from Lakers
Dolomiti Energia Trentino announces that it has reached a one-year agreement, with an option to extend until 2027, with DJ Steward, a 2001-born American combo-guard. The U.S. athlete arrives in Trento after a solid run between the NBA and G-League, ready to bring talent and versatility to the bianconero backcourt.
A 188 cm by 73 kg guard, Steward is an explosive and creative player, capable of scoring and building play for his teammates. Blessed with great quickness and the ability to attack the iron, he is also an effective shooter both off the dribble and in spot-up situations.
Born Oct. 2, 2001, in Chicago, Illinois, Steward grew up basketball-wise in high schools in the city’s metropolitan area: from 2016 to 2018 he played at Fenwick High School; then, he transferred to Whitney Young High School, where he had two excellent seasons culminating with a 24.3-point average in his junior year and 22.5 points, 4 rebounds and 3.5 assists in his senior season. Numbers that earned him the call from Duke University, one of the most prestigious and emblazoned universities in American college basketball.
At Duke, Steward played starter in the 2020-21 season and finished the year averaging 13 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists. After college he embarks on the professional path by signing in 2021 with the Stockton Kings in the G-League, where he stays two seasons always traveling in double-figure averages and also sharing the court with former HCL player Jordan Ford.
The Stockton Kings are the first team to sign him.
In 2023 he participated in the Summer League with the Philadelphia 76ers, shining with a 16.2-point average, and later signed with the Maine Celtics, a team affiliated with the Boston Celtics. The 2023-24 season is a star one: 53 appearances, 18.7 points, 5 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per contest, dragging the HCL team all the way to the G-League finals.
These performances are a highlight.
These performances earned him a contract with the Chicago Bulls for the 2024-25 year: he played 16 games with the Windy City Bulls averaging 19.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.5 assists, shooting 45% from the field and 40% from three. He then closed the season with the Memphis Hustle, confirming his impact with 19.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, shooting 56.4% from two and 34.4% from three.
In the last Summer League he wore the Los Angeles Lakers jersey, also sharing the backcourt with Bronny James, with 9.6 points per game, 3.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists shooting 39% from three-point range.
So coach Cancellieri: “With DJ our backcourt takes shape adding complementarity and talent. A player strongly wanted, expected and appreciated. He already impresses with enthusiasm and willingness to get involved. We have a common vision for our future and we will be dogged in making it a reality”.
