The Washington Wizards are grabbing another guard for their already deep guard rotation. The team signed Erik Stevenson to a 10-day contract, Michael Scotto announced on Bluesky. Stevenson is a 25-year-old guard out of West Virginia, who has been playing quite well in the G League so far this season. The Wizards news of this Erik Stevenson signing comes as a bit of a surprise due to their already crowded depth chart at the guard position.
Washington Wizards Sign G League Guard To 10-Day Contract
The Erik Stevenson Stats in the G League are Impressive
Although he is already 25-years-old, Stevenson is still technically in his rookie season. He previously participated in training camps with the San Antonio Spurs in 2023 and the Wizards in 2024. He was waived by the Wizards in October after training camp, but he continued his development with the team’s G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go.
During the 2024 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Stevenson played in three games for the Wizards, but his performance wasn’t good enough to make the final roster. He has however flourished in the G-League this season. He has averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game in 32 appearances.
Stevenson is ranking third in points per game off the bench among players who have played at least 10 G League games this season. He was also selected to participate in the G League Up Next game on February 7.
Stevenson’s Interesting College Career
Stevenson’s path to the G League and now the NBA was anything but traditional. He began at Wichita State, then transferred to the University of Washington for the 2020-21 season. Stevenson later transferred to South Carolina for a season before finishing his collegiate career at West Virginia. Over his four years in college Stevenson averaged 10.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 37.9% from the field and 32.3% from three. His most successful season was in West Virginia (2022-23) where he averaged 15.4 points per game.
Although it may not have been the traditional path, Stevenson finally has a shot to make his NBA debut with the Wizards. They are a team that is undeniably tanking for a chance at Cooper Flagg so there is a significant opportunity for Stevenson to see the floor.
Erik Stevenson Signing Boots Jaylen Nowell
In a corresponding move, the Wizards released guard Jaylen Nowell from his 10-day contract. Nowell, who previously played four seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2019 to 2023, signed with Washington but never played in a game for the Wizards. Earlier this season, he played eight games for the New Orleans Pelicans, averaging 8.4 points per game before being waived.
With a ton of guards on the roster, Nowell was never able to get a shot at cracking the rotation. Stevenson will likely face a similar battle. He is instantly behind young players like Jordan Poole, Bub Carrington, and Bilal Coulibaly for guard minutes, but he could find himself getting some looks before aging veterans like Malcolm Brogdon and Marcus Smart. Both of those veterans could be up for a buyout with the Wizards before the season is over.
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