Former WVU Guard Erik Stevenson Gets Another NBA Opportunity

The sharpshooter is hoping to make some noise this summer and land a contract.

West Virginia Mountaineers guard Erik Stevenson (10) celebrates a basket in the first half of the NCAA basketball game between the Xavier Musketeers and the West Virginia Mountaineers at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Mountaineers led 43-36 at halftime. West Virginia Mountaineers At Xavier Musketeers Basketball | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Everyone's path to the NBA isn't always straight. For former West Virginia guard Erik Stevenson, his basketball journey has been about as windy as the country roads that led him to Morgantown a few years back.

Stevenson spent two years at Wichita State, one at Washington, one at South Carolina, and wrapped things up at West Virginia before heading to the next level.

It's been a similar windy path at the next level for him, playing for multiple NBA organizations in a short period of time. This summer, he will add another to his list as he will play for the Denver Nuggets' Summer League team.

Since his pro career began, he has played for the Austin Spurs, Texas Legends, and Capital City Go-Go of the G League, as well as Cholet (LNB Pro A), Casademont Zaragoza (Liga ACB), and Manisa Basket (Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi).

This past season was his best season yet, averaging 14.7 points per game for the Go-Go, connecting on 44% from the floor and 35% from three-point range . He also dished out 3.8 assists and pulled down 3.8 rebounds per game. The solid performance led to him signing a 10-day contract with the Washington Wizards, although he never checked into a game, so his NBA debut was a bit of a tease.

Will Erik Stevenson ever get a real shot in the NBA?

West Virginia super-senior guard Erik Stevenson (10) reacts after sinking a three against Kansas during the first half of Saturday s game inside Allen Fieldhouse. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

I believe so. Now, it all depends on what you consider a "real shot," but I do expect some team to sign him to a two-way deal at some point, and perhaps he can play his way into a standard NBA contract. Some guys just take longer to blossom at the next level, and for Stevenson, that could be the case. The shooting ability is real, hitting 34% from beyond the arc across 62 G League games.

Best-case scenario for Stevenson right now is that he has a strong performance in the guaranteed four games that the Nuggets will play, and he earns a training camp invite somewhere so he can have an opportunity to play in some preseason games.

Stevenson and the Nuggets will begin Summer League action on Friday, July 10th.

Stevenson's Summer League schedule

Friday, July 10th vs. Houston Rockets, 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Saturday, July 11th vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 7:30 p.m. ET on PRIME VIDEO
Tuesday, July 14th vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 9 p.m. ET on ESPN
Thursday, July 16th vs. Portland Trail Blazers, 10 p.m. ET on PRIME VIDEO