DJ Wilson’s Journey: From Reflection to Growth with the 76ers [Exclusive Interview]

Life on a 10-day contract in the NBA is tough. Players have a limited amount of time to prove they belong on a roster. Every possession matters, every second counts. And it’s the situation that DJ Wilson has found himself in, in recent seasons. The Philadelphia 76ers recently signed DJ Wilson to a 10-day contract, officially putting him on the clock in terms of showing the team what he can do.

The former first round pick of the Milwaukee Bucks made his debut this past weekend on Sunday on the road during the 76ers win against the Los Angeles Clippers. He played only two minutes in the fourth quarter when the game had already been decided. But he got more of a chance on Monday against the Sacramento Kings and turned in a quality performance.

Wilson played 14 minutes and finished with ten points, two rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots. He shot 4-6 from the field including a perfect 2-2 from the three-point line. Even though the 76ers lost, that kind of a game should help Wilson make his case that he belongs on the roster. He knows the clock is ticking and nothing is guaranteed beyond these ten days, but in the meantime he’s going to do everything he can to focus on what he’s able to control.

“There ain’t no other option but to play like every second counts, cause it does whether it’s a 10-day or a standard,” Wilson told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview. “It’s just going in there with the same approach and mindset to make the most of the opportunity as well as being a good teammate, play good basketball and try to check off as many boxes as you can in a ten day span.”

DJ Wilson among NBA veterans using the G League as pathway back to the league

Before DJ Wilson signed with the 76ers, he had been playing in the G League with the Osceola Magic, the affiliate of the Orlando Magic. The Magic had signed Wilson during training camp, but cut him before the regular season began.

Wilson had signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Magic meaning that if they ended up cutting him, he would essentially be transferred to their G League affiliate. Wilson put up strong numbers for Osceola which no doubt factored in to the 76ers decision to give him an opportunity amid their injury situation. He had been putting up around 21 points per game, 9.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.3 blocked shots while shooting 58 percent from the field and 41.6 percent from the three-point line.

Back in 2021 when the Bucks traded Wilson to the Houston Rockets, the Rockets declined to pick up his contract option and he became an unrestricted free agent. He signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but they cut him during preseason. He spent the 2021-22 season going back and forth between the G League and the Toronto Raptors on 10-day contracts.

It’s become a trend for veteran players with NBA experience to use the G League as a stepping stone to get back to the league. For DJ Wilson, it was all about being able to play his game while having the eyes of 30 front offices watching his every move.

“Being able to play my game, being able to play real games that matter, that count at a high level to where you have all eyes on you from the front office of every team to the front office of your own team,” Wilson said. “And just working on your game, it’s a great place to work on what you need to do. We played winning basketball. When I left, we were the number one team in the league. There’s not much more I can ask for about the opportunity I was given in the G.”

Consistency has been the key for DJ Wilson’s growth

Wilson had a decent rookie season back in 2017-18 with the Bucks, and he looked like he was carving out a solid role for them off the bench. He was sidelined the first 22 games of the 2018-19 season due to a hamstring injury, but the Bucks had seen enough of him that they were confident in picking up his contract option for the following year.

When he made his return from the hamstring injury, he looked the part of a solid NBA rotation player. He appeared in 48 games for the Bucks that year at a little over 18 minutes per game while averaging 5.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 36.2 percent from three-point range. On the last game of the regular season, he dropped 18 points and 17 rebounds against the Thunder.

But Wilson’s playing time and role dwindled during his third season and even though the Bucks had picked up his fourth-year contract option, he was traded to the Rockets. He actually played well during his 23 game audition for the Rockets during the tail end of the 2020-21 season, making it somewhat surprising that the team chose to decline his option.

His next stop would be the Raptors at various points of the 2021-22 season. He only appeared in four games while on a span of 10-day contracts at different points in the season, but was impressive enough for the Raptors to sign him to a multi-year deal in the offseason. In his first game with the Raptors that year, he turned in one of the best performances of his career with 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists, five steals and one block. He followed that up with nine points and six rebounds in his second game.

He never got to experience that multi-year deal with the Raptors as it was only partially guaranteed, and the Raptors cut him in preseason. But as Wilson reflects on the journey to this point and his new opportunity with the 76ers, he believes his time in the G League played a tremendous role in the growth of his game.

“I think being able to play consistent minutes in the G led to me being able to play more consistent on a day to day basis,” Wilson said. “I feel like that was one of the biggest things with me was consistency. So that’s something that I’ve grown and come into my own with year by year. I’m just blessed with the opportunity and looking forward to making the most of it.”

As far as what the extent of that opportunity with the 76ers entails, DJ Wilson is not exactly sure. Learning a new system and getting acclimated with teammates can often take longer than the ten days that he has in front of him. He’s not quite sure what his role is going to be, just that all he can do is control what he can control.

“I think right now it’s just doing what I can,” Wilson said. “Bringing energy, being a good teammate and letting my game, cause I do have game, expand form there.”