DeVante Jaylen Wilson (born February 19, 1996) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player for the

Lakeland Magic The Lakeland Magic are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Lakeland, Florida, and are affiliated with the Orlando Magic. The Magic began play in the 2017–18 season and play their home games at the RP Fundi ...

of the

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA De ...

. He played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for the Michigan Wolverines and completed his junior season for the 2016–17 season. He was drafted 17th overall in the

2017 NBA draft The 2017 NBA draft was held on June 22, 2017, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. ...

by the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

, where he spent four seasons before he was traded to the Houston Rockets in March 2021.

Early life and education

At Capital Christian School in Sacramento, Wilson endured a fifth

lumbar vertebra The lumbar vertebrae are, in human anatomy, the five vertebrae between the rib cage and the pelvis. They are the largest segments of the vertebral column and are characterized by the absence of the foramen transversarium within the transverse ...

stress fracture A stress fracture is a fatigue-induced bone fracture caused by repeated stress over time. Instead of resulting from a single severe impact, stress fractures are the result of accumulated injury from repeated submaximal loading, such as running or ...

, which sidelined him during the summer of 2012 and part of his junior season, which caused him to lose the attention of some recruiters. He spent three months in a back brace from his hips to his chest. By the middle of his junior season, he completed a 1-year 5-inch growth spurt that took him to a height of . By June 2013, he had recovered enough to tally 22 points and 8

rebounds 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

against

Ivan Rabb Ivan Charles Rabb Jr. (born February 4, 1997) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the California Golden Bears. Growing up in California, ...

at a California Golden Bears camp event at

Haas Pavilion The Walter A. Haas Jr. Pavilion is an indoor arena in the western United States, on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley, California. It is the home venue of the Golden Bears men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, a ...

. Soon thereafter, Michigan and other schools began recruiting him. The defending 2013 national runner-up Wolverines hosted him (and

Devin Booker Devin Armani Booker (born October 30, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the son of former basketball player Melvin Booker. After playing college basketba ...

) during the first weekend of October 2013 and he accepted Michigan over offers from USC, Gonzaga, Northwestern, and Harvard. Wilson signed his National Letter of Intent with Michigan on November 13, 2013, with the expectation that Jordan Morgan would graduate from the 2013–14 Wolverines team and both

Glenn Robinson III Glenn Alan Robinson III (born January 8, 1994) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines. Rob ...

and

Mitch McGary Mitchell Neil William McGary (born June 6, 1992) is an American former professional basketball player. A native of Chesterton, Indiana, McGary declared for the NBA draft after completing his sophomore season for the 2013–14 Michigan Wolverin ...

would enter the

2014 NBA draft The 2014 NBA draft was held on June 26, 2014, at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. ...

. At the time of his signing, he was believed to be the first Sacramento area player to ever sign with a

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

school. Wilson posted 29 points for Capital Christian School against Rabb and

Bishop O'Dowd High School Bishop O'Dowd High School is a Catholic, co-educational, college preparatory school in Oakland, California, administered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland and named for the late auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, Jam ...

in the Northern California Open Division championship loss on March 22, 2014. After having committed to Michigan as the 135th ranked prospect of the national class of 2014 in October 2013, Wilson's ranking rose to 86th by April 2014 according to Rivals.

College career

Freshman season (2014–2015)

Prior to the 2014–15 season, Wilson had surgery on his

little finger The little finger, or pinkie, also known as the baby finger, fifth digit, or pinky finger, is the most ulnar and smallest digit of the human hand, and next to the ring finger. Etymology The word "pinkie" is derived from the Dutch word ''p ...

, and he was sidelined during some of the offseason and the August 15 — 24 four-game exhibition tour of Italy. Upon his arrival, he was diagnosed with

valgus deformity A valgus deformity is a condition in which the bone segment distal to a joint is angled outward, that is, angled laterally, away from the body's midline. The opposite deformation, where the twist or angulation is directed medially, toward the ...

("knock-kneed"), and his neuromuscular therapy would eventually increase his

vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of jumping upwards into the air. It can be an exercise for building both endurance and strength, and is also a standard test for measuring athletic performance. It may also be referred to as a ''Sargent ...

by during his college career. During the fifth game of the season for the 2014–15 team against Villanova in the 2014 Legends Classic, Wilson was injured when he was blocked and knocked down on a

slam dunk A slam dunk, also simply known as dunk, is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by shoving the ball directly through the basket with one ...

attempt against Dylan Ennis. He was sidelined due to a sprained knee and eventually missed the remainder of the season. Ennis later transferred to play at

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

Sophomore season (2015–2016)

On December 19, 2015, Michigan defeated

Youngstown State Youngstown State University (YSU or Youngstown State) is a public university in Youngstown, Ohio. It was founded in 1908 and is the easternmost member of the University System of Ohio. The university is composed of six undergraduate colleges an ...

105–46 with Wilson contributing 12 points on 5–6 shooting. The 59-point win was the second largest in school history. Although Wilson appeared in 26 games for the 2015–16 Wolverines, he only played as many as 10 minutes 5 times. Nevertheless, he finished second on the team in blocked shots with 10, including two in a January 12, 2016 upset of (#3/#3)

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. It was Michigan's first win over a top-three nationally ranked opponent at

Crisler Center Crisler Center (formerly known as the University Events Building and Crisler Arena) is an indoor arena located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the home arena for the University of Michigan's men's and women's basketball teams as well as its women ...

since the 1997–98 team defeated No. 3

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...

, 81–73, on December 13, 1997.

Junior season (2016–2017)

In the January 1 Big Ten conference opener against

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

, Wilson posted a career-high 28 points and 14 rebounds in an 83–86

overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...

loss. On February 19, Wilson posted a team-high 16 points, including a game-tying

three point field goal A three-point field goal (also 3-pointer, three, or trey) is a field goal in a basketball game made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc surrounding the basket. A successful attempt is worth three points, in contrast to the two po ...

, in an overtime 78–83 loss to

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

. On March 10, Michigan defeated (#12/#13) Purdue 74–70 in overtime during the quarterfinals of the 2017 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament. Michigan was led by Wilson with 8 rebounds, 3 blocked shots and a game-high 26 points, which was the second highest single-game scoring performance of the tournament (trailing teammate

Derrick Walton Derrick Walton Jr. (born April 3, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Sydney Kings of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). After going undrafted in the 2017 NBA draft, he spent his first professional season ...

's 29-point performance the following day). Wilson averaged 15.3 points per game for Michigan's four games during the Big Ten tournament, helping the 2016–17 Wolverines emerge as the champion. Wilson averaged 16 points, 3 blocks and 4.3 rebounds in three 2017 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament games, helping Michigan reach the round of sixteen, where the team was eliminated by Ennis' 2016–17 Oregon Ducks. In the NCAA tournament wins against

Oklahoma State Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

and

Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

, Wilson went a combined 6–6 from the free throw line in the final 30 seconds of play. His overall averages for 7 postseason games was 15.6 points on 53.8% field goal shooting with 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. He finished the season as the team's leading rebounder and shot blocker with overall averages of 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. His 203 rebounds were the most by a Wolverine since

4 years earlier and his 57 blocks were the most in nine seasons (

Ekpe Udoh Ekpedeme Friday "Ekpe" Udoh ( ; born May 20, 1987) is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for Shimane Susanoo Magic of the Japanese B.League. He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines and the Baylor Bears. In the ...

). Following the 2017 NCAA Tournament, he began to appear in various mock draft projections for the

. On April 10, both Wilson and teammate Moritz Wagner declared for the draft, but did not hire agents, which gave them until May 24 to withdraw their names and retain their athletic eligibility to return to Michigan. During the week prior to the NBA Combine, he injured his

quadriceps The quadriceps femoris muscle (, also called the quadriceps extensor, quadriceps or quads) is a large muscle group that includes the four prevailing muscles on the front of the thigh. It is the sole extensor muscle of the knee, forming a large ...

during a workout with the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...

, relegating him to taking part in physical measurements and interviews. Wilson stated during combine interviews that he would not remain in the draft unless he was assured of being a first-rounder. On May 24, Wilson announced he would remain in the draft, forgoing his final two years of eligibility.

Professional career

Milwaukee Bucks (2017–2021)

On June 22, 2017, Wilson was drafted 17th overall by the

in the

. He was the first of four 2016–17 Big Ten Conference players selected in the draft. Wilson signed a $12.1 million rookie scale contract with the Bucks on July 6. He debuted on October 20, 2017 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but did not score or post any other stats. Wilson posted his first four points against the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...

on October 31. During the season, the Bucks assigned Wilson to their

affiliate

Wisconsin Herd The Wisconsin Herd are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and are affiliated with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Herd play their home games at Oshkosh Arena. History On June 29, 2016, it was annou ...

multiple times. Wilson missed the first 22 games of the season with a hamstring injury for the 2018–19 Milwaukee Bucks. Despite being injured and having only 71 minutes of NBA experience, he was still signed for a $3 million third-year option by the Bucks at the October 31 rookie-scale player options deadline. On December 19 against the New Orleans Pelicans, Wilson posted a career-high 10 rebounds along with 9 points. On December 27 against the New York Knicks, he posted his first NBA double-double with 14 rebounds and 10 points in 21 minutes. On January 16, he established a new career-high with 13 points against the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

. He improved his scoring best on January 31 against the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...

by posting 16 points. On March 31, 2019, Wilson made his first career start against the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

. On April 10, the final night of the season, Wilson posted a career-high 18 points, 17 rebounds and 4 assists against the

. On October 24, 2019, the Bucks exercised the fourth-year option of Wilson's rookie contract for $4.5 milion, extending the contract through the 2020–21 season. Wilson posted a career-high 19 points on December 2 against the New York Knicks.

Houston Rockets (2021)

On March 19, 2021, Wilson was traded to the Houston Rockets along with D. J. Augustin and picks for P. J. Tucker and

Rodions Kurucs Rodions Kurucs (born 5 February 1998) is a Latvian professional basketball player for SIG Strasbourg of the French LNB Pro A. At tall, he plays the small forward position. Professional career Early career In March 2014, Kurucs signed a multi-y ...

. On August 1, the Rockets declined to extend a $6.9 million qualifying offer to Wilson, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Toronto Raptors / Oklahoma City Blue (2021–2023)

On September 27, 2021, Wilson signed with the

. Wilson was waived from Oklahoma City on October 15, and he subsequently joined the

Oklahoma City Blue The Oklahoma City Blue are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and are affiliated with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Blue play their home games at Paycom Center. The franchise began as ...

. In 13 games, he averaged 13.9 points and 9.6 rebounds. On December 22, 2021, Wilson signed a 10-day contract with the

after the team was granted a hardship exception. On January 7, 2022, he signed a second 10-day hardship exception contract. On January 17, Wilson was reacquired by the Blue. On February 28, 2022, Wilson signed a 10-day contract with the Raptors. He was waived on March 6. On March 7, Wilson was reacquired by the Blue. However, he was waived the next day after suffering a season-ending injury. On July 8, 2022, the

announced that they had signed Wilson. He was waived on October 15. On November 3, 2022, Wilson was named to the opening night roster for the Blue.

Lakeland Magic (2023–present)

On February 12, 2023, Wilson was traded to the

in exchange for a 2023 first-round pick.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

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, 48 , , 3 , , 18.4 , , .414 , , .362 , , .553 , , 4.6 , , 1.1 , , .4 , , .4 , , 5.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 37 , , 1 , , 9.8 , , .394 , , .247 , , .611 , , 2.5 , , .7 , , .1 , , .1 , , 3.6 , - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, , style="text-align:left;",

, 12 , , 0 , , 8.8 , , .372 , , .357 , , .500 , , 2.1 , , .3 , , .1 , , .3 , , 3.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

, 23 , , 1 , , 14.3 , , .416 , , .339 , , .696 , , 3.8 , , .9 , , .4 , , .5 , , 6.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

, 4 , , 1 , , 13.5 , , .733 , , .000 , , .800 , , 4.0 , , 1.3 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , 7.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 146 , , 6 , , 12.3 , , .419 , , .327 , , .618 , , 3.1 , , .7 , , .3 , , .3 , , 4.4

Playoffs

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2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 8 , , 0 , , 5.4 , , .500 , , .200 , , 1.000 , , 1.3 , , .5 , , .0 , , .1 , , 2.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 8 , , 0 , , 5.4 , , .500 , , .200 , , 1.000 , , 1.3 , , .5 , , .0 , , .1 , , 2.4

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2014–15 , style="text-align:left;",

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

, 5 , , 0 , , 4.8 , , .250 , , .000 , , – , , 1.2 , , .0 , , .0 , , .6 , , .4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2015–16 , style="text-align:left;",

, 26 , , 0 , , 6.1 , , .474 , , .333 , , .727 , , .7 , , .3 , , .2 , , .4 , , 2.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 , style="text-align:left;",

, 38 , , 36 , , 30.4 , , .538 , , .373 , , .833 , , 5.3 , , 1.3 , , .5 , , 1.5 , , 11.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 69 , , 36 , , 19.4 , , .525 , , .363 , , .817 , , 3.3 , , .8 , , .4 , , 1.0 , , 7.1

References

External links

*
Michigan Wolverines bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, D. J. 1996 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportspeople African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from California Houston Rockets players Michigan Wolverines men's basketball players Milwaukee Bucks draft picks Milwaukee Bucks players Oklahoma City Blue players Power forwards (basketball) Sportspeople from Sacramento County, California Toronto Raptors players Wisconsin Herd players