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Nikolas Tomas Stauskas (born October 7, 1993) is a Canadian professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player who last played for the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
of the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...
(NBA). A
shooting guard The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation basketball game. A shooting guard's m ...
, Stauskas played two seasons of college basketball for the
Michigan Wolverines The Michigan Wolverines comprise 29 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except women's water polo, which competes in the NCAA inter-divisio ...
from 2012 to 2014. He was drafted eighth overall in 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 player ...
by the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
. Stauskas, whose family is of Lithuanian heritage, is a member of the Canadian national team. As a freshman for the 2012–13 Michigan Wolverines, Stauskas was named ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence tw ...
'' National Freshman of the Week once,
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 ...
Freshman of the Week three times and to the
Wayman Tisdale Award The USBWA National Freshman of the Year, with the men's and women's versions respectively named the Wayman Tisdale Award and Tamika Catchings Award, is an annual basketball award given to college basketball's most outstanding freshman male player ...
,
United States Basketball Writers Association The United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) was founded in 1956 by National Collegiate Athletic Association director Walter Byers to serve the interests of journalists who cover college basketball. Scholarships The USBWA annually awar ...
's National Freshman of the Year, top 12 midseason list. During the
2013 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2013 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was a single-elimination tournament that involved 68 teams playing to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 19, 2013, and concluded wit ...
, he earned South All-Regional Team recognition. As a sophomore for the 2013–14 team, Stauskas went on to be named a 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball consensus All-American and was named
Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year The Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the Big Ten Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1984–85 season. Only three players have won the award multiple ti ...
for the 2013–14 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season. Stauskas has played for several NBA and
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 D ...
teams. In 2022, he reached the
NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is a ...
with the Celtics.


Early life

Stauskas grew up in
Mississauga, Ontario Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popu ...
. His first experience with basketball came as a member of the Aušra Sports Club, which is a Toronto-based traveling team for children of Lithuanian descent. He became so devoted to basketball that his head coach at Michigan, John Beilein, said in 2013,
He doesn't know anything about hockey, he doesn't know anything about
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
. The other day we had him try to throw a baseball pass as a press breaker. And he had never thrown a
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
.


High school career

Until 2009, Stauskas played for
Loyola Catholic Secondary School Loyola Catholic Secondary School is a Roman Catholic high school located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The school has approximately 1500 students, and is operated by the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. Every two years, Loyola host ...
. He averaged 15
points Point or points may refer to: Places * Point, Lewis, a peninsula in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland * Point, Texas, a city in Rains County, Texas, United States * Point, the NE tip and a ferry terminal of Lismore, Inner Hebrides, Scotland * Points ...
, 5
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 ...
and 5 assists in 2007–08 and 32 points, 14 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 2008–09. Stauskas also joined the premier
Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It h ...
(AAU) team in Toronto, run by Ro Russell. Some of Russell's prior players, such as
Tristan Thompson Tristan Trevor James Thompson (born March 13, 1991) is a Canadian-American professional basketball player who last played for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He won the 2016 NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavali ...
and Cory Joseph had gone to the United States to complete their scholastic years. Stauskas spent the 2009–10 academic year at
South Kent School South Kent School, a private all-boys boarding school in South Kent, Connecticut, United States, is located on a campus in western Litchfield County. It is sited on Spooner Hill east of Bull's Bridge, overlooking the former Housatonic Valley ...
, but he transferred to St. Mark's School the following year. He missed the 2009–10 basketball season as a result of a hip injury.
Michigan Wolverines men's basketball The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ...
head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in asso ...
John Beilein became familiar with Stauskas during the Summer 2010 NBA camp prior to Stauskas's junior year. He visited Michigan that summer and was also being recruited by Villanova,
Iowa State Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the ...
, Georgetown, Notre Dame,
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
and
Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...
. By the time he arrived at St. Mark's, he was expected to be an All-State performer. In the 2011 NEPSAC Class AA Championship game, Stauskas led St. Mark's in scoring with 17 points against
Nerlens Noel Nerlens Noel (born April 10, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His collegiate basketball career ended in his first season with a tear of his anterior cruciate ...
and the Tilton School, but St. Marks lost 72–56. On March 26, 2011, Stauskas made a verbal commitment to Michigan. This commitment made him the second member of Michigan's recruiting class of 2012. That summer, he scored 27 points in an exhibition of Canadian high school all-stars against the Baylor Bears men's basketball team. Prior to his senior year, ESPN named him as one of the top 25 three-point shooters in the national class of 2012. At the time of their November 2011
National Letter of Intent National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland ...
signings, Stauskas, Glenn Robinson III 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 Wolverine ...
gave Michigan a consensus top 10 entering class for its 2012 class. Stauskas led St. Mark's to 67–57 victory in a 2012 Hoophall Classic contest with 16 points against Friends Central. As the season progressed, Stauskas (and Robinson) improved in the national player ratings to offset McGary's slide and maintain a top-rated class. He scored 19 to lead his school to a 59–53 2012 NEPSAC Class AA Championship game victory over Noel's Tilton. Stauskas earned the NEPSAC championship game MVP. He was selected to the 2012 All-NEPSAC Class AA first team (along with teammate Kaleb Tarczewski). Following these honors, Stauskas's stock and rankings continued to rise.


College career

The
2011–12 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team The 2011–12 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team represented the University of Michigan during the 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team played its home games in Ann Arbor, Michigan at Crisler Center for the 45th ...
had been co-champions of 2011–12 Big Ten Conference, but lost both of its co-
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
s, Zack Novak and
Stu Douglass Stuart Williams Douglass (born March 31, 1990) is an American-Israeli professional basketball player for Maccabi Ashdod of the Israeli Premier League. He played college basketball at the University of Michigan. Douglass is known as a three-poi ...
, to graduation and three players as transfers. The team was returning a nucleus of All-Big Ten players Trey Burke and
Tim Hardaway Jr. Timothy Duane Hardaway Jr. (born March 16, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines and declared for the ...


Freshman season

Stauskas began his college career with the expectation that he would be a sharpshooter based on his performance in
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 poi ...
drills in which he had raised the bar for the team. In the championship rounds of the 2012
NIT Season Tip-Off The NIT Season Tip-Off is an annual college basketball tournament that takes place in November of each year, toward the beginning of the season. The first two rounds are held at campus sites, while the semifinals and the finals are held during the ...
tournament at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylv ...
on November 21 and 23, Michigan defeated
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
and Kansas State, respectively, to win the tournament. On November 26, Stauskas earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for his NIT tournament performance in which he averaged 12.5 points and 4.5
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 ...
. On November 27, Michigan defeated its first ranked opponent of the season, NC State (#18
AP Poll The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and br ...
/#18
Coaches' Poll The Coaches Poll is a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football, Division I college basketball, and Division I college baseball teams. The football version of the poll has been known officiall ...
), in the
ACC–Big Ten Challenge The ACC–Big Ten Challenge (or Big Ten–ACC Challenge as it was called in alternating years) was an in-season NCAA Division I men's college basketball series that matched up teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Big Ten Confere ...
with a then-career-high 20 points from Stauskas in a 79–72 victory. On December 1 against Bradley, Stauskas made his first career regular season start and posted a new career-high 22 points. For his first two 20 point performances, he repeated as Big Ten Freshman of the Week on December 3. On December 29, against
Central Michigan Central Michigan, also called Mid Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As its name implies, it is the middle area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said to resemble a mitten, and Mid Michigan cor ...
, Stauskas posted 19 points on 5-for-8 three-point shooting. His 5 three-pointers and 7 rebounds were career-highs, earning him his third Big Ten Freshman of the Week on December 31. Entering the day of December 31, Stauskas led the nation in three-point
field goal percentage Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Although three-point field goal percentage is often calculated separately, three-point field goals are included in the genera ...
. On January 16, 2013, ''
Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
'' named Stauskas the surprise player of the first half of the year. As late as January 28, Stauskas was leading the Big Ten in free throw shooting percentage (.833) as well as three-pointers made and was second in 3-point shooting percentage (.490). On that day, Michigan was ranked number one in the
AP Poll The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and br ...
with 51 of the 65 first place votes. It marked the first time Michigan ranked atop the AP Poll since the Fab Five 1992–93 team did so on December 5, 1992. On January 31, Stauskas and Robinson were named to the
Wayman Tisdale Award The USBWA National Freshman of the Year, with the men's and women's versions respectively named the Wayman Tisdale Award and Tamika Catchings Award, is an annual basketball award given to college basketball's most outstanding freshman male player ...
(USBWA National Freshman of the Year) top 12 midseason list, recognizing their performances as being among the 12 best freshman performances in the NCAA competition. Stauskas finished the 18-game 2012–13 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season schedule with a 37% three-point percentage on 30-for-81 shooting during conference play. Having made his last 20 consecutive free throws entering the
2013 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2013 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was a single-elimination tournament that involved 68 teams playing to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 19, 2013, and concluded wit ...
Sweet Sixteen, Stauskas ended the season with an 85.1% (74–87) free throw shooting percentage, which was better than the Big Ten Conference free throw shooting percentage leader,
Adreian Payne Adreian DeAngleo Payne (February 19, 1991 – May 9, 2022) was an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Orlando Magic as well as for ...
(84.8%). In the regional finals on March 31 against
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
, Stauskas made all 6 of his three-point shot attempts, including all 5 in the first half as the team built a 41–17 lead before going into the half up 47–30. This marked the best NCAA Tournament single-game three-point shooting percentage in school history (min 5 attempts) since no other Wolverine has shot 100% with at least 5 attempts. Michigan advanced to the April 8 national championship game where the team lost to
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. ...
by an 82–76 margin. His 6 three-point shots was a new career best and his 22-point performance tied his career high. All his three-point shots came from the left corner. The 6 three-point shots pushed Stauskas to a Michigan freshman-season record total of 80, surpassing
Tim Hardaway Jr. Timothy Duane Hardaway Jr. (born March 16, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines and declared for the ...
's two-year-old record of 76. Six 3 point shots made without a miss was one shy of a conference record shared by Wolverine Glen Rice and 3 others (including
David Lighty David Maurice Lighty Jr. (born May 27, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for ASVEL of the LNB Pro A. He played college basketball at Ohio State University. Lighty ended his college career as the all-time leader in career games p ...
's 2011 NCAA Tournament performance). Stauskas joined McGary and Most Outstanding Player Trey Burke on the South All-Regional team. For the season, his .9 fouls per 40 minutes was second in the country.


Sophomore season

In the offseason, Stauskas added to his frame and to 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 ...
. On November 12, Stauskas posted career highs of 23 points and 5 assists in the second game of the regular season against
South Carolina State South Carolina State University (SCSU or SC State) is a public, historically black, land-grant university in Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States. It is the only public, historically black land-grant institution in South Carolina, is a memb ...
. In the next game, Stauskas contributed a career-high 6 assists as well as 20 points against
Iowa State Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the ...
on November 17. Stauskas scored a game-high 24 points on November 21 against
Long Beach State California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is a public research university in Long Beach, California. The 322-acre campus is the second largest of the 23-school California State University system (CSU) and one of the largest universities ...
in the first round of the
Puerto Rico Tip-Off The Puerto Rico Tip-Off was an early-season college basketball tournament owned and operated by ESPN Regional Television that took place in late November of each year from 2007 through 2017, usually the week before Thanksgiving. History The Pue ...
, surpassing his career high set two games before and giving him three consecutive 20-point performances for the first time in his career. Stauskas established another career high the next day against
Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the sta ...
as he scored 26 points including 7 of the team's 13 points in overtime, despite scoring only 3 points in the first half. In the game, he set a career high with 9 made free throws and logged his fourth consecutive 20 point game. Following a Michigan timeout with 11 seconds in regulation, Stauskas made a layup to force overtime. In the championship game against
Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
, Stauskas tallied 20 points and a career-high 3 steals. Although Michigan lost in the championship game, Stauskas earned tournament MVP honors. In the second half Stauskas twisted his ankle, but continued to play the final 9½ minutes. Stauskas sat out the November 29 game against to rest his ankle. In the January 2
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 ...
opener against
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 t ...
, Stauskas set a career high with 7 assists while scoring 14 points. On January 14, he had a game-high 21 points, team-high 5 assists as well as 6 rebounds against Penn State. On January 18, Stauskas scored 23 points including the final 11 for Michigan as the team defeated (#3)
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
at the Kohl Center for the first time since the 1998–99 team did so, ending an 11-game losing streak at Wisconsin. On January 21, Stauskas earned his first Big Ten Conference Player of the Week recognition. At the time he was leading the conference in scoring and 20-point games. On January 22, against (#10)
Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, 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: Wiscon ...
Stauskas tied his career high with 26 points and contributed 5 rebounds and 5 assists, helping Michigan defeat consecutive top 10 opponents for the first time since the 1996–97 team. On January 25 in the Michigan–Michigan rivalry game against the 2013–14 Spartans, Stauskas contributed 19 points and 4 assists, including a 5-for-6 effort on three-point shots. The 80–75 victory over (#3) Michigan State marked the first time in school history that the team defeated three consecutive
AP Poll The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and br ...
top ten opponents and marked the first time since the 1986–87 Iowa Hawkeyes that any team has won three consecutive games all of which were against top 10 opponents. It also gave Michigan a 7–0 Big Ten start, which is the best since the 1976–77 team won its first eight games. His effort for the week earned a second Big Ten Player of the Week recognition on January 27. Stauskas also earned Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week recognition from
United States Basketball Writers Association The United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) was founded in 1956 by National Collegiate Athletic Association director Walter Byers to serve the interests of journalists who cover college basketball. Scholarships The USBWA annually awar ...
on January 28. He led the conference in scoring and three-point shooting percentage through January, but he only scored six points when Michigan got upset by
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
on February 2, ending a 10-game winning streak and 8–0 Big Ten conference start. Stuaskas established another career high in assists with 8 against
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
on February 5 as the team posted its largest conference game margin of victory since defeating
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
112-64 on February 22, 1998. On February 23 against (#13/14) Michigan State, Michigan rebounded from an early 22–11 deficit to win 79–70. Stauskas led the way with 25 points on 9-for-13 shooting and with 21 coming in the second half, including 10 that took the score from a 48–43 deficit to a 53–51 lead. It marked his first game with 9 made field goals. He added 5 assists, 3 rebounds and no fouls on his way to earning his third Big Ten Player of the Week recognition on February 24. On March 4, Stauskas had 24 points, including a career-high seven three-point shots, as part of a 7-for-9 three-point effort against
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
to help Michigan clinch its 14th and 8th outright Big Ten Conference championship. On March 8, Stauskas had a team-high 21 points to help Michigan close out its season with a season-ending 84–80 victory over Indiana. On March 10 Stauskas earned his fourth Big Ten Player of the week award (this time Co-POTW with
Shavon Shields Shavon O'Day Shields (born June 5, 1994) is an American-Danish professional basketball player for Olimpia Milano of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers men's basketba ...
). Stauskas's four Player of the Week awards led the Big Ten for the season. Four B1G Player of the Week awards is a Michigan single-season record. At the end of the regular season, he was the only player in the Big Ten to rank among the top 10 for field goal percentage (48.9), three-point percentage (45.8) and free throw percentage (81.1). On March 22 against
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
in Michigan's second game of the 2014 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, Stauskas had a career-high tying 8 assists as well as a team-high 17 points. The 2013–14 team was eliminated in the elite eight round of the 2014 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament by
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
as Stauskas led all scorers with 24 points. Stauskas and teammate
Caris LeVert Caris Coleman LeVert (born August 25, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines. As a freshman for the ...
joined
Julius Randle Julius Deion Randle (born November 29, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In his second season with the Knicks in 2020–21, he was a first-time NBA All-Star ...
, Aaron Harrison and
Marcus Lee Marcus Lee (born September 14, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for Pallacanestro Reggiana of the Lega Basket Serie A. He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats and University of California Golden Bears. High sch ...
on the All-Midwest Regional team. The team reached the championship game. On April 15, in a joint press conference with Robinson on the
Big Ten Network Big Ten Network (BTN) is an American sports network based in Chicago, Illinois. The channel is dedicated to coverage of collegiate sports sanctioned by the Big Ten Conference, including live and recorded event telecasts, news, analysis programs ...
, Stauskas declared for 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 player ...
. During his two years with Michigan, the school enjoyed its winningest two-year stretch in school history marked by a total of 59 wins. Of Michigan's prior 14 early NBA draft entrants, 10 were selected in the first round and 3 in the second. Stauskas did sign with Bartelstein (along with teammate McGary).


Watchlists and awards

On February 13, Stauskas was one of four
Big Ten 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 ...
players (along with
Keith Appling Keith Damon Appling (born February 13, 1992) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Michigan State University. High school career Appling played high school basketball at Pershing High School in De ...
, Gary Harris and
Roy Devyn Marble Roy Devyn Marble (born September 21, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for Legia Warszawa of the Polish Basketball League. He played college basketball for the Iowa Hawkeyes. High school career Marble attended Southfield-Lathru ...
) who were named to the 30-man Naismith College Player of the Year midseason watchlist. On March 8, Stauskas was one of two Big Ten players (along with Harris) listed among the 15 finalists for the John R. Wooden Award. Stauskas was a 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball All-American second-team selection by the ''
Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
''. Stauskas earned third team All-American recognition from ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
''. He was a first team All-American selection by the
National Association of Basketball Coaches The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of men's college basketball coaches. It was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, head men's basketball coach at the University ...
(NABC). He was also a second team selection by ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence tw ...
'' and
Bleacher Report Bleacher Report (often abbreviated as B/R) is a website that focuses on sport and sports culture. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, with offices in New York City and London. Bleacher Report was acquired by Turner Broadcasting System in ...
, as well as a third team selection by
NBC Sports NBC Sports is an American programming division of the broadcast network NBC, owned and operated by NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal and subsidiary of Comcast. The division is responsible for sports broadcasts on the network, and its ...
. When Stauskas was named second team All-American by the Associated Press, he became a consensus All-American. Stauskas also earned John R. Wooden Award All-American Team recognition. Stauskas was the
Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year The Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the Big Ten Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1984–85 season. Only three players have won the award multiple ti ...
and a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and the media, becoming Michigan's fifth B1G player of the year and 2nd consecutive. On March 11 Stauskas was named District V (OH, IN, IL, MI, MN, WI) Player of the Year by the
United States Basketball Writers Association The United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) was founded in 1956 by National Collegiate Athletic Association director Walter Byers to serve the interests of journalists who cover college basketball. Scholarships The USBWA annually awar ...
. Stauskas was listed on the
National Association of Basketball Coaches The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of men's college basketball coaches. It was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, head men's basketball coach at the University ...
Division I All‐District 7 first team on March 12. Stauskas was named to the 2014 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament All-Tournament Team.


Statistics

Stauskas's career free throw percentage of 83.16% is second in Michigan history, and his 44.10% three-point shot percentage ranks fifth. , - , style="text-align:left;", 2012–13 , style="text-align:left;",
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
, 39, , 33, , 30.5, , .463, , .440, , .851, , 3.0, , 1.3, , 0.6, , 0.2, , 11.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2013–14 , style="text-align:left;",
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
, 36, , 36, , 35.6, , .470, , .442, , .824, , 2.9, , 3.3, , 0.6, , 0.3, , 17.5


Professional career


2014 NBA draft

Discussion about him entering 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 player ...
began when he got hot in January 2014 and his father told ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence tw ...
'', "He knows all he has to do is keep his nose to the grindstone for another couple of months, and there's a really good possibility he might be able to go pro." However, a few days later, Stauskas attempted to distance himself from his father's statements and apologized to his fans. Following the season, Stauskas, who was regarded as a likely late first round selection, said he would need some time to process his decision and that he would make his decision after talking to his coaches and family. On April 6, Stauskas said he would make his decision within the next week or so. On April 10, reports emerged that Stauskas had decided to go pro, but he denied he had made a decision. The reports were based on rumors that Stauskas had decided to hire Mark Bartelstein as his agent. Bartelstein is the father of former Michigan teammate Josh Bartelstein, and agent for former teammate
Tim Hardaway Jr. Timothy Duane Hardaway Jr. (born March 16, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines and declared for the ...


Sacramento Kings (2014–2015)

Stauskas was drafted 8th overall by the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
. He was the highest Michigan selection since Jamal Crawford went 8th in the 2000 NBA draft. With teammates McGary and Robinson also being drafted, it marked the first time Michigan had at least three draft picks since the 1990 NBA draft. With Burke and Hardaway having been drafted the year before, every player that started in the
2013 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Game The 2013 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game was the finals of the 2013 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament and it determined the national champion for the 2012–13 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The 2013 Nation ...
was drafted either in the
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
or 2014 NBA draft. Stauskas committed to represent the Sacramento Kings in
2014 NBA Summer League The 2014 NBA Summer League consists of two pro basketball leagues organized by the NBA and the Orlando Magic just after the 2014 NBA Draft. Ten teams took part in the week-long summer league at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, from July 5 t ...
. On July 8, 2014, Stauskas signed a rookie scale contract with the Sacramento Kings. During the 2014 NBA Summer League Stauskas was a starting member of the Summer League Champions. In the 2014–15 NBA.com Rookie Survey at the annual Rookie Photo Shoot on August 6, Stauskas was named by his peers as the second best shooter in the Rookie class behind
Doug McDermott Douglas Richard McDermott (born January 3, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). While playing college basketball for Creighton University, he led the nation i ...
. During his rookie pre-season, he got a lot of publicity for the statement "I understand that I'm a rookie and I'm white, so people are going to attack me" because of stereotypes about race and his unproven and presumably weak defensive skills. Stauskas was surprised by the attention the statement received. In his first week in the league, he had a 3-block game against the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
. On December 8 in his first game against
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
and former teammate and fellow Big Ten Player of the Year Burke, Stauskas posted career highs of 15 points and 8 rebounds. Stauskas again posted 15 points against the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
and former Michigan teammate
Tim Hardaway Jr. Timothy Duane Hardaway Jr. (born March 16, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines and declared for the ...
on March 3. On March 24, he received the nickname "Sauce Castillo" via social media after a closed captioning error. Stauskas started in the Kings' April 15 season finale against the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
and tallied 5 assists. It was his first and only start of the season.


Philadelphia 76ers (2015–2017)

On July 10, 2015, Stauskas was traded to the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Ea ...
along with Carl Landry, Jason Thompson, a future first round pick, and the rights to swap first round picks in 2016 and 2017, in exchange for the rights to
Artūras Gudaitis Artūras Gudaitis (born 19 June 1993) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player who last played for Panathinaikos of the Greek Basket League and the EuroLeague. Standing at 2.08 m, he plays at the center position. He was selected by the Phi ...
and
Luka Mitrović Luka Mitrović ( sr-cyrl, Лука Митровић; born 21 March 1993) is a Serbian professional basketball player for Crvena zvezda of the Adriatic League and the EuroLeague. Standing at , he mainly plays at the power forward position. Mitrov ...
. During the preseason, Stauskas was impaired by a right tibia stress reaction. Although he felt recovered from the stress reaction by the beginning of the season, he missed the October 28 season opener with back spasms. Stauskas debuted for the 76ers on October 30 against the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...
, scoring 12 points. Stauskas moved into the starting lineup on November 2 against the
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central ...
. He posted a career-high tying 15 points. On November 7, Stauskas posted a career-high 18 points and career-high tying five assists against the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...
. On December 1, Stauskas and the 76ers defeated the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
103–91. The win ended the longest losing streak in the history of major professional sports in the United States (28 games going back to the prior season) and the worst start in NBA history (tied with the 2009–10 New Jersey Nets at 0–18). Stauskas was injured in overtime of the January 15, 2016 contest against the
Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January ...
and missed three games before returning to the lineup on January 25 against the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
. Stauskas established a new career high on March 18 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 ...
, scoring 23 points. After the first week of the 2016–17 NBA season, the 76ers exercised the fourth-year team option. On November 19, 2016, Stauskas scored 21 points, while shooting 8-for-9 in a 120–105 win over the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
. He posted a career-high 24 points on 4-for-7 three-point shooting on March 4 in a 136–106 loss to
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
. On March 20 against
Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...
and March 22 against
Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...
, Stauskas reached 20 points in consecutive contests for the first time in his NBA career.


Brooklyn Nets (2017–2018)

On December 7, 2017, Stauskas was traded, along with
Jahlil Okafor Jahlil Obika Okafor (pronounced ; born December 15, 1995) is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for the Capitanes de Ciudad de México of the NBA G League. He played his freshman season of college basketball for the 2014–15 ...
and a 2019 second round draft pick, to the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The ...
in exchange for
Trevor Booker Trevor Fitzgerald Booker (born November 25, 1987) is an American former professional basketball player who played eight seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted 23rd overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2010 NB ...
. In his debut for the Nets on December 15, 2017, Stauskas scored a team-high 22 points in a 120–87 loss to 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 ...
. In his first few weeks with Brooklyn, he made 19 of his first 33 shots (57.6%) from beyond the three-point line and set a career high with 7 made three-point shots (on 7-for-10 shooting) on December 27 against the
New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...
, which tied a Nets franchise record by a performance off the bench.


Portland Trail Blazers (2018–2019)

On July 5, 2018, Stauskas signed with the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...
. In his debut for the Trail Blazers in their season opener on October 18, 2018, Stauskas came off the bench to score a career high-tying 24 points in a 128–119 win over the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
.


Cleveland Cavaliers (2019)

On February 4, 2019, Stauskas was traded to the
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central ...
along with Wade Baldwin IV and two second-round picks for
Rodney Hood Rodney Michael Hood (born October 20, 1992) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Mississippi State and Duke befor ...
. Three days later, he was acquired by the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
in a three-team trade that involved the Cavaliers and
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
. Hours later, he was traded again, this time to the
Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first estab ...
alongside Baldwin, a 2021 second-round draft pick and the rights to
Maarty Leunen Maarten Arthur "Maarty" Leunen (born September 3, 1985) is a former American professional basketball player. A power forward formerly at the University of Oregon, he averaged 9.9 points per game and 7.0 rebounds per game in his college career. H ...
, in exchange for cash considerations. He was waived by the Pacers on February 8. On February 11, Stauskas signed with the Cavaliers.


Baskonia (2019–2020)

On August 1, 2019, Stauskas signed a one-year deal with Spanish EuroLeague club Kirolbet Baskonia. On February 12, 2020, Baskonia and Stauskas agreed to terminate the contract. On December 3, 2020, Stauskas was signed to a training camp contract 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 196 ...
. He was waived at the end of training camp.


Raptors 905 (2021)

On January 27, 2021, Stauskas was included on the Raptors 905 roster for the 2020–21 season.


Grand Rapids Gold (2021)

On October 16, Stauskas was signed by the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
, but was waived later that day. He subsequently joined the Grand Rapids Gold as an affiliate player.


Miami Heat (2021–2022)

On December 31, 2021, Stauskas signed a 10-day contract with the
Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...
.


Return to Grand Rapids (2022)

Following the expiration of his 10-day contract, Stauskas returned to the Grand Rapids Gold. On March 1, 2022, he scored a franchise-record 57 points in a 131–127 win over the Wisconsin Herd. Alongside the feat, which was the sixth-highest scoring total in
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 D ...
history, he logged a G League-record 38 first half points. Stauskas made his first 12 shots in the game (including a 9–9/24 point 1st quarter), marking the second-highest scoring 100% FG% quarter in league history. The 38-point first half was one point shy of the G League record for either half. The next day, Stauskas posted 43 points against 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 Fundin ...
, becoming the second G League player ( Russ Smith, 105 March 2016) to achieve at least 100 points in consecutive games and the first to do it on consecutive nights. Stauskas' 100-point effort coincided with the 60th anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game.


Boston Celtics (2022)

On March 4, 2022, Stauskas signed a two-year contract with the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
. Stauskas and the Celtics reached the 2022 NBA Finals, where they lost in 6 games to the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
. On July 9, 2022, Stauskas was traded, alongside Daniel Theis,
Aaron Nesmith Aaron Joshua Nesmith (born October 16, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Vanderbilt Commodores. Early life and high sch ...
, Malik Fitts, Juwan Morgan and a 2023 first-round pick, to the
Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first estab ...
in exchange for
Malcolm Brogdon Malcolm Moses Adams Brogdon (born December 11, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Virginia Cavaliers under Tony Bennett. As ...
. On July 14, Stauskas was waived by the Pacers. Stauskas' G-League rights were still held by the Gold, who traded them to the College Park Skyhawks, who turned around and dealt him to the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...
. Stauskas entered training camp under contract with the Timberwolves, who assigned his rights to the Iowa Wolves.


National team career

Stauskas played for Canada in the 2009 FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship held in
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
. He helped lead the Canadian junior national team to a bronze medal, which qualified them for the
2010 FIBA Under-17 World Championship The 2010 FIBA Under-17 World Championship (German: FIBA U17-Weltmeisterschaft 2010) was the inaugural edition of the FIBA Under-17 World Championship, the biennial international men's youth basketball championship contested by the U17 national te ...
. He averaged 9.4 points per game in the tournament, including a game-high 21 points in a 126–78 loss against the United States team led by Bradley Beal and
James Michael McAdoo James Michael Ray McAdoo (born January 4, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Sun Rockers Shibuya of the B.League in Japan. He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels, and twice earned second-team all-co ...
on June 20, 2009. First overall 2013 NBA draft pick Anthony Bennett was one of Stauskas' teammates in the tournament. Stauskas was later invited to train with the Canadian senior national team. He represented Canada at the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship, contributing 111 points in 9 games—including 18-for-36 three-point shooting, but did not play in the team's final game.
Food poisoning Foodborne illness (also foodborne disease and food poisoning) is any illness resulting from the spoilage of contaminated food by pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites that contaminate food, as well as prions (the agents of mad cow disea ...
had impaired him in the semifinal loss against
Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
, and the illness caused him to miss the bronze medal game against
Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...
, which Canada won 87–86.


Career statistics


NBA


Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
, 73 , , 1 , , 15.4 , , .365 , , .322 , , .859 , , 1.2 , , .9 , , .3 , , .2 , , 4.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
, 73 , , 35 , , 24.8 , , .385 , , .326 , , .771 , , 2.5 , , 1.9 , , .6 , , .3 , , 8.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
, 80 , , 27 , , 27.4 , , .396 , , .368 , , .813 , , 2.8 , , 2.4 , , .6 , , .4 , , 9.5 , - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, , style="text-align:left;",
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
, 6 , , 0 , , 7.5 , , .250 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , .2 , , .2 , , .7 , , .0 , , .7 , - , style="text-align:left;",
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, 35 , , 0 , , 13.7 , , .393 , , .404 , , .704 , , 1.8 , , 1.1 , , .1 , , .1 , , 5.1 , - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, , style="text-align:left;", Portland , 44 , , 0 , , 15.3 , , .419 , , .344 , , .889 , , 1.8 , , 1.4 , , .3 , , .1 , , 6.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
, 24 , , 0 , , 14.3 , , .367 , , .429 , , .893 , , 2.0 , , .8 , , .3 , , .1 , , 5.5 , - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, , style="text-align:left;",
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
, 2 , , 0 , , 12.0 , , .375 , , .500 , , .750 , , 1.5 , , .5 , , .0 , , .0 , , 5.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 6 , , 0 , , 2.5 , , .333 , , .333 , , .500 , , .0 , , .2 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 343 , , 63 , , 19.5 , , .389 , , .354 , , .812 , , 2.0 , , 1.5 , , .4 , , .2 , , 6.7


Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2022 , style="text-align:left;",
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 13 , , 0 , , 1.8 , , .250 , , .300 , , 1.000 , , .3 , , .3 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 13 , , 0 , , 1.8 , , .250 , , .300 , , 1.000 , , .3 , , .3 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.0


EuroLeague

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2019–20 , style="text-align:left;",
Baskonia Club Deportivo Saski-Baskonia, S.A.D., commonly known as Saski Baskonia (), also known as Cazoo Baskonia for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball team that is based in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. The team plays in the Liga ACB and the ...
, 22 , , 12 , , 20.5 , , .415 , , .422 , , .781 , , 2.1 , , 1.6 , , .5 , , .2 , , 9.0 , , 6.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 22 , , 12 , , 20.5 , , .415 , , .422 , , .781 , , 2.1 , , 1.6 , , .5 , , .2 , , 9.0 , , 6.8


Records


NBA


Brooklyn Nets

*single-game 3-points shots made off the bench (7)


Michigan

*Freshman season 3-point shots made (80) *Single-season Big Ten Player of the Week awards (4) *NCAA Tournament single-game 3-point shooting percentage (6–6, 100%, min 5 attempts)


NBA G League

*First-half points scored (38) *Back-to-back night points scored (100)


Grand Rapids Gold

*Single-game points scored (57)


Personal life

Stauskas is the son of Paul and Ruta Stauskas. His brother's name is Peter. Three of Stauskas's four grandparents lived in Lithuania before
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. Stauskas previously attended Lithuanian Saturday School in Toronto and is able to understand and speak some Lithuanian.


See also

* List of Canadians in the National Basketball Association


References


External links


Michigan Wolverines bio

Nik Stauskas
at acb.com
Nik Stauskas
at draftexpress.com
Nik Stauskas
at eurobasket.com
Nik Stauskas
at euroleague.net {{DEFAULTSORT:Stauskas, Nik 1993 births Living people All-American college men's basketball players Basketball people from Ontario Boston Celtics players Brooklyn Nets players Canadian expatriate basketball people in the United States Canadian men's basketball players Canadian people of Lithuanian descent Cleveland Cavaliers players Grand Rapids Gold players Indiana Pacers players Liga ACB players Maine Celtics players Miami Heat players Michigan Wolverines men's basketball players National Basketball Association players from Canada Philadelphia 76ers players Portland Trail Blazers players Raptors 905 players Sacramento Kings draft picks Sacramento Kings players Saski Baskonia players Shooting guards Small forwards South Kent School alumni Sportspeople from Mississauga