DJ Steward has been just about everywhere since going undrafted in 2021.

California. Canada. Maine. Chicago. Tennessee. Even Italy.

The former Duke guard spent time with the Stockton Kings, Vancouver Bandits, Maine Celtics, Windy City Bulls, Memphis Hustle and most recently Dolomiti Energia Trento overseas — all while chasing the same dream.

The NBA.

On Friday night in Las Vegas, Steward may have taken another step toward finally getting there.

While much of the attention surrounding Portland's Summer League opener centered around Yang Hansen and his matchup with fellow 2025 first-round center Khaman Maluach, it was Steward who nearly stole the show in the fourth quarter.

The 24-year-old poured in a team-high 21 points while adding eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in Portland's narrow 81-79 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

More impressively, Steward almost single-handedly erased the deficit himself.

Eleven of his 21 points came in the fourth quarter alone, with all three of his made triples coming during the final frame as the Trail Blazers mounted a furious comeback attempt.

Unfortunately for Portland ... it wasn't quite enough.

For Steward, however, the performance may carry significance beyond the final score.

Unlike Hansen, Carter Bryant or many of the other young players competing in Las Vegas, Steward isn't viewed as a long-term developmental piece.

He's fighting for something much simpler.

An opportunity.

Steward has long believed he possesses the tools necessary to stick at the NBA level.

"My ability to shoot the ball from all three levels. I can knock down shots from the perimeter, can defend really well, move laterally and play my hardest at all times," Steward said, highlighting his strengths during the 2021 draft process. "I can also be a playmaker. I can set up my teammates and be a floor general."

On Friday, he backed up those words.

Portland's guard room is already crowded. Ja Morant, Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson, Jrue Holiday and Shaedon Sharpe figure to command the overwhelming majority of the backcourt minutes once meaningful basketball begins in October.

And, somehow, first-year head coach Micah Nori plans to occasionally play all of them together.

Cracking that rotation won't be easy ... but Summer League isn't always about winning roster spots outright.

Sometimes it's about forcing organizations to keep your name in the conversation.

Steward certainly accomplished that. The scoring was impressive. The rebounding from a 6-foot-2 guard was perhaps even more so.

Most encouraging of all, however, was the confidence he displayed down the stretch as Portland searched desperately for someone willing to create offense.

Steward answered the call.

Maybe this run ultimately ends with another stint in the G League, and maybe it leads back overseas.

Or maybe — after stops in six different organizations and two different countries — the former Blue Devil has finally found the opportunity he's spent half a decade searching for.

If Friday night was any indication, he isn't ready to stop looking anytime soon.