Former Marquette men’s basketball forward Justin Lewis was not selected in the 2022 NBA Draft Thursday night, but is now signing a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls as an undrafted free agent.
Lewis was projected as a late first round to mid second round draft pick heading into Thursday night. However, uncertainty about his playmaking ability along with establishing a more consistent defensive focus and discipline caused his projection to drop over the course of the night.
The two-way contract allows him to be sent between the NBA and the G League. It also means that Lewis will be paid an NBA salary while on the Bulls roster but a smaller G League salary when playing in the G League with the Bulls affiliate, the Windy City Bulls.
The 6-foot-7 forward put together a breakout season with the Golden Eagles this season, averaging a team-high 16.8 points and 7.9 rebounds while earning the BIG EAST Most Improved Player of the Year.
He was also selected to the All-BIG EAST First Team after leading the conference in scoring at 18.2 points in league play.
Additionally, the Baltimore native improved his 3-point shooting from 21.9% to 34.9% this season under head coach Shaka Smart.
Former teammates of Lewis, Darryl Morsell and Kur Kuath, also entered the NBA Draft but were not selected.
This article was written by John Leuzzi. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @JohnLeuzziMU.