Jawun Evans earns shot to contribute with Phoenix Suns

PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. — Jawun Evans is no stranger to the NBA, but he is a relative stranger to the Phoenix Suns.

Just signed by the NBA club to a two-way contract, Evans will share time with Phoenix and their NBA G League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns.

The NAZ Suns claimed the 22-year-old on Nov. 4 and he quickly made his mark in the league, displaying the ability to shoot, pass, run an offense and defend. He has played 15 games with the NAZ Suns as of Tuesday, averaging 18.6 points, 4.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 steals in 30.7 minutes per game.

Six recent games really stand out for Evans, most recently in Northern Arizona’s last game, where he broke a team record with eight steals against the Stockton Kings on Saturday, tying the fifth most steals in a game by a player in league history. He also added 20 points, eight assists, six rebounds and two blocks against the Kings.

Over a five-game stretch from Nov. 23 through Dec. 1, Evans scored 20-plus points in each of them, adding three straight with 30-plus points. He tallied the most points in the league over that span, averaging 29.6 points on 56.0 percent shooting (50.0 percent from downtown), 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.2 steals.

Now on a two-way deal, Evans is back in the NBA, where he played 48 games for the LA Clippers his rookie year. He’s shown the ability to perform at the highest level, even recording 15 points, six rebounds, six assists and five steals against the Washington Wizards on Dec. 15, one of two rookies in the league to post a line like that last season (Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons).

The Phoenix Suns announced Tuesday they assigned Elie Okobo to Northern Arizona, so Evans could very well get his first crack in the Suns’ rotation against the San Antonio Spurs.