Justise Winslow Bio
Justise Jon Winslow is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA G League. Standing 6 feet 6 inches tall and playing the small forward and power forward positions, Winslow has built a career defined by defensive versatility and a championship pedigree that began at the high school level and continued at Duke University. He won the 2015 NCAA championship with the Duke Blue Devils before being selected 10th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat.
Across his professional journey, Winslow has played for several NBA and G League organizations, including the Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers, Raptors 905, and Wisconsin Herd. While his NBA tenure has been interrupted by injuries, he has remained a respected defensive presence whenever healthy and continues to compete at a high level.
Early Life and Background
Justise Jon Winslow was born on March 26, 1996, in Houston, Texas. He grew up in a deeply athletic household, with basketball running in the family. His mother is Robin Davis, and his father is Rickie Winslow, a former University of Houston basketball player who was a member of the legendary Phi Slama Jama squad that featured Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. Rickie Winslow was also selected 28th overall in the 1987 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, giving Justise a direct connection to professional basketball heritage.
Winslow has three older brothers, Cedrick, Brandon, and Josh, and an older sister, Bianca. His brother Josh played football at Dartmouth College, while his sister Bianca played basketball at the University of Houston, further underscoring the family’s deep roots in college athletics. Growing up in Houston, Winslow was immersed in a competitive basketball culture that helped shape his early development as a player.
Path to Basketball
Winslow attended St. John’s School in Houston, Texas, where he was a four-year starter on the basketball team. He began and ended his high school career with league championships, establishing a winning tradition early in his playing days. As a senior during the 2013-14 season, he averaged 27.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 1.8 steals per game, a remarkable all-around statistical profile that demonstrated his two-way potential.
His dominance at the high school level earned him the 2013 Gatorade Texas Player of the Year award, and he was later named Texas Mr. Basketball in 2014. Winslow was also selected as a McDonald’s All-American and earned first-team Parade All-American honors that same year, cementing his status as one of the top recruits in the country. He chose to play college basketball at Duke University, where he would spend one season before turning professional.
Justise Winslow Career
Early Career (2014-2015)
Winslow enrolled at Duke University for the 2014-15 season and quickly made an impact under legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who compared Winslow’s game to former Duke stars Tommy Amaker and Grant Hill. In his first five games as a Blue Devil, he averaged 14 points and five rebounds, showing poise well beyond his years. On February 9, 2015, he was named ACC Freshman of the Week, and he later earned honorable mention All-ACC honors.
The defining stretch of his freshman year came in the NCAA Tournament, where Winslow averaged 14.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, leading Duke to the national championship. Across 39 total games as a freshman, he posted averages of 12.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.3 steals in 29.1 minutes per contest. In April 2015, he declared for the NBA Draft, forgoing his remaining eligibility.
Miami Heat Era (2015-2020)
On June 26, 2015, Winslow was selected by the Miami Heat with the 10th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, and he signed his rookie scale contract on July 3, 2015. He made his NBA debut on October 28, 2015, recording five points and seven rebounds off the bench in a 104-94 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Under head coach Erik Spoelstra, Winslow was consistently tasked with defending some of the league’s most dangerous scorers, including LeBron James and James Harden, helping him grow into a defensive stopper.
Winslow earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors at the end of his first season. In 2016-17, he opened the year as a starter before missing 16 games with a sore left wrist. On December 22, 2016, he delivered a season-best performance of 23 points and 13 rebounds against the Los Angeles Lakers, but his season ended in January 2017 after surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. The 2017-18 campaign saw him miss 14 games with a knee strain, but he still produced a playoff highlight of 19 points in Game 3 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 2018-19 season marked a breakout stretch, as Winslow posted a career-high 28 points with six three-pointers against the Los Angeles Lakers on December 10, 2018. After Goran Dragić suffered a right knee injury, Winslow was named Miami’s starting point guard in mid-December. He also recorded a career-high 11 assists in a win over the Boston Celtics on January 10, 2019. Injuries limited him to just 11 games in 2019-20 due to a back issue.
Memphis Grizzlies Era (2020-2021)
On February 6, 2020, Winslow was acquired by the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team trade also involving the Minnesota Timberwolves. His time in Memphis was cut short by injury, however. On July 21, 2020, the Grizzlies announced that he had suffered a hip injury during team practice and would miss the remainder of the 2019-20 season.
Los Angeles Clippers Era (2021-2022)
On August 8, 2021, Winslow signed a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, marking a fresh start on the West Coast. His stint with the Clippers was brief, as he was later included in a midseason trade that sent him to Portland.
Portland Trail Blazers Era (2022-2023)
On February 4, 2022, Winslow was traded, alongside Eric Bledsoe, Keon Johnson, and a 2025 second-round pick, to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Norman Powell and Robert Covington. His tenure in Portland was once again interrupted by injury, as a left ankle issue led to a Grade 2 sprain diagnosis in December 2022. After a bone marrow aspirate concentrate procedure in March 2023 failed to resolve the discomfort, Winslow underwent season-ending left ankle surgery on March 29, 2023.
Raptors 905 and Wisconsin Herd (2023-2025)
On October 20, 2023, Winslow signed with the Toronto Raptors but was waived the same day, and he joined Raptors 905 of the NBA G League on October 30, 2023. He signed a 10-day contract with Toronto on February 10, 2024, though he did not appear in a game, and he returned to Raptors 905 on February 20, 2024. On October 16, 2024, he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, but was waived the following day, and on October 28, 2024, he joined the Wisconsin Herd.
Notable Events and Milestones
Winslow’s career has been highlighted by several signature moments, including his role in Duke’s 2015 NCAA championship run, his selection as the 10th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, and his 2016 NBA All-Rookie Second Team selection. His 28-point outburst against the Lakers in December 2018 remains his single-game scoring high, and he has shown positional versatility by playing point guard for the Heat during the 2018-19 season.
Justise Winslow Career Highlights
Winslow’s professional résumé includes stints with the Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers, Raptors 905, and Wisconsin Herd, alongside international experience representing the United States at multiple FIBA youth tournaments.
NBA and G League Highlights
Winslow earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors in 2016 after being drafted 10th overall by the Miami Heat. Across his NBA stops, he posted a career-high 28 points against the Los Angeles Lakers on December 10, 2018, and recorded a career-high 11 assists against the Boston Celtics on January 10, 2019.
Other Performances
At the international level, Winslow represented the United States at the 2012 FIBA Under-17 World Championship, where he was named to the All-Tournament Team, the 2013 FIBA Under-19 World Championship, and the 2014 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship, demonstrating a consistent presence on the global youth stage.
Justise Winslow Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Winslow comes from one of Houston’s most accomplished athletic families. His father, Rickie Winslow, played basketball at the University of Houston from 1983 to 1987 and was a member of the famed Phi Slama Jama team alongside Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler before being drafted 28th overall by the Chicago Bulls in 1987. His mother, Robin Davis, also raised the family in a sports-oriented environment.
Personal Life
Winslow has three older brothers, Cedrick, Brandon, and Josh, and an older sister, Bianca. His brother Josh played football at Dartmouth College, and his sister Bianca played basketball at the University of Houston, reinforcing the family’s strong tradition in college athletics.
2025 Season Performance
Winslow’s 2024-25 campaign began when he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks on October 16, 2024, though he was waived the following day. He quickly landed with the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA G League on October 28, 2024, where he continued to work on his game and compete for minutes. After a string of injury-plagued seasons, his move to the G League offered an opportunity to regain rhythm and showcase his defensive versatility.
Throughout the 2024-25 season, Winslow remained available as a versatile wing capable of guarding multiple positions. His veteran experience and championship resume made him a valuable presence in the Herd locker room, even as he worked to return to full health following his previous ankle and hip setbacks.
Looking ahead, Winslow’s primary objective for 2025 and beyond is to remain on the floor and continue building toward a potential return to an NBA roster. His combination of size, defensive instincts, and basketball IQ, honed across multiple organizations, keeps him as a candidate worth monitoring as the season progresses.