Justin Champagnie and Jaylen Nowell Named to NBA G League Up Next Game

The NBA G League announced today that Washington Wizards two-way guard-forward Justin Champagnie and Capital City Go-Go guard Jaylen Nowell have been selected for the Up Next Game during NBA All-Star Weekend on Sunday, February 16, in San Francisco, California.

Champagnie and Nowell become the first players in franchise history to be named to the G League Up Next game, which was first introduced during the 2022-23 season. Champagnie was selected through the fan vote after finishing second in voting, with the top 10 vote-getters automatically earning a spot in the game. The next 18 participants, including Nowell, were selected by the NBA G League.

Champagnie averaged 20.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 1.1 steals in eight games played (all starts) during the tip-off tournament. His 2.4 blocks per game ranked ninth in the G League tip-off tournament. The Pittsburgh product has also appeared in 27 games (13 starts) with the Wizards and is averaging NBA career-highs of 8.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game.

Nowell has been the Go-Go’s leading scorer this season, averaging 23.8 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.5 rebounds in 17 games played (all starts). With 23.8 points per game, he is averaging the eighth most points per game in the NBA G League among players who have appeared in at least 10 games in the tip-off tournament and regular season combined. The Washington product earned an NBA call-up earlier this season with the New Orleans Pelicans on November 3 before returning to the Go-Go on November 21.