[2] Lewis led the league in scoring and attracted attention from coaches but enrolled at Somerset-Losse specifically to play in its jazz and concert bands.

[2][3] Lewis thrived against national competition during his junior season in 2019–20 and earned scholarship offers from high major college programs.

[2] On July 21, 2020, he announced that he would bypass college and his senior high school season in favor of Chameleon BX, a preparatory program in San Francisco, which was designed to prepare players for the NBA draft.

[2] Lewis missed the first three games of his career with the Waves due to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) reviewing his eligibility after attending Chameleon BX.

[2][9] Lewis gained the attention of National Basketball Association (NBA) executives throughout the season who were enticed by his physical dimensions and shot creating abilities.

[13][14] On December 29, 2024, Lewis, D'Angelo Russell, and three future second-round picks were traded to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton.