DeShawn Stevenson suffered through back pain last season, which required season-ending surgery.

Stevenson had his worst season in six years and his role with the Wizards has been placed in question due to the arrival of Mike Miller and Randy Foye via trade.

Despite the competition he'll face for playing time, Stevenson wasn't angered by the trades.

"My reaction was, 'Step your game up,' " Stevenson said in an interview with The Washington Post. "You can't get mad. It's a business. We had the same team for three years and didn't get out of the first round of the playoffs. They had to make a move.

"I feel that they felt that they wasn't strong at the 2-guard spot. I've been in the league for 10 years. When people make moves like that, I understand what you got to do. I don't take it as disrespect."

Stevenson, who hasn't played since January, worked with a trainer in Vancouver to improve his balky back.

"I felt it was best for me to come here and get back to where I needed to be. Especially, you know, having the year that we had, winning 19 games, and me being out since January," said Stevenson. "I'm the type of person, I'm going to come back and I want to come back with a bang. I know this is a big year for me, so I'm going to take it seriously."