Duke basketball duo not selected in 2021 NBA Draft

The Duke basketball duo of Matthew Hurt and DJ Steward were not selected in the NBA Draft. 

Entering the NBA Draft on Thursday, the Duke basketball program was in an awkward and unfamiliar position.

The Blue Devils had one prospect, Jalen Johnson, who quit midway through the season, and two players, Matthew Hurt and DJ Steward, who do not currently project as NBA players.

Johnson, a former projected lottery pick, slid all the way to No. 20, and the Duke social media accounts recognized him after shying away from giving him publicity throughout the draft process. And neither Hurt nor Steward was selected.

The Duke duo not being drafted should not come as a shock, although it seemed there was a chance that Hurt could have been a late-round selection due to his shooting capabilities. But many were questioning Steward’s decision to remain in the draft after struggling in the pre-draft workouts.

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Matthew Hurt spent two seasons at Duke and never played in an NCAA Tournament game, but his growth from a freshman to sophomore was incredible.

The Rochester, Minnesota native clearly has issues on the defensive end and with his athleticism, but he averaged 18.3 points per game on 55.6-percent shooting from the field and 44.6-percent from 3-point range last season.

DJ Steward had more of an up-and-down freshman season, and many NBA Draft insiders reported that teams mentioned he could benefit from a sophomore season in college after the combine.

Steward averaged 13.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game in his lone season in Durham on 42.6-percent shooting from the floor and 34.1-percent from downtown.

What is next for the Duke basketball prospects?

Both Matthew Hurt and DJ Steward have the ability to sign with an NBA team as an undrafted free agent or latch on to a franchise’s Summer League team in hopes of earning an invitation to training camp.

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Undrafted players can begin signing deals with teams immediately following the NBA Draft while the NBA Summer League returns this year and is scheduled to begin on August 8 in Las Vegas.

DJ Steward became the second Duke player to be a one-and-done who was not selected in the NBA Draft, joining former freshman point guard Trevon Duval.

Steward signed a training camp deal with the Sacramento Kings, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, while Hurt has yet to sign with a team upon publication of this article.