Duke basketball: Elite transfer talking to only 2 schools

Trevor Keels or AJ Green should be on the 2022-23 Duke basketball roster.

On Monday, AJ Green told Kevin Sweeney of SI.com that his focus is on the NBA Draft process as he participates at the G League Elite Camp. However, his absence from most mock drafts suggests the grad transfer out of Northern Iowa will withdraw his name from the draft before the June 1 deadline and use his final year of NCAA eligibility, perhaps as a Duke basketball player.

The 6-foot-4, 190-pound shooting guard, a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year who never averaged less than 15 points per game as a volume 3-point shooter for Northern Iowa, noted to Sweeney that he’s now talking to only two schools: Duke and Iowa State.

Is AJ Green the Duke basketball team’s missing piece?

Surely, AJ Green’s eventual decision won’t be easy to make. After all, his father, Kyle Green, is on the coaching staff at Iowa State, but the Blue Devils might be able to offer a probable starting job in the national spotlight should 2021-22 Duke rookie standout guard Trevor Keels keep his name in the NBA Draft.

That starting two-spot is the remaining question mark for the 2022-23 Blue Devils. In other words, it’s reasonable to think that Green’s future may hinge entirely on Keels’ decision.

Although some Duke fans are optimistic that Keels will come back to Durham for a sophomore campaign, it’s worth noting that he landed at No. 30 — just inside the first round — in this week’s updated mock draft from The Ringer.

There’s been no report of an offer to AJ Green from the Blue Devils, yet one could assume that first-year head coach Jon Scheyer and his crew are simply waiting to find out Trevor Keels’ path before making an official move.

Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more Duke basketball news and views.