Former Duke guard keeps NBA dream alive with Summer League explosion

All eyes in the Summer League are on a talented rookie class. For Duke, that includes Cameron Boozer, Isaiah Evans, and Maliq Brown.

But one of the most intriguing parts of Summer League action is seeing the players who might be on their final - or close to it - opportunities to impress enough to get a legitimate shot from a team.

One of those guys is former Duke guard Trevor Keels, who was a second-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft after just one season with the Blue Devils. Keels has never been able to break through in the NBA, spending the majority of his time in the G-League and logging just 11 total games in the NBA across four professional seasons.

This Summer League is of vital importance to Keels.

Playing for the Miami Heat, the former Duke guard put together a performance on Saturday night that is sure to garner him some serious attention.

Keels dropped 32 points in Miami's five-point loss to the Orlando Magic. He hit 12-of-19 attempts from the field and 6-of-10 from three-point range.

Former Duke guard Trevor Keels drops 32 points in eye-opening Summer League performance

Keels was a 5-star recruit in the 2021 class. He averaged 11.5 points per game in his lone season at Duke before entering the NBA Draft.

Keels would have been better served to stick in college for another year or two to continue developing. Unfortunately for him, he came around before the proliferation of NIL and the Transfer Portal, both of which would have likely enticed him to remain in college for longer.

But his path is his path.

It's important to note that he's still just 22 years old. That's hard to fathom considering how long he's been gone from Durham.

Keels has been written off, but he's kept his head down and kept grinding away. Now, perhaps he can carve out a two-way contract and get a legitimate shot in either Miami or elsewhere.

The uptick in three-point shooting could be significant. At 6-foot-5, he's already a good size for a guard, and if he can consistently knock down shots, there's a role for him in the league.

Keels has improved his three-point shooting in the G-League every year of his career so far.

2022-23: 35.5%
2023-24: 36.7%
2024-25: 38.5%
2025-26: 40.0%

If that uptick and consistency continue, Keels could finally get a legitimate shot in the NBA.

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