Exactly two dozen Duke basketball products were on NBA opening day rosters back in October. Now, the number of Blue Devils in the league appears to be at 27, at least temporarily.
On Wednesday, the Miami Heat announced its addition of 2021-22 Duke basketball guard Trevor Keels via a two-way deal. The mere 22-year-old from Clinton, Md., becomes the only NBA Blue Devil currently on a contract with the franchise.
Three Years Since Trevor Keels Last Saw the Court in an NBA Game
Although Keels has inked Exhibit 10 contracts in each of the past three NBA preseasons, the last time he suited up in the regular season came in 2022-23 when he was on a two-way contract with the New York Knicks. And in that campaign, he logged only three outings. Keels, who came off the board No. 42 overall at the 2022 NBA Draft, has spent the past few years in the G League, most recently for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Miami Heat’s affiliate squad.
In early January, the former five-star guard out of Duke basketball pipeline high school Paul VI Catholic (Va.) made G League history by shooting 12-for-12 beyond the arc in a single game, finishing with 46 points in that contest. Subsequently, Keels earned G League Player of the Week honors, and the Blue Devils’ social media team recognized his performance by posting a “League Him” cry.
As a one-year Blue Devil under Hall of Famer and five-time national champion Mike Krzyzewski, playing in Durham during the last season before Jon Scheyer assumed the Duke basketball reins, Keels became an All-ACC Rookie Team selection. He averaged 11.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game for a group that featured eventual No. 1 overall draft pick Paolo Banchero and reached the 2022 Final Four before losing to the archrival UNC Tar Heels in New Orleans.
Trevor Keels joins a Miami Heat team that boasts a 29-27 overall record and is squarely in contention for a playoff spot, currently sitting at No. 8 in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Heat next face a road bout against the Atlanta Hawks (26-30), including first-time NBA All-Star and 2020-21 Duke basketball forward Jalen Johnson, at 7:30 p.m. ET Friday.
