Summer League has a way of turning the spotlight toward the names everyone already knows. For Duke fans, that means watching the rookie trio of Cameron Boozer, Isaiah Evans, and Maliq Brown.
But the more compelling part of this stretch is often the players fighting for a last real chance. Trevor Keels fits that group perfectly.
The former Duke guard, now with the Miami Heat, delivered the kind of night that forces people to take another look. On Saturday, Keels scored 32 points in Miami’s five-point loss to the Orlando Magic, going 12-of-19 from the field and 6-of-10 from beyond the arc.
Trevor Keels was hoopin' in today's NBA Summer League action!
🏀 32 PTS (game-high)
🏀 4 REB
🏀 6 3PM pic.twitter.com/0L14KCFTUo
- NBA (@NBA) July 11, 2026
That kind of burst matters for a player whose NBA path has been anything but smooth. Keels was a second-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft after one season at Duke, but he has never managed to stick at the top level. Most of his pro time has come in the G-League, and he has appeared in just 11 NBA games over four professional seasons.
The talent was never really in question. Keels arrived at Duke as a 5-star recruit in the 2021 class and averaged 11.5 points per game in his lone season in Durham before heading to the draft.
In hindsight, another year or two in college might have helped him grow into the league more naturally. But he entered the NBA before NIL and the Transfer Portal became major forces, and those changes might have given him more reason to stay put.
Still, that’s not the route he took.
What stands out now is that Keels is only 22 years old, even if it feels like he’s been around forever. He’s been counted out, but he’s kept working, and this Summer League performance gives him a real chance to change the conversation.
A two-way deal is the obvious next target, whether that comes in Miami or somewhere else. At 6-foot-5, Keels already has the size teams want in a guard, and the shot-making is starting to catch up. If he can keep knocking down threes, he has a path.
That part is not just a one-night flash, either. Keels has improved his three-point shooting in the G-League every year of his career so far.
In Other News...
Isaiah Evans Just Took A Big Step In His NBA Path
Isaiah Evans has taken a meaningful next step in his NBA career, landing a four-year rookie contract after getting picked in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft. For a former Duke wing who spent two seasons in Durham, the deal gives him a real foothold at the next level and reflects the kind of patience teams often show with players whose value can outgrow where they were drafted.
The contract comes with three fully guaranteed seasons and a team option for the fourth, a structure that gives Evans security while leaving room for him to keep proving himself. Some draft analysts had viewed him as a late first-round possibility before he slid into the early second, so the path to this point has already carried a little extra edge, and now the focus shifts to how he turns that opportunity into a lasting NBA role. [Read more 🡒]
Isaiah Evans Rough Debut Should Not Alarm Duke Fans Yet
Isaiah Evans finally got on the floor for Minnesotas Summer League team after sitting out the opener while the trade that brought him the draft pick was still being finalized. The debut was a rough one on offense, with Evans managing four points and struggling to find a rhythm, but there were still enough flashes to remind Duke fans why he remains an intriguing long-term prospect.
The bigger takeaway was the way he competed on the other end, where his defensive effort stood out even as the shot deserted him. Minnesota gets another look against Portland next, and with a little more practice time under his belt, Evans should have a better chance to settle in and show more of the game that made him worth watching in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Duke May Have The In-House Answer To Its Biggest Passing Question
Manny Diaz enters his third season at Duke with the program riding the momentum of last years ACC championship, but the Blue Devils still have some offensive reshuffling to sort through after losing key pieces and bringing in transfers to help replace them. Even with the roster turnover, Duke did a good job of keeping important talent on both sides of the ball, which gives the staff a chance to look inward for one of its more intriguing answers at receiver.
One of the names worth watching is Jayden Moore, a redshirt sophomore who is expected to take on a much bigger role this fall. Moore has the kind of profile that can quietly matter in a passing game, and Duke may be setting him up for a real opportunity on the outside as it tries to find the right mix around its returning pieces. [Read more 🡒]