Duke Basketball: Whatever Happened to Matthew Hurt?

Duke basketball's Matthew Hurt is competing in NBA Summer League for the third straight year.

Author:
Matt Giles
Jul 4, 2023 9:15 PM EDT

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Over two years removed from a two-year Duke basketball career, including an All-ACC First Team selection and the ACC Most Improved Player honor as a sophomore in 2020-21, former McDonald's All-American and five-star prep Matthew Hurt has never been on an NBA regular-season roster.

But the 23-year-old sharpshooting forward, undrafted in 2021, continues to pound away at achieving that dream.

After a knee injury hampered his rookie campaign in the G League, he improved in his second year with the Memphis Hustle last season. Hurt averaged 15.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 24.8 minutes per game while shooting 59.3 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from downtown for a Hustle squad that finished 23-9.

And now, for the third year in a row, the Minnesota native gets a shot to showcase his skills in NBA Summer League action.

On Monday at the Salt Lake City Summer League, though, Hurt played only 13 minutes in Memphis' 94-92 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, tallying four points on 2-for-4 shooting, seven boards, one assist, and one steal. Another recent Blue Devil early departee and NBA hopeful, DJ Steward, scored 15 points off the bench for the 76ers.

Matthew Hurt's first-game stats aren't likely to impress anyone enough to earn an NBA contract next season. However, he still has some time to shine these next two weeks.

The official NBA Summer League in Las Vegas gets underway for Memphis on Saturday against the Chicago Bulls.

First, the Grizzlies have two more games in Salt Lake City, beginning with a matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday.

Following a June trade that sent Tyus Jones to the Washington Wizards, the only former Duke basketball player currently on the Memphis Grizzlies roster for next season is 27-year-old shooting guard Luke Kennard.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI.com for daily doses of Duke basketball news.