Knicks' Trevor Keels Facing 'Super Important' Summer League

Trevor Keels had a rocky rookie season with the New York Knicks, and his NBA future could be on the line if he fails to impress at the Las Vegas Summer League.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 11, 2023

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New York Knicks

It's been a little over a year since the New York Knicks drafted Trevor Keels out of Duke with the 42nd overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Keels was the Knicks' lone acquisition with a name that night, as the Knicks moved picks around (including the 11th) in anticipation of Jalen Brunson's arrival.

A former five-star recruit in the high school class of 2021, expectations were high for Keels going into college and then the NBA, but he has struggled to reach that potential. In his first NBA campaign, Keels spent a majority of his time with the G League team in Westchester and only made three appearances with the NBA's Knicks. With very little time in the league last year, Keels hopes to prove that he belongs in the NBA with the Knicks as one of the key players on the Summer League roster.

“It’s super important,” Keels told Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “I want to show my skills, show what I got, show how I can help the Knicks, show I’m a great fit for the Knicks. Just take it day by day and keep going.”

Keels has proven to be a liability for the Knicks in their first two Summer League games. In the opener against Philadelphia on Saturday, Keels was a minus-23 on the floor in 13 minutes of action and things didn't improve in game two: on Sunday against Brooklyn, Keels was a -29 in a 98-80 loss.

Plus/minus stats aren't always indicative of how good a player is, but it can be a sign. Given the fact the Knicks had no draft picks this year, Keels has an opportunity to be one of the featured players for New York. However, his slow start in Las Vegas, hardly an improvement from last year's effort (5.8 points on under 26 percent shooting in the Knicks' run to the final), has not helped his cause.

If he continues to struggle in the last three games, it could be curtains for Keels in the Big Apple. His next opportunity to impress comes on Wednesday night against Orlando (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Published Jul 11, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.