NBA Draft: Knicks Add Another Duke Alum With 42nd Pick

The New York Knicks finally made an addition on draft night, bringing in another former Blue Devil.

Finally opting to add to their roster at the 2022 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks added guard Trevor Keels out of Duke University with the 42nd pick of the proceedings. Keels joins franchise face RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish as former Blue Devils stationed on the current Knicks roster.

Keels, a McDonald's All-American nominee, declared for the draft after his rookie season at Duke yielded All-Freshman team honors in the ACC. He averaged 11.5 points in his lone season in Durham, bookending his ledger with some stellar performances in big games. Keels opened his collegiate career with a 25-point showing in a neutral site win over Kentucky before capping things off with 19 off the bench in the Blue Devils' Final Four showdown with North Carolina.

Though his agility showcases raised questions, Keels was known for throwing his body around, having originally played football as a defensive end. Keels was also second on the team in steals (44), a total good enough for 13th place in the ACC. At 18 years old, Keels was one of the youngest players available on Brooklyn's draft board and is likely viewed as a long-term project. 

The 2022 draft marks the Knicks' smallest rookie haul since 2015 when their lone selection yielded Kristaps Porzingis in the fourth overall slot. New York mostly used draft night to unload expensive contracts, including those of Kemba Walker (traded to Detroit with a buyout anticipated) and the 11th overall pick, which would up becoming French-born Ousmane Dieng before he was dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder.