Miami adds youthful scoring depth with Trevor Keels on two-way contract
The Miami Heat have quietly reinforced their developmental pipeline by signing guard Trevor Keels to a two-way contract, the organization confirmed in an official press release on Tuesday afternoon.
Keels fills the newly vacated two-way slot created when Miami elevated Myron Gardner to its standard 15-man roster earlier in the day, signaling a coordinated sequence of roster maneuvering.
The move reflects Miamiโs continued commitment to identifying upside talent through the G League system rather than exclusively pursuing veteran free agents.
Keels, a former Duke standout, briefly appeared in three NBA games with the New York Knicks during the 2022โ23 season before transitioning into a developmental arc.
Since then, he has logged G League stints with the Westchester Knicks and the Iowa Wolves, steadily refining his scoring profile and perimeter efficiency.
Most recently, Keels suited up for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heatโs G League affiliate, positioning him directly within Miamiโs internal scouting ecosystem.
In 35 appearances for Sioux Falls this season, the 22-year-old has averaged an impressive 18.5 points per game while shooting .453 from the field and a sharp .400 from beyond the arc.
His offensive output has been complemented by 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per contest across 32.5 minutes, underscoring a well-rounded statistical contribution.
The improved three-point efficiency represents a particularly encouraging development for a guard once questioned about perimeter consistency during his collegiate evaluation.
At Duke, Keels displayed physicality and downhill aggression, yet scouts noted the need for refined shot selection and spacing awareness at the professional level.
Those incremental adjustments appear evident in his G League production, where shot mechanics and decision-making have shown measurable growth.
Although Keels has yet to secure a permanent NBA foothold, his age remains a critical factor in Miamiโs calculus.
At just 22 years old, he retains multiple seasons of two-way eligibility, affording the Heat a low-risk developmental runway.
Two-way contracts permit NBA teams to activate players for up to 16 regular-season games, creating structured exposure without immediate long-term commitment.
For Miami, the signing represents strategic depth insurance in the backcourt as the regular season progresses.
The Heat have historically maximized value from overlooked prospects, leveraging their culture of conditioning, accountability, and skill development.
Keelsโ familiarity with the Skyforce system ensures schematic continuity between Sioux Falls and Miami, reducing transitional friction.
Should injuries or rotational adjustments arise, he can be inserted seamlessly into limited NBA action.
From a broader organizational perspective, the signing reinforces Miamiโs emphasis on pipeline sustainability rather than reactive roster construction.
With playoff positioning in focus, the Heat can evaluate Keels in controlled intervals while preserving flexibility for future offseason planning.
If he closes the G League campaign strongly and capitalizes on his allotted NBA appearances, Keels could solidify himself as a longer-term developmental investment.
For now, the transaction reflects calculated optimism rather than headline splash, aligning with Miamiโs reputation for disciplined roster engineering.
