Some teams generate more utility out of NBA Summer League than others. The Houston Rockets or Oklahoma City Thunder are flush with young, first-round talent and want to further develop that young talent with as many game reps as possible. Others are focused on looking for under-the-radar gems they can lock in on a two-way contract. The New York Knicks would qualify for the latter.

The Knicks didn't have a first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft as a result of their trade deadline acquisition of Josh Hart. The highest draft pick on their Summer League roster was Trevor Keels, who was the 42nd pick of the 2022 NBA Draft. They're not going to get as much out of Summer League as others, but that doesn't mean there's nothing they can take from it. Let's go after what they learned in Summer League that they can carry to the big club.

Trevor Keels is worth keeping

Trevor Keels generated some comparisons to Oklahoma City's Lu Dort when he came out of Duke. It makes sense. Keels is 6-4 and 221 pounds, while Dort is 6-4 and 220 pounds. Dort's wingspan is 1.5 inches longer, but the point is, their frames are similar. Their games are similar too.

Dort has found his footing as an improving spot-up threat and bulldozing driver in addition when he gets a sliver of daylight to being an All-NBA-caliber defender. Dort shot 32% on catch-and-shoot 3s in 2022-23, per NBA.com, but was 33% overall from distance, enough to not get played off the floor. Keels has to get there. He shot 31.2% from 3-point range in his lone season at Duke and 67% from the free throw line. Those percentages shot up to 34.5% and 71% in the G League last season.

Keels got off to a strong shooting start in Summer League before stumbling a bit in his last game when he went 1-of-7 from deep. Even with that rough game, he shot a respectable 33.3% from 3-point range on 4.8 attempts per game over five contests. And despite struggling with his 3-point shot in the final game on Saturday, he still put up 17 points on 7-of-17 shooting overall while handing out four assists.

Keels has shown some flashes of reaction off the bounce, with a sneaky float game:

Keels also reads the floor well when going downhill If the defense commits to him, he's comfortable making the right play:

The Knicks are deep, especially at the guard position after signing Donte DiVincenzo in free agency to a four-year, $50 million contract. However, it can't ever hurt to have another potential 3-and-D guard who can guard up a position or two for the cheap in the pipeline. Keels can do that, and it's worth seeing what more the Knicks can squeeze out of him on his two-way contract.

Isaiah Roby, Charlie Brown Jr. belong in NBA

Isaiah Roby and Charlie Brown Jr. are both journeymen. The Knicks may not have room for both of them, but Roby is on a non-guaranteed deal. He's not the biggest to be a small-ball 5, but the Knicks already refused to play Obi Toppin there and sent him to Indiana. They could use a fill-in for Toppin, and Roby could be an intriguing fit as a potential replacement. He's 6-8, 230 pounds, can hold his own defensively on the perimeter and inside, and is a career 35% shooter from 3.

The Knicks could look to give Roby a chance to become the backup to All-Star Julius Randle. Not only is there a vacancy there, but the Knicks could also use more shooting. New York ranked in the bottom third of the league in effective field goal percentage in the regular season in 2022-23 (54.1%). That plummeted even further in the playoffs (49.2%), so it's not hard to see where and how Roby can help.

Charlie Brown Jr.'s odds of cracking the Knicks' roster are longer, but he deserves a shoutout for how he played in Vegas. Here are his stats in four Summer League games: 79 points, 25 rebounds, and eight assists on 29-56 shooting (51.7%) and 4-15 from 3. Not only did he score efficiently despite shooting poorly from 3-point range, but he did it in myriad ways:

Charlie Brown Jr.'s defense, both on and off ball, has been solid as well. He might not crack the Knicks' roster, but he has done enough to belong on somebody's roster. You can't ever have enough wings in today's NBA.