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David Duke Jr.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

David Duke Jr.
Duke with the Brooklyn Nets in 2022
No. 12 – Perth Wildcats
PositionPoint guard / shooting guard
LeagueNBL
Personal information
Born (1999-10-13) October 13, 1999 (age 26)
Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight204 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeProvidence (2018–2021)
NBA draft2021: undrafted
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–2023Brooklyn Nets
2021–2023→Long Island Nets
2023Delaware Blue Coats
2023–2025San Antonio Spurs
2023–2025→Austin Spurs
2025–presentPerth Wildcats
Career highlights
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Representing  United States
Pan American Games
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Peru Team

David Duke Jr. (born October 13, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the Perth Wildcats of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He previously played for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and with the Austin Spurs of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Providence Friars.

Early life

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Duke was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island.[1] He grew up playing soccer and football and running track, not fully devoting himself to basketball until high school.[2]

High school career

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As a freshman at Classical High School in Providence, Duke stood 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m) and played at the junior varsity level. Duke grew to 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) and joined the varsity team in his sophomore season.[2] As a junior, he averaged 15 points per game and led his team to a Division 1 state title.[3] After the season, Duke transferred to Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Massachusetts and repeated his junior year due to reclassification. He played with Wabissa Bede and helped his team win the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Class AA title.[4] As a senior, Duke averaged 17 points, five rebounds and four assists per game and helped Cushing reach the NEPSAC Class AA semifinals.[3] A four-star recruit, he committed to playing college basketball for Providence over offers from Virginia Tech, Florida, Indiana and Villanova.[2][5]

College career

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Entering his first season at Providence, Duke shared preseason Big East Freshman of the Year honors with Jahvon Quinerly.[6] He immediately became the team's starting point guard but moved off the ball by the end of the season.[7] On November 17, 2018, Duke scored a freshman season-high 20 points in a 76–67 win over South Carolina.[8] As a freshman, he averaged 7.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.[9] On January 18, 2020, Duke scored a sophomore season-high 36 points, shooting 6-of-8 from three-point range, in a 78–74 loss to Creighton.[10][11] As a sophomore, he averaged 12 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game, shooting 42 percent on three-pointers.[12] Duke averaged 16.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game as a junior.[13] He was named to the Second Team All-Big East.[14] On April 2, 2021, Duke declared for the 2021 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[13]

Professional career

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Brooklyn Nets / Long Island Nets (2021–2023)

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After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft, Duke signed with the Brooklyn Nets on August 8, 2021.[15] He played for the Nets during the 2021 NBA Summer League.[16] On October 16, the Nets converted Duke to a two-way contract.[17] He subsequently split his time during the 2021–22 season between Brooklyn and their NBA G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets.[16]

Duke joined the Nets for the 2022 NBA Summer League after turning down a new two-way contract offer from the team.[18] However, he ultimately re-signed with the Nets on a two-way deal on September 16, 2022,[19] once again splitting the 2022–23 season between Brooklyn and Long Island. Duke was named to the G League's inaugural Next Up Game in February 2023.[20] In 22 games with Long Island during the 2022–23 NBA G League season, Duke averaged a team-leading 22.9 points (fifth in the NBA G League) on 47.8 percent shooting from the field, 32.1 percent shooting from 3-point range and 80.5 percent shooting from the free-throw line, to go with 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.9 steals (10th in the NBA G League) in a team-high 34.2 minutes per game. He also appeared in seven NBA G League Showcase games and played in two postseason games for Long Island, averaging 21.6 and 16.0 points per game, respectively.[21] He finished third in the NBA G League Most Valuable Player Award voting[21] and was named to the All-NBA G League First Team.[22]

On April 7, 2023, Duke signed a standard contract with Brooklyn to finish the season.[21] He then re-joined the Nets for the 2023 NBA Summer League.[16]

Delaware Blue Coats (2023)

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On September 11, 2023, Duke signed with the Philadelphia 76ers,[23] but was waived on October 20.[24] He subsequently joined the Delaware Blue Coats for the 2023–24 NBA G League season.[25] In 11 games with the Blue Coats, he averaged 21.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists in 31.5 minutes.[26]

San Antonio / Austin Spurs (2023–2025)

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On December 14, 2023, Duke signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs.[26] In 38 games (37 starts) with the Austin Spurs during the 2023–24 NBA G League season, he averaged a team-high 19.8 points to go with 6.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals in 32.9 minutes per game.[27] He then finished the 2023–24 NBA season averaging 6.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 12.8 minutes in four games for San Antonio.[27]

Despite being sidelined for the 2024 NBA Summer League,[28] Duke re-signed with San Antonio on another two-way contract on July 26, 2024.[27] He appeared in six games with San Antonio during the 2024–25 season while also playing with the Austin Spurs of the NBA G League, averaging 16.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 27 regular season games (all starts).[29]

On September 23, 2025, Duke signed with the Phoenix Suns,[29] but was waived on October 17.[30][31]

Perth Wildcats (2025–present)

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On October 24, 2025, Duke signed with the Perth Wildcats of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) for the rest of the 2025–26 season,[32] replacing their previous international guard, Mason Jones.[33] On December 28, he suffered a serious elbow injury during a loss to the Adelaide 36ers.[34]

National team career

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Duke represented the United States at the 2019 Pan American Games in Peru. He helped his team win the bronze medal and recorded 16 points, four assists and three steals in a 114–75 loss to Argentina in the semifinals.[35]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

[edit]

Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021–22 Brooklyn 22 7 15.5 .361 .243 .810 3.0 .8 .6 .3 4.7
2022–23 Brooklyn 23 0 9.9 .462 .083 .706 1.3 .9 .4 .0 3.7
2023–24 San Antonio 4 0 12.8 .556 .500 1.000 2.5 1.3 .5 .0 6.5
Career 49 7 12.7 .417 .236 .780 2.2 .9 .5 .2 4.4

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2023 Brooklyn 1 0 4.7 .333 .000 — .0 .0 .0 .0 2.0
Career 1 0 4.7 .333 .000 — .0 .0 .0 .0 2.0

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2018–19 Providence 34 34 24.7 .387 .297 .689 2.6 2.1 .7 .3 7.1
2019–20 Providence 31 31 32.2 .409 .420 .793 4.2 3.1 1.5 .4 12.0
2020–21 Providence 26 26 37.1 .387 .389 .792 6.3 4.8 1.2 .3 16.8
Career 91 91 30.8 .394 .377 .769 4.2 3.2 1.1 .3 11.5

Personal life

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Duke is the son of David and Sharon Duke. He has two brothers, Sean and Jordan.[36] His parents are Liberian refugees who escaped from war-torn Liberia before reuniting in Providence.[37][38]

In 2023, Duke dedicated a feeding hall in Liberia through his foundation, The David Duke, Jr. Foundation, to help feed underprivileged children.[37]

In 2025, Duke married his longtime girlfriend, Kayla Lopez, in Paris.[39]

References

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  1. ^ "Providence roots unite rivals". nbl.com.au. November 10, 2025. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Casey, Tim (March 12, 2020). "Providence College Guard David Duke Excelling For Hometown Team". Forbes. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Cordova, David (November 25, 2018). "David Duke: A Local Talent Stars As A Freshman For Providence". Dave's Joint. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  4. ^ Farrahar, Kevin (November 6, 2018). "David Duke's Time is Here". Friar Basketball. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  5. ^ McNamara, Kevin (October 13, 2017). "David Duke to stay home, picks Providence College". The Providence Journal. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  6. ^ McNamara, Kevin (October 15, 2018). "PC's David Duke named preseason co-Freshman of the Year in Big East". The Providence Journal. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  7. ^ Farrahar, Kevin (September 30, 2019). "What's in Store for David Duke in Year 2?". Friar Basketball. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  8. ^ "Duke & Diallo Lead PC Past South Carolina 76–67, Face #18 Michigan Sunday". GoLocalProv. November 18, 2018. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  9. ^ Mallard, Nick (March 19, 2019). "Former Cushing Academy stars still shining in college postseason". Sentinel & Enterprise. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  10. ^ "Despite 36 Points from Duke, PC Falls to #25 Creighton 78–74". GoLocalProv. January 18, 2020. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  11. ^ Steele, Ian (January 21, 2020). "One-on-One with PC's David Duke after Career-High 36 Point Performance". WLNE-TV. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  12. ^ Foley, Brian (October 1, 2020). "Providence Basketball: Friars' David Duke poised as Big East's breakout star". Busting Brackets. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  13. ^ a b Koch, Bill (June 15, 2021). "Ex-Friar David Duke invited to NBA Combine". The Providence Journal. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  14. ^ Steele, Ian (March 7, 2021). "David Duke, Nate Watson Named Second Team All BIG EAST". ABC6. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  15. ^ "Brooklyn Nets Sign David Duke Jr". NBA.com. August 8, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  16. ^ a b c "David Duke Player Profile, Phoenix Suns – RealGM". basketball.realgm.com. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  17. ^ "Brooklyn Nets Exercise Two-Way Player Conversion on David Duke Jr". NBA.com. October 16, 2021. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  18. ^ Lewis, Brian (July 9, 2022). "David Duke Jr. eyeing standard Nets contract after rejecting two-way offer". NYPost.com. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  19. ^ "Brooklyn Nets Re-sign David Duke Jr". NBA.com. September 16, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  20. ^ "Wolves' Garza And Ignite's Henderson Named Captains For NBA G League Next Up Game". NBA.com. February 7, 2023. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  21. ^ a b c "Brooklyn Nets Convert David Duke Jr. Contract to Standard NBA Deal". NBA.com. April 7, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  22. ^ "Windy City Bulls' Carlik Jones Headlines 2022–23 All-NBA G League Teams". The NBA G League. April 14, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  23. ^ "David Duke Jr. Signs With 76ers". NBA.com. September 11, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  24. ^ Maher, Rory (October 20, 2023). "Sixers Waive Ricky Council, David Duke Jr". HoopsRumors.com. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  25. ^ Delaware Blue Coats [@blue_coats] (October 29, 2023). "time for camp.🏕️ #GetYourCoatsOn" (Tweet). Retrieved November 10, 2023 – via Twitter.
  26. ^ a b Garcia, Alex (December 14, 2023). "Spurs Sign David Duke Jr. to Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  27. ^ a b c Shirley, P. (July 26, 2024). "Spurs Sign David Duke Jr. to a Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  28. ^ Douglas, Jacob (July 26, 2024). "Spurs sign David Duke Jr. to a two-way contract". Pounding The Rock. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  29. ^ a b "PHOENIX SUNS ANNOUNCE TRAINING CAMP ROSTER | Phoenix Suns". suns.com. September 23, 2025. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  30. ^ Druin, Donnie (October 17, 2025). "Suns Finally Make Tough Roster Decision". Phoenix Suns On SI. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  31. ^ Rankin, Duane (October 17, 2025). "Updated Phoenix Suns roster includes waiving 35-point performer in Lakers win". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  32. ^ "PERTH WILDCATS SIGN DUKE JR". Perth Wildcats. October 24, 2025. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  33. ^ "Ex-NBA guard puts pen to paper with championship contender — NBL Rumour Mill". Fox Sports. October 24, 2025. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  34. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (December 30, 2025). "Perth Wildcats import David Duke to be given more time to recover from elbow injury during NBL season". The West Australian. Archived from the original on December 30, 2025. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
  35. ^ "Duke Adds 16 Points As Team USA Is Defeated By Argentina In Pan Am Games Semifinals". Providence College Athletics. August 4, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  36. ^ "David Duke". Providence College Athletics. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  37. ^ a b Boayue, Francis G. (May 1, 2023). "American NBA Star of Liberian Parents David Duke Jr. Dedicates Kids Feeding Hall to REACH". Front Page Africa. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
  38. ^ Steele, Ian (July 29, 2021). "Providence's David Duke Jr. Reveals Family Story". ABC6. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  39. ^ "NBA Star David Duke Jr. Ties the Knot in Paris – Bride Kayla Lopez Wea". Inna Elsie. July 7, 2025. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
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