Undrafted South Jersey Standout Lands NBA Summer League Opportunity

For many basketball fans, the NBA Summer League is the first opportunity to see their favorite team's Draft Picks in action. But for many players who participate, the NBA Summer League is a big platform to showcase their skills for teams.

Undrafted Basketball Players have used the NBA Summer League as their pathway to the league over the years, a list that includes:

*Fred VanVleet (Toronto Raptors)
*Austin Reaves: (Los Angeles Lakers)
*Ben Wallace (Orlando Magic)
*Duncan Robinson (Miami Heat)
*J.J. Barea (Dallas Mavericks)

This South Jersey High School Graduate Looks To Become Next Undrafted Player To Use NBA Summer League To Earn Spot in the league

A graduate from Saint Augustine Prep High School, Keith Palek III led Missouri State with 17.3 Points per Game, and 3.6 Assists per game, while being named to the Conference USA All-Academic Team (3.67 GPA), and named Second-Team All-Conference USA as well.

Palek III was one of just five Division One Men's College Basketball players to compile at least 500 points, 200 rebounds, and 100 assists this past season. But he went undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft, so his basketball future was initially uncertain this past week.

But he will be getting the opportunity to showcase his skills to the professional basketball world this summer at NBA Summer League. Sources confirm to myself and 973 ESPN South Jersey that Keith Palek III has accepted an invite to sign with the New York Knicks for this summer.

Palek III is joining the Knicks for practice July 4th weekend, and will be flying out with the team to Las Vegas for the 2026 NBA Summer League. He received interest from the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons, but decided to sign with the 2025-26 NBA Champions.

As documented earlier this year at 973espn.com, Keith Palek III comes from a family of physically gifted athletes. All three of Keith and Jenessa Palek's children have grown up to be superb athletes, not a surprise when you know that their parents were both 1,000-Point scorers while playing basketball at Cape May Tech High School.

"We are all very competitive; Whether it be on the basketball court, in the backyard, or a card game at the kitchen table, we are all playing to win and it’s typically not too friendly. (The Palek children) were raised to compete in everything they do, and it has proven to pay dividends for them in their lives to this point." explained Keith Palek III's father, Keith, when I spoke to him earlier this year about his son's success at Missouri State. "He has been extremely blessed throughout his basketball journey, and it has been a wild ride. His mental toughness, maturity, and basketball IQ are second to none, and have surely played a major factor in his successes to this point."

South Jersey Basketball fans will have a rooting interest for the 2026 NBA Summer League, with many people hoping to see Palek III earns an opportunity to play in the NBA next season.