If you’ve been following the NBA G League or keeping a side-eye on the New Orleans Pelicans' roster movements lately, you know that Keion Brooks Jr. is a name that just won't go away. Honestly, the guy is a bucket. He’s one of those players who went from being a blue-chip recruit at Kentucky to a Pac-12 scoring leader at Washington, only to find himself fighting for every single minute as an undrafted pro.
Most people look at a stat sheet and see numbers. But with the Keion Brooks Jr stats we're seeing in 2026, it’s about more than just the box score. It’s about a 6-foot-7 wing who has completely reinvented his game to survive the jump from college superstar to professional "glue guy" with a scoring punch.
From Lexington to Seattle: The Foundation
Keion didn't just show up. He spent three years in the pressure cooker of Lexington under John Calipari. During his junior year at Kentucky (2021-22), he started 33 games and averaged 10.8 points. It was solid, sure, but it wasn't "next level" yet. The breakout happened when he packed his bags for the Pacific Northwest.
At Washington, Brooks became the guy. In his final season (2023-24), he didn't just play well; he dominated. He led the Pac-12 in scoring at 21.1 points per game. He was also grabbing 6.8 rebounds and, perhaps most importantly for his NBA prospects, he finally found his three-point stroke, knocking down 38% of his shots from deep.
That jump from 23% at Kentucky to nearly 40% at Washington changed everything. Suddenly, he wasn't just a mid-range specialist. He was a modern wing.
The Professional Grind: NBA and G League Reality
After going undrafted in 2024, Brooks signed with the New Orleans Pelicans. It's been a bit of a rollercoaster. He’s spent time with the Birmingham Squadron (the Pelicans' affiliate) and has been called up for several stints in the big leagues.
During the 2024-25 NBA season, Brooks appeared in 14 games for the Pelicans, even getting the starting nod six times when the injury bug hit the team. In those 14 games, he averaged 10.1 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting a very respectable 48.6% from the field. Those aren't "garbage time" numbers. Those are "I belong here" numbers.
Breaking Down the 2025-26 Season
As we move through the 2025-26 calendar, Brooks has been a force in the G League. He’s currently averaging roughly 14.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game for the Birmingham Squadron. He recently had a monster game against Raptors 905, dropping 23 points and 10 rebounds.
The shooting splits are the part scouts are obsessing over. While his 3P% has dipped slightly to the high 20s/low 30s in the G League this year, his volume is up. He’s taking over 6 threes a game. Basically, he’s being told to shoot his way into a permanent NBA rotation spot.
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Why the Analytics Love Him (Sorta)
Keion’s game is built on efficiency in the mid-range and a high motor. His PER (Player Efficiency Rating) in college was a massive 18.8. In the NBA, he’s maintained a True Shooting percentage of around 58%. That’s actually elite for a wing who doesn't get a ton of plays called for him.
He’s a "connector." He doesn't need the ball for 20 seconds to be effective. He cuts, he crashes the glass, and he finishes.
What Most People Get Wrong About Keion Brooks Jr Stats
The biggest misconception is that he’s "just" a scorer. If you watch the tape, his defensive versatility is what’s going to keep him in the league. At 210 pounds with a long wingspan, he can guard three positions. In his NBA starts last season, he averaged a combined 2.0 "stocks" (steals + blocks) per game.
People also assume that because he spent five years in college, he’s reached his ceiling. That's a mistake. He’s 25. In today’s NBA, players like Derrick White or Jalen Brunson have shown that guys who stay in school and develop a "pro-ready" game often have a higher floor than the 19-year-old projects.
Actionable Takeaways for Following His Career
If you’re tracking Keion Brooks Jr, stop looking at the points per game as the only metric. To see if he’s going to stick in the NBA long-term, watch these three things:
- Corner 3P%: This is his ticket to a permanent roster spot. He needs to be a "3-and-D" threat.
- Free Throw Rate: At Washington, he lived at the line (6.5 attempts per game). In the NBA, he needs to prove he can still draw fouls against bigger, faster athletes.
- Defensive Box Plus-Minus (DBPM): This will tell you if he's holding his own on the other end of the floor.
Keion is currently an unrestricted free agent but is heavily tied to the Pelicans' system. Whether he stays in New Orleans or gets snatched up by a team looking for wing depth (looking at you, Indiana or Miami), the numbers suggest he's a rotation player in waiting. He's passed every test put in front of him, from the SEC to the Pac-12 to the G League. Now, he just needs the right window to stay open.