After four years as a Duke basketball reserve, Joey Baker entered the transfer portal in late May. Despite not announcing the move before the deadline, as a grad transfer, he can play right away elsewhere, using the extra year of eligibility that the NCAA granted to every player who took part in the COVID-depleted 2020-21 season.
ALSO READ: Predicting Duke's starting five after major moves
Until this week, there had been minimal chatter about Baker's potential next destination.
But the 6-foot-6, 205-pound small forward began an official visit to Michigan on Tuesday, seemingly making the Wolverines the frontrunner for his services.
What Michigan must like in the Duke basketball product
Michigan head coach Juwan Howard and his staff still have a couple of available scholarships they could fill. Per several of the program's insiders, they hope to add another reliable 3-point shooter on the wing to their 2022-23 roster after losing one-and-done shooting guard (and former Duke target) Caleb Houstan to the pro ranks.
If nothing else, Baker can shoot.
The Fayetteville, N.C., native, who underwent surgery in April to repair a left hip injury, knocked down 37.9 percent of his shots from downtown across his Blue Devil career. Last season, he hit 40.5 percent beyond the arc, albeit with only 2.2 attempts per outing.
Although Baker averaged double-digit minutes the past three seasons, his average playing time never surpassed the 12.1 minutes he saw as a sophomore. And he never averaged more than five points per game.
His only action in Duke's 2022 Final Four run was five minutes during the team's win over Cal State Fullerton in the Round of 64.
It's conceivable the Duke Blue Devils could face the Michigan Wolverines as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge next season. But those matchups remain unknown.
The same goes for Joey Baker's decision.
Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for daily Duke basketball content.
More must-reads: