When it comes to the 2025 NBA Draft, everything starts with the Duke Blue Devils. The widely projected No. 1 pick, standout forward Cooper Flagg, was named as the national player of the year in college basketball, and while Duke fell just short of a national title, the team had the best statistical profile of any squad in the sport. Flagg is clearly the headline-grabbing force from Jon Scheyer's team this summer, but the Blue Devils also have arguably the most intriguing center prospect (Khaman Maluach) in the class and another projected lottery pick in Kon Knueppel.
It is fair to say that few have overwhelming doubts about Flagg, who projects to be a potential game-changer for the Dallas Mavericks. When it comes to Maluach, the future is less certain, but he does arrive in the NBA with fantastic measurables (including a 7-foot-7 wingspan and a 9-foot-6 standing reach) and a relatively easy archetype to envision. When it comes to Knueppel, however, observers seem to be far less certain about what's to come.
In fact, Knueppel often draws relatively underwhelming comparisons to players like Luke Kennard. To be clear, Kennard is in the midst of a decade-long NBA career and, while he is a relatively limited player, there is nothing inherently bad about even a mid-to-high lottery pick playing at his level. Then, you throw in the fact that Kennard is also a white shooting guard from Duke, and the comps write themselves. With that said, Knueppel has a different skill set than Kennard, and in short, the ceiling for Knueppel is considerably higher than what Kennard has been able to achieve.
Why Kon Knueppel will succeed in the NBA
The 19-year-old Knueppel enjoyed an outstanding freshman season, earning All-ACC honors and leading Duke to the ACC Tournament title, even with Flagg suffering an injury during the weekend. For that, Knueppel was named ACC Tournament MVP and, over the course of the full season, he averaged 14.4 points per game on 64.2 percent true shooting.
Knueppel's elite efficiency was a product of an incredibly strong and well-rounded shooting profile. His appeal is headlined by his potential as a 3-point shooter, leading in part to the Kennard comparisons, and Knueppel buried 40.6 percent of his long-range attempts at the college level. He was elite as a catch-and-shoot option, but Knueppel can also shoot off movement, and he converted 91.4 percent of his free throw attempts. That illustrates his picturesque shooting form, but Knueppel is also quite efficient inside the arc, making 56.7 percent of his two-point shots and 62 percent near the rim in halfcourt settings (per Synergy).
Knueppel is not a great athlete by NBA standards, which keys some skeptical evaluations, but he is quite strong and stout in his frame. That physicality helps with his shooting mechanics, as Knueppel is very balanced and powerful through his shooting form, and Knueppel weighed in at nearly 220 pounds at the NBA Draft Combine.
Beyond his shooting, Knueppel is a very strong ball-handler for a non-point guard, and he moves incredibly well off the ball. Knueppel flashed high-end passing ability at the college level, generating approximately twice as many assists as turnovers. He is also a crafty and comfortable pick-and-roll operator, and that could raise Knueppel's ceiling as an on-ball option at the next level.
On defense, the ceiling is modest for Knueppel, to be sure. He has only a 6-foot-6 wingspan and, in conjunction with his limited burst and athleticism, there may be matchups that give Knueppel trouble on that end of the floor. With that said, he is renowned for his competitiveness and physicality, plus Knueppel executes scheme at a high level. He always seems to be in the right place at the right time and, in scenarios where he needs to be "hidden" from a 1-on-1 matchup, he can operate effectively as a team defender.
A cursory look at Knueppel's profile, particularly when it comes to his lack of athleticism and his calling card as a shooter, might point to a relatively "simple" role player projection. However, Knueppel showed real chops as a No. 1 option during the aforementioned ACC Tournament run, and he was a blue-chip prospect from a high-pedigree basketball background. There is something to be said for Knueppel's floor being quite high, simply because of the elite shooting profile and his feel for the game as a team defender and passer. But at the same time, his ceiling is higher than most might realize, and if Knueppel's pull-up shooting comes along to meet his off-ball and catch-and-shoot work, there is a path to a 20-point NBA scorer in his profile.