18-05-2025
Duke's Kon Knueppel Predicted to Land With $195 Million Star in NBA Draft
Cooper Flagg is the obvious first name that comes to mind when talking about Duke Blue Devils players in the 2025 NBA draft. However, Kon Knueppel is another name that could be called within the top five picks.
Both Duke stars lived up to the hype of being five-star recruits during their freshman years. They were able to help lead the Blue Devils all the way to the Final four.
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Knueppel put together a strong season and showed off his elite 3-point shooting ability. He averaged 14.4 points, four rebounds, 2.7 assists, and a steal per game, while shooting 47.9% from the floor and 40.6% from 3-point distance in 39 games.
Looking ahead to the upcoming draft, there are a lot of questions about where Knueppel might land.
CBS Sports analyst Cameron Salerno has made a new prediction for Knueppel's potential landing spot. He believes the Duke standout will be headed to the Utah Jazz to join forces with Lauri Markkanen.
"After missing out on the Flagg sweepstakes, Utah selects the teammate of the future No. 1 overall pick out of Duke," he wrote. "Knueppel is a sharpshooter who would be an immediate contributor for the Jazz from Day 1. If this is how the board shakes out, I could see Utah deciding between Knueppel and Johnson."
Duke Blue Devils guard Kon Knueppel (7).Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
Throughout the course of the 2024-25 NBA season, the Jazz compiled a 17-65 record. They need help in many different areas.
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As a team, Utah shot 35% from the 3-point line. Adding Knueppel would help increase that number long-term and would bring in an elite floor spacing wing to open up the paint.
Fans won't have to wait too much longer to find out Knueppel's destination. The NBA draft will be held on June 25.
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