Duke guard/forward Kon Knueppel, a projected lottery pick in next week's 2025 NBA Draft, said on "The Bill Simmons Podcast" that he will have a virtual meeting this week with Sixers, owners of the No. 3 overall pick.
"I have a Zoom with them this week," Knueppel said in the episode released on Wednesday morning. "But I did not work out with them."
Knueppel, whose blend of versatile three-point shooting and offensive craft makes him one of the safest bets in his draft class, is currently projected by some to go as high as No. 4 overall to the Charlotte Hornets, with most experts believing he has a solid floor at No. 8 overall with the Brooklyn Nets.
Skeptics of the 6-foot-7 Knueppel's long-term prospects wonder if he possesses enough off-the-dribble explosion to ever be a high-usage offensive player, while proponents point to his strength, competitiveness and feel for the game as reasons why he can continue to overachieve relative to his athletic capabilities.
Knueppel's greatest selling point is likely his ability to scale his offensive workload up or down depending on the lineup he is in, the sort of trait that could enable him to have a very long career with the floor of an extremely valuable role player.
In addition to their apparent meeting with Knueppel coming up, the Sixers are hosting Rutgers wing Ace Bailey on a visit this week, where he will meet with team brass and go through an on-court workout. Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe, the current favorite to be the Sixers' selection, already did that earlier this month
While many Sixers fans have expressed a desire for the team to draft Knueppel, most of them have argued it should come after a trade down, which all signs point away from as things stand now. For a Sixers team always in pursuit of stars, does Knueppel have a high enough ceiling to be in consideration? Time will tell.
GETTING TO KNOW KON KNUEPPEL
• A scout's breakdown of Knueppel and his fit with the Sixers
• A statistical analysis of Knueppel's production at Duke
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