The San Antonio Spurs will have their pick of the litter in the 2025 NBA Draft. Barring the unforeseen, the Dallas Mavericks will select consensus number one pick Cooper Flagg, leaving plenty of talent--and options--for the Spurs.
Flagg is not the only elite prospect on the Duke Blue Devils. Center Khaman Maluach and wing Kon Knueppel are expected to go in the top ten, although the Spurs, with the second overall pick, will likely add Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, Tre Johnson, or VJ Edgecombe, leaving the Blue Devils to other teams.
Had the Spurs ended up picking eighth overall as expected, then both Maluach and Knueppel would make sense. Maluach is expected to be a solid NBA center who could backup or play next to Victor Wembanyama, and Knueppel is one of the best scorers in the NCAA, especially from deep.
In his lone college season, he averaged 14.4 points, four rebounds, and shot a blistering 40.6 percent from 3-point range.
Of course, Duke University has an agenda, but they think Knueppel should be at the top of the Spurs' board.
If the Spurs trade back in the draft, Knueppel would be an excellent pick-up. His off-ball creation, shooting, secondary playmaking, and overlooked defense would all be a welcome addition in San Antonio, although with the second pick, the Spurs will be looking for a legitimate star instead of a high-level role player.
Knueppel could very well be one of the best players in the draft class, although his ceiling as a superstar is limited. The fit is spot-on, though, so the Spurs can't be blamed for giving it a lot of consideration.