Since the dust has settled with the dubious result of the Dallas Mavericks winning the No. 1 overall slot in the 2025 NBA Draft, several other storylines are emerging about the many prospects in this class.
Many eyes are on Cooper Flagg of the Duke Blue Devils, who will almost certainly be picked first, but he has a teammate drawing a lot of attention.
Like Flagg, Kon Knueppel declared for the draft after a fantastic freshman season at Duke. Unfortunately, the 19-year-old was injured and unable to participate in athletic testing and shooting drills at the combine.
However, Knueppel met with several teams, as The Athletic's Will Guillory reported.
Knueppel met with Chicago (12th pick), Charlotte (fourth), Brooklyn (eighth, 19th, 26th and 27th), Atlanta (13th and 22nd) and Orlando (16th and 25th).
In a recent NBA mock, Knueppel was projected to the New Orleans Pelicans at No. 7 overall.
Knueppel injured his ankle several weeks back, according to his agent Mark Bartelstein.
Duke Blue Devils guard Kon Knueppel (7).
Duke Blue Devils guard Kon Knueppel (7).
Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
"He’s at 85% now, and we want him at 100%. He’s really close," said Bartelstein. "Hopefully, he’s back by the end of the week and can participate in our Pro Day on Friday."
Knueppel averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game for the Blue Devils. Duke made it to the Final Four before losing to the Houston Cougars, 70-67.
A Milwaukee, Wisconsin native, Knueppel was a five-star recruit in the 2024 class according to 247Sports. The 18th-best player in the country was also the fifth-best small forward and top player out of Wisconsin.