Mar 21, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers guard Xavier Lipscomb (45) and guard Javon Ervin (23) defend Duke Blue Devils guard Kon Knueppel (7) during the second half in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Sixers Predicted to Land Duke Basketball Star in 2025 NBA Draft

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated Mar 22, 2025 2:25 PM ET

When the 2025 NBA Draft fires up in June, Duke Basketball will have more than just Cooper Flagg going in the lottery. The Sixers could be in a position to take a Duke player with their top pick for the second straight summer.

Cooper Flagg is in play for Philadelphia, but it would take some major luck to land the No. 1 overall pick, where he’s expected to go. According to Tankathon, the Sixers have just under a 10 percent chance of winning the top selection. Right now, Flagg has a high chance of ending up in Washington, Utah, or Charlotte.

In a recent mock draft from The Athletic, which has the Sixers sitting right in the final position that would allow them to keep their top-six protected pick, Philadelphia takes on Duke’s Kon Knueppel.

“Knueppel was one of the players who helped himself most in the conference tournament cycle, leading Duke without Flagg. In the team’s three ACC tournament games, he averaged 21 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He showed executives he can be both a strong off-ball scorer and a potentially interesting on-ball player who can dribble, pass, and shoot.”

The 19-year-old guard was one of the top players in the nation coming from Wisconsin. He had offers to many major schools, ultimately choosing Duke, where he’s shaping up to be a one-and-done prospect.

During his freshman season, Knueppel appeared in 34 games. He made 47 percent of his shots from the field, and shot threes at a 39 percent clip. He averaged 14 points per game, coming down with four rebounds and dishing out three assists per outing.

He had a quiet March Madness opener in the blowout win over Mount St. Mary’s, posting six points, three rebounds, and two assists. With Duke advancing to the next round, Knueppel will have plenty of time to continue impressing scouts.

As for the Sixers, losing will be their friend moving forward. While competing for a Play-In spot has been the goal for weeks now, Philadelphia is much better off keeping their pick away from the Oklahoma City Thunder. After a loss against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night, the Sixers dropped to 23-47 on the year, sliding back down past the Brooklyn Nets in 13th place.