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Duke Sends Blunt Kon Knueppel Message to San Antonio Spurs After NBA Draft Lottery

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Michael Gallagher | Last updated May 12, 2025 9:25 PM ET

The San Antonio Spurs had just a 6% chance of winning the 2025 NBA draft lottery.

And while those odds were just too much for them to overcome, the Spurs, who had a 26.3% chance of getting a top-four pick, did luck into landing the No. 2 overall pick behind the Dallas Mavericks.

Duke star freshman Cooper Flagg is a virtual lock to go No. 1 overall, San Antonio has an interesting decision to make when it’s on the clock.

While most mock drafts have one of Rutgers guard Dylan Harper, Rutgers small forward Ace Bailey, or Baylor shooting guard VJ Edgecombe going second overall, Duke made a head-turning appeal to the Spurs on social media.

“You guys should give @Kon2Knueppel a long look at 2 @Spurs,” the Duke men’s basketball X account posted.

You guys should give @Kon2Knueppel a long look at 2 @spurs https://t.co/k0nwBPS7PK
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) May 12, 2025

Though he didn’t have as decorated a season as Flagg, Knueppel was one of the top freshmen in the country. The 6-foot-7 19-year-old averaged 14.4 points, four rebounds, 2.7 assists, and one steal per game for the Blue Devils, as he helped lead them to the Final Four.

Knueppel was a second-team All-ACC and ACC All-Freshman Team selection, and he won the ACC Tournament MVP.

Many would say the Spurs’ two biggest needs are better outside scoring and quality two-way wings.

Several scouts and analysts project Knueppel to become an elite shooter in the NBA, and his passing ability and compete level could be intriguing to a San Antonio team needing to surround Victor Wembanyama with as much talent as possible.

And though Knueppel could be an intriguing option for the Spurs, taking him second overall may be a bit of a reach, especially with players like Harper and Edgecombe on the board.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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