Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Duke Star Kon Knueppel Receives Major NBA Draft Update

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Evan Massey | Last updated Apr 19, 2025 1:50 PM ET

Duke Blue Devils star freshman sharpshooter Kon Knueppel has announced that he is indeed leaving college to enter the 2025 NBA draft. He put together a strong lone year Duke and was one of the big reasons the team was able to make a run to the Final Four.

Originally committing to the Blue Devils as a five-star prospect out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Knueppel lived up to all of the hype. He is widely expected to be a lottery pick in the 2025 draft.

When he committed to Duke, he was ranked as the No. 5 small forward in the nation and the No. 18 overall player in the nation, according to 247 Sports. His numbers during the 2024-25 college basketball season reflected those rankings.

Throughout the course of the year, he played in 39 games for the Blue Devils. He averaged 14.4 points per game to go along with 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.0 steals. In addition. he shot 47.9% from the floor and 40.6% from the 3-point line.

Where could he end up in the 2025 NBA draft? A new prediction has been given.

Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has predicted that Knueppel will land with the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 9 overall. That would be a very intriguing fit for the Duke standout.

Not only did Wasserman project him to be drafted by the Trail Blazers, he also offered four potential comparisons for Knueppel. Cameron Johnson, Kevin Huerter, Corey Kispert, and Saddiq Bey were all mentioned as similar players.

Regardless of where he ends up, Knueppel will bring perimeter shooting, high basketball IQ, and great team chemistry to the court.

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

More must-reads: