Hawks Interview Kon Knueppel At NBA Draft Combine

Hawks Interview Kon Knueppel At NBA Draft Combine

The Hawks are Hoping Knueppel Falls to 13

Knueppel, who officially measured at 6-foot-5 inches barefoot, will almost certainly go in the lottery when the draft gets underway on June 25, joining Duke teammates Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach. However, Knueppel might be off the board when Atlanta’s 13th pick arrives. Three top mock draft sources, ESPN, Yahoo, and The Ringer, all place Knueppel in the top eight. In fact, the latter two have him going at pick five.

The former Duke forward averaged 14.4 points per game and shot 40.6% from beyond the arc on 5.3 attempts per contest. When Flagg went down with a sprained ankle, Knueppel stepped up and captured the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament MVP. He averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game for the tournament. He is not just an average catch-and-shoot, “3 and D” role player. Knueppel, especially later in the 2025 college basketball season, showed he could handle the ball in the pick-and-roll and make solid reads in the halfcourt.

It often takes time for the game to slow down for young players and prospects. Knueppel already displays a great feel for the game in the halfcourt, a rarity for most secondary or even tertiary ball handlers leaping to the NBA.

In many of the clips above, Knueppel displays patience driving and finishing in the paint. While he lacks explosive athleticism, he makes up for it with his strength, finishing, and touch inside. He is able to utilize pump fakes to his advantage. He converted 63% of his rim attempts in his one season at Duke.

While Knueppel is not a standout defender, he is more than capable of holding his own on that end. His strength gives him the ability to bump offensive players off their spots. However, he needs to improve his lateral quickness to stay in front of the NBA’s quick, shifty guards in the future.

Knueppel Fits Well with the Hawks

Barrring any big trade, Atlanta has its 2025-26 starting lineup set with Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu. Knueppel would add much-needed scoring, shooting, and play creation off the bench in a sixth-man-type role. The Hawks have struggled to generate quality looks with Young off the floor for multiple seasons. Knueppel’s ability to run the pick-and-roll could change that. Pairing him and Johnson in screen actions might prove deadly because defenders would have to cover the rookie’s three-point shot while stopping Johnson from diving to the rim. Knueppel would also find himself open a lot when defenses collapse to defend the Young-Johnson pick-and-roll.

Two of Atlanta’s most important needs for next season are shooting and secondary play creation in the halfcourt. Knueppel checks both of these boxes. If he happens to slide on draft night, look for the Hawks to take the former Duke standout.