Potential NBA Lottery Pick Compared to Ex-Pistons Forward

Later this month, the NBA will usher in a new generation of players in the 2025 draft. Ahead of the two-day spectacular, one former Detroit Pistons player has been connected to one of the incoming class' more interesting prospects.

Among those expected not to be on the board long is Kon Knueppel. The Duke forward is widely regarded as one of the top shooting talents in the 2025 draft and has widely been regarded as a lottery-level talent.

In the final stretch of draft season, Jeremy Woo of ESPN provided a series of player comparisons for the prospects likely to be taken in the lottery. As expected, Knueppel was tied to a pair of three-point specialists. His "low-end" comp was former Pistons forward Joe Harris.

Considering Knueppel's age (he turns 20 on Aug. 3, whereas Bane played four years in college), his career peak could surpass Bane's in the right situation, adding to NBA teams' bullishness on his future. If things don't quite click for him as a shot creator deserving of heavy bandwidth, Knueppel should still be a top shooter who plays valuable minutes on good teams in a lesser capacity, similar to Harris.

During the summer of 2023, the Pistons pulled off a trade with the Brooklyn Nets to bring in Harris. Prior to his arrival, he proved to be a reliable three-and-D option at the guard position. However, his time in Detroit ended up being rather unforgettable.

Harris ended up playing in just 16 games for the Pistons following the trade, averaging 2.4 PPG on 33.3% shooting from beyond the arc. Detroit ended up waiving him after the 2024 trade deadline, and a few months later, he announced his retirement from the NBA.

As a reliable shooter who showed nice flashes as a creator and decision-maker, Knueppel has a chance to be a productive player at the NBA level. Seeing that his collection of skills are tailor-made for the modern game, it's no surprise he has long been projected as a top-ten pick.

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