Duke's Kon Knueppel gets shocking NBA Draft prediction after lottery

With the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery already in the rearview mirror, everybody scrambled to update their big boards and projections for the young players about to enter the league.

Needless to say, the Dallas Mavericks getting the first-overall pick — and with it, Cooper Flagg — was the talk of the hour, but it wasn’t the only storyline worth following.

If anything, Flagg won’t be the only Duke star about to enter the league. And according to a report by HoopsHype, an unnamed executive believes that Kon Knueppel can also be a top-five selection.

Executive says Kon Knueppel could be a top-five pick

“Kon Knueppel could also go Top 5 if it’s a team that does need to win right away,” the exec said. “He’s an offense-first version. Like a better shooting De’Andre Hunter, but with a little less defense. Hunter’s much longer than Knueppel. But the whole point is the role versatility. You’re betting on IQ, shooting, and fit.”

Kon Knueppel #7 of the Duke Blue Devils

As things stand now, Knueppel is projected to fall just outside of the top five. But if this prediction comes to fruition, he could go to the Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, or Utah Jazz.

Needless to say, he will have his work cut out for him to climb his way to the top five, and the first-overall pick is an open secret at this point, but we’ve seen crazier things happen.