Duke basketball freshman standout Kon Knueppel officially declared for the 2025 NBA Draft earlier today, ending his college career after just one season in Durham. During the 2024-25 season, Knueppel averaged 14.4 points, 4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1 steal per game, while shooting an efficient 47.9% from the field and 40.6% from beyond the arc.
While the announcement didn’t come as a surprise to the Duke program or its fans, it was still a bittersweet moment to see Knueppel’s departure confirmed. Following the news, Knueppel posted a farewell message on X, writing:
“Forever a Blue Devil. Taking the Brotherhood with me to the next chapter #NBADraft.”
The post included photos highlighting key moments from his freshman campaign, including one in which he was named ACC Tournament MVP after Duke’s championship win over Louisville.
With fellow freshman Cooper Flagg sidelined for most of the ACC Tournament due to injury, Knueppel stepped up in a big way, averaging 21 points and 5.6 rebounds on 48.6% shooting throughout the tournament and leading the team to the title.
Duke also honored Knueppel on social media, thanking him for his contributions to the program. Head coach Jon Scheyer shared high praise for the young guard:
“Loved having Kon in our program. So proud of him and what he did this season. He’s all about competition—he embraced the physical, gritty side of the game and made winning plays on both ends. Whether it was scoring, defending, or diving for a loose ball, Kon gave it everything.”
Knueppel is the first of Duke’s trio of highly-touted freshmen—alongside Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach—to officially enter the draft, though the other two are also expected to declare soon.
According to ESPN’s 2025 NBA Mock Draft by Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, Knueppel is currently projected to go eighth overall to the San Antonio Spurs.
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