Could The Nets Target Duke Star in Draft?

Could Duke's Kon Knueppel be a target of the Brooklyn Nets in the upcoming NBA draft?

Mar 23, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Kon Knueppel (7) drives to the basket as Baylor Bears guard Jeremy Roach (3) defends during the first half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

There has been a lot of speculation on who the Brooklyn Nets could be targeting in the upcoming NBA draft, with the bulk of it surrounding Cooper Flagg.

Flagg is in the midst of his freshman season at Duke University, taking the college scene by storm, averaging close to 19 points per game on 48 percent from the field. But scoring isn't the only aspect of his game that has caught the eyes of scouts around the league, as he also manages to grab six defensive rebounds as well as dishing out four assists per game.

However, it is a common belief amongst many that Flagg is likely to go with one of the first picks in the draft, which the Nets aren't likely to secure, only having a 39.5% chance of a top-four pick, according to Tankathon.

This is vastly different from the 9.7 percent chance Brooklyn has at securing the number one pick, which is where it is anticipated that Flagg will be selected.

With this in mind, it's important for the Nets' front office to have eyes on other players, but there is yet another Blue Devil who could catch their eye, Kon Knueppel. Much like Flagg, Knueppel is currently in his freshman season, having to spend most of the time in the shadows of his sought-after teammate.

Across the 36 games that Knueppel has appeared in, he's managed to average 14 points per game on 47 percent from the field, while managing to convert on 39 percent of his shots from beyond the arch.

These numbers were enough to earn him plenty of accolades in the ACC, which include the likes of being named to the All-ACC team, for both the regular season and the conference tournament, among other honors.

While Knueppel has had to share the spotlight with his teammate all season, he had a good chance to bask in all of it when Flagg went out with an injury in the opening match of the conference tournament. While some thought that it would hamper Duke's production, Knueppel did more than enough to take the reins.

Across the three matches in the tournament, the 19-year-old put up 63 points on 48 percent shooting while draining five shots from beyond the arch. All of this was enough to see Knueppel be named the ACC Tournament MVP, which hasn't been taken home by a Blue Devil since 2022-23 when Kyle Filipowski took it home.

The 19-year-old managed to play a key role in Duke's victory in the round of 32 of the NCCA tournament, putting up 12 points on an efficient 80 percent shooting.

All things considered, if the 19-year-old ends up declaring for the upcoming draft, he wouldn't be the worst pick-up for the Nets as could benefit from depth in both their backcourt and on the wings.

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