Kon Knueppel 2025 NBA Draft Profile

Kon Knueppel 2025 NBA Draft Profile

It’s almost that time! We are nearly one month away from the 2025 NBA Draft, with the combine wrapping up last week. I think it would only be fitting for me to start with Duke guard Kon Knueppel, one player I’ve been high on since the very start. Let’s jump right into it, shall we?

Height (no shoes): 6’5″ (6’6.25″ wingspan, 8’5″ standing reach)

Weight: 219 lbs

Draft Age: 19.9

Position: Guard

Knueppel, 19, was a five-star prospect out of Wisconsin Lutheran in Milwaukee, Wis., according to 247sports. The former top-20 recruit committed to Duke over Wisconsin, Marquette, Alabama, Texas A&M, USC and Illinois, among others. Knueppel was among many in Duke’s highly touted freshman class, which included top prospect Cooper Flagg (perhaps you’ve heard of him), Khaman Maluach and Isaiah Evans.

If Flagg didn’t exist, folks would’ve talked a lot more about Knueppel than they did. He made the All-ACC second team, averaging 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists on 47.9 percent shooting, including 40.6 percent from 3-point range (5.3 3PA) and an ACC-best 91.4 percent from the free-throw line. However, his impact transcends his numbers–which is why he’s one of the top prospects in this 2025 cycle.

Strengths:

It would not be far-fetched to say that Knueppel was Duke’s second-best player this season.

To start, it’s difficult to look anywhere but his deadeye shooting. Knueppel not only drained 42.4 percent of his 5.9 triple tries per game in conference play, but in Duke’s eight combined ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament games, he shot 44.1 percent from distance (4.3 3PA). The higher the stakes, the better he played.

Knueppel placed in the 98th percentile in spot-up scoring this season. One thing I loved about his shot is that his form and mechanics were always incredibly consistent and repeatable; his body control with his shot preparation was elite.

Regardless of whether he was catching off a screen or stand-still, his base was square with the rim; he was always ready to let it fly, which made him such a deadly offensive player. His release was very consistent and quick. Knueppel didn’t always get great lift, but he didn’t always need to at his size with his form and release.

You could stick five pairs of hands in his face when he rose up–he wasn’t fazed. He showcased remarkable efficiency late in clock situations and still found ways to not only take contested shots, but make them (when he needed to). That said, Knueppel was great at leveraging his shooting into rim pressure and paint touches.

Knueppel didn’t possess great foot speed, burst nor vertical pop, but he was a very good decision-maker treading downhill. Don’t be fooled by his 2.7 assists–he’s an excellent connective passer and lob thrower. Go rewatch his game against Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament after Flagg exited due to injury. Duke spammed the Knueppel-Maluach pick-and-roll and the success rate was through the roof.

The 19-year-old is more of a two-foot jumper than a one-foot jumper. Despite his lack of vertical athleticism, Knueppel shot 62.2 percent at the rim, according to Barttorvik. Knueppel has an NBA-ready body and leveraged his upper body strength when he wanted to establish two feet in the paint. In tight spaces, he limited his mistakes and made all the right plays. That’s huge for a college freshman. He didn’t need the ball in his hands to impact winning; that’s what scouts feen for.

Defensively, Knueppel was a very physical point-of-attack defender. He was quite good despite his lack of foot speed; Knueppel made up for it with adept angles and sturdy frame (he rarely got pushed off his spot). The 6-foot-5 guard also had a strong nose for the rock, especially on the glass.

The Mavericks Have Revealed Their Plans For Cooper Flagg

Weaknesses:

His foot speed isn’t good. Kon Knueppel defied physics with how he moved despite his lack of pure foot speed relative to his peers. How Knueppel held his own as an above-average guard defender in college was beyond me.

Can Knueppel hold up defensively against 2s and 3s at the next level? He’s a smart defender, so I’m not worried about it long-term, but I do have questions about how he immediately translates. You can improve foot speed (hello, ladder drills), and that’s something he needs to improve over time.

As I mentioned above, Knueppel didn’t test at the combine, but I’m guessing his vertical was one of the worst among guards. Even at his size and touch, his athletic limitations could limit his upside around the rim. I also wonder how his lack of foot speed will affect his ability to attack closeouts as well as he did at Duke. I don’t worry about his decision-making once he gets to the paint, but his ability to consistently create advantages against NBA athletes when he can’t blow by them is something I have questions about.

Knueppel is a good-not-great ball handler with his right hand, but I think he must develop a capable left hand. He won’t initiate offense, but how does he fare against pesky point-of-attack defenders if asked to? That’s another sizable question, though I’m not tremendously worried about it long-term.

Projection: Top 6/7 pick

Knueppel is one of my favorite prospects in the class. He’s a top-6 prospect in this class for me, and I think that’s where he gets picked. I think his role in the NBA will be similar to what it was at Duke: A sharpshooter who can be a secondary creator and league-average defender, at worst. He still has room to grow athletically, but he has the skill to be one of the best players in this class and someone who sticks for the next 10-15 years. Kon Knueppel is a winning basketball player.

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