Three Duke players in top 10 of ESPN's 2025 NBA Draft Big Board
09/10/2024 20:40
The Duke Blue Devils head into the 2024-25 college basketball season with four players projected to be selected somewhere between the back half of Round 1 and the end of Round 2 in the 2025 NBA Draft. For most programs, this would be a phenomenal achievement and a testament to the talent and depth of the roster. But for Duke, these four players — Tyrese Procter, Caleb Foster, Isaiah Evans and Sion James — aren’t even the headliners on this loaded Blue Devils roster.
The headliners in Durham will be a trio of star freshmen, all of whom are expected to be top ten picks next June. According to ESPN’s NBA Draft expert Jonathan Givony, Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach should all anticipate hearing their name called very early on in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Cooper Flagg – Projected No. 1 Pick
What Givony Says: “The 17-year-old’s versatility on both ends of the floor will make him an impact player from Day 1 despite his youth, as he’s already one of the best teenage defenders you’ll find with his exceptional combination of intensity, instincts and explosiveness … Duke’s lack of playmaking depth should give him opportunity to grow with perhaps the weakest part of his game, his shot creation, as the season progresses.”
Although Cooper Flagg says he’s not yet thinking about the 2025 NBA Draft, that doesn’t mean that the NBA isn’t thinking about him. A standout performance in scrimmages against the USA Men’s National Team put Flagg on a rocket ship to the top of draft boards, and that’s if he wasn’t there already. It even prompted one anonymous league executive to gush that Flagg, as a 17-year-old, would be able to start in the NBA today.
A full season at Duke won’t do anything to diminish the Cooper Flagg hype, especially if the Blue Devils win the ACC and make a deep run into the NCAA Tournament.
Kon Knueppel – Projected No. 6 Pick
What Givony says: “It’s easy to see why Knueppel led the Nike EYBL in scoring and 3-pointers made while converting a blistering 47% of his attempts, as he has elite balance, footwork and range getting into spot-up and pull-up jumpers … Although he is not blessed with elite length or quickness, his fast processing speed, strength, and competitiveness help him hold his own defensively.”
Kon Knueppel was pegged as the best player on the floor at recent Duke scrimmages by Givony about a week ago, as the draft expert touted his well-developed offensive repertoire, as well as his effort and intensity defensively. Standing at 6’7,” Knueppel has the size and skillset to be an impact wing at the next level.
Khaman Maluach – Projected No. 8 Pick
What Givony Says: “Maluach has obvious appeal at 7-foot-2, 250 pounds with a 7-6 wingspan. After watching Duke’s practice last week, it’s obvious he’s going to play an important role anchoring the Blue Devils’ defense with his terrific timing as a rim-protector and solid mobility covering ground on the perimeter. Maluach is a terrific communicator who plays with intensity, which helps compensate to an extent for his lack of experience, having played the sport for roughly only five years.”
Khaman Maluach is a bit of a project, particularly on the offensive end, but his measurables are simply too intriguing to overlook. It helps too that there is a well-established track record of African-born players who started playing basketball later in their life and developed at a rapid pace. If the 18-year-old Maluach, who was originally a 2025 prospect before reclassifying, shows consistent development offensively, don’t be surprised if he ends a top five pick next summer.
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