It hasn't taken long for the Duke Blue Devils to flush the heartbreaking loss to Houston in the Final Four and switch the focus to next season. Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and others are off to the NBA, meaning the ACC powerhouse is going to be looking quite different next campaign.
With that said, Jon Scheyer is going to have to make some moves via the transfer portal, as there are still some big names looking for new homes. There are also unsigned 2025 prospects to take a look at. In terms of NIL funding, it's looking like Duke will have around $10 million to work with for next year's roster? That's exactly the case, as On3's Pete Nakos dropped quite the report on Sunday:
NEW: Following its Final Four exit, Duke is ready to reload with $8M-$10M available in NIL for the 2025-26 roster, @PeteNakos_ reports💰
— On3 (@On3sports) April 6, 2025
One source described the NIL war chest as “unlimited.”
Story: https://t.co/7EA13Btphy pic.twitter.com/imLYnhV3ac
Duke will reportedly have $8-10 million in NIL money to build next season's roster
The good news for Scheyer is that there's a loaded 2025 class on the way to Durham, highlighted of course by 5-star twins Cameron Boozer and Cayden Boozer. However, the loss of Flagg alone is a major blow for Duke.
In today's college basketball landscape, though, it's often that you see players enter the portal to land lucrative NIL deals. This is something Duke fully understands and now it's going to have to put its money where its mouth is in terms of trying to bring in elite talent to help what's looking to be a young 2025-26 roster.
Having between $8-10 million in spending money is going to be key for Scheyer and his staff. Some veteran scoring options will be needed. We're still seeing more veterans enter the portal too. Might a surprise or two be on the way once the national title game wraps up on Monday? You never know. What we do know, however, is that Duke is going to be in a position to make a major splash or two in the coming weeks.