Former Duke basketball rookie star Kon Knueppel has been selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and the Hornets are getting one of the most surefire prospects in this class. The 6'7 wing immediately turns the Hornets into a playoff contender, and he has the best chance of any of the Duke rookies in this draft to win the Rookie of the Year award.
Aside from Knueppel's skillset at all, he'll step into a situation where he can contribute right away. He'll play alongside two young stars in LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, and Knueppel fits into the situation in Charlotte perfectly.
As the best catch-and-shooter in this class and his skills moving off the ball, he'll complement a ball-dominant guard in Ball, who's also an extremely talented passer, perfectly. Knueppel has a great chance to be a starter from day one and feed off Ball's passing instantly.
Knueppel shot 40.6% from three-point range as a freshman with the Blue Devils and is the best corner three-point shooter in this class. With how he moves off the ball and finds his spots, mixed with the two stars he'll play along with in Miller and Ball, who will attract defenses with their scoring abilities, Knueppel will have the green light to shoot all the time.
Flagg will enter a situation in Dallas that's pretty crowded. Unlike Charlotte, the Mavericks want to win now. Flagg may not get the usage offensively that he needs to perform at a level that will win him Rookie of the Year honors. Mix in the crowded frontcourt in Dallas that includes PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, and Anthony Davis, Flagg may have some trouble putting up serious numbers offensively early on.
For Khaman Maluach, it's just really difficult for a big to put up the numbers necessary to win the award, and the South Sudanese center is seen as more of a project pick than Flagg or Knueppel.
The Wisconsin native couldn't have been put in a better position to succeed than with the Charlotte Hornets, and he'll be a serious contributor right away. As the best shooter in this draft, his ability to guard multiple positions on the floor, and his motor that is second-to-none, Knueppel might have the best chance of any Duke rookie to win the Rookie of the Year award.