The three Duke basketball rookies are inching closer to finding their new NBA homes and beginning their professional careers. Still, there's been little buzz around both Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach in terms of which franchises are supremely interested in them. Cooper Flagg's status has been finalized for quite some time, as he will be the No. 1 overall selection to the Dallas Mavericks. However, the unofficial NBA Draft is expected to begin with the third overall pick.
Knueppel and Maluach are both projected to be taken somewhere between picks six and ten, but a new ESPN mock draft has the Blue Devil wing soaring up the lottery. In Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo's new mock, Knueppel is slotted fourth overall to the Charlotte Hornets.
"Knueppel's feel for the game, selfless style of play, strength and toughness should make him easy to play with, especially alongside the likes of LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, who he appears to complement quite well," Givony said.
"The Hornets and Jazz are two teams that appear to have interest in him, with his floor seemingly no lower than No. 8. He's the type of prospect a playoff-caliber team could also target in a trade, as he has a plug-and-play skill set and looks likely to bring value throughout his cost-controlled rookie-scale contract."
Knueppel might be the most pro-ready prospect projected to be selected in the top ten. He's the best shooter in this class, knocking down 40.6% of his threes on 5.3 attempts a night at Duke, while also having the ability to get to the rim off the dribble and finish through contact off two feet.
On the defensive side of the ball, there may not be another wing in this draft as talented a defender as Knueppel. The 6'7 wing can switch one through four and does a phenomenal job keeping defenders in front of him on the perimeter with his physicality.
Beyond that, Knueppel rarely makes mistakes. He knows when to make the right pass and always makes himself available as a shooter. His instincts offensively set him apart from other wings in this class.
With recent reports of the Philadelphia 76ers having interest in Maluach, there's a chance that all three rookie Blue Devils are off the board after the top six or seven selections on draft night.