The Duke basketball program is now in offseason mode after its crushing defeat to Houston in the Final Four, and the rotation will likely look a lot different next season. There are several rotation guys with really interesting decisions to make regarding the NBA Draft, transfer portal, or returning to Durham next season.
It's been reported that Duke will have between $8-$10 million in NIL to spend this offseason, so Jon Scheyer will be looking heavily in the portal once again.
Here are the predictions for what decision every Duke rotation player will make this offseason.
Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach - NBA Draft
This one isn't going to be explained too heavily as it's practically a guarantee Duke's three star freshmen will be headed to the NBA. Flagg is a shoo-in to be selected first overall, and Knueppel, along with Maluach, are projected top-ten picks at most networks. In ESPN's most recent 2025 mock draft, Flagg is projected #1 overall to the Washington Wizards, Maluach is projected #7 overall to the Toronto Raptors, and Knueppel is projected #8 overall to the San Antonio Spurs. Despite a crushing loss to end their freshman seasons, all three are almost definitely on their way to the NBA.
Tyrese Proctor - NBA Draft
Although it's most likely that Proctor will also head to the NBA, his decision could be a lot more interesting to follow as he's not seen as a highly regarded prospect by most. Most analysts have the Duke junior as a mid-to-late second-round guy, and some even have him going undrafted. Proctor had his best season in Durham in 2025, tallying career highs in points per game (12.4), field goal percentage (45.2), and three-point percentage (40.5). He's also a great defender, but his backwards step in his assist numbers might keep him from being taken in the first round or early second. Proctor was helping his case through the Blue Devils' first four games in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 17 points per game on 67.5% shooting from the field and 64% from three-point range, but a lowly effort in the Final Four may bring his stock back down. Proctor tallied 7 points on 2-of-8 from the field and 0-of-4 from beyond the arc against Houston and now will have to weigh the options of likely earning a non-guaranteed or two-way deal at the NBA level or coming back to college and likely making more money.
Isaiah Evans - returning
Evans, a former five-star recruit, came onto the scene about a month into the season after not seeing much time early on. The freshman displayed his elite shooting ability at 6'6, averaging 6.8 points per game on 41.6% shooting from three-point range on 4.1 attempts a night. 81% of Evans' field goal attempts and 78% of his makes this season came from beyond the perimeter. ESPN has Evans slotted as the #41 overall 2025 NBA Draft prospect, but another season in college can bump him up to a first-round guy or potentially even a lottery pick. Evans' role this season was three-point shooting and defense, but with the Duke program potentially losing all of its backcourt guys this offseason, an elevated role for Evans in 2025-26 could raise his stock dramatically. However, Scheyer will also have to worry about the portal, as it's been reported Evans could have heavy interest if he decides to enter the transfer portal.
Caleb Foster - transfer portal
Foster had a rollercoaster of a sophomore season. He came into the 2024 campaign as a starter and was seen as a top breakout candidate in college basketball, but things didn't necessarily go as planned. Foster was eventually sent to the bench in favor of Sion James and almost fizzled out of the rotation completely for the second half of the regular season. Then, the sophomore made a bit of a comeback, providing really solid minutes for Duke in the NCAA Tournament. He played for a good part of the first half against Houston in the Final Four, then barely saw the court in the second half, much to the confusion of lots of fans. That decision by Scheyer to send Foster to the bench at the end of the season could be the nail in the coffin, as Foster could look for a bigger role with another program in 2025-26. Foster ended his second season at Duke averaging 4.9 points per game in 14.0 minutes.
Patrick Ngongba II, Maliq Brown - returning
Ngongba II and Brown, Duke's two frontcourt pieces off the bench, were extremely valuable down the stretch of the postseason. Brown dealt with several injuries throughout the season but was maybe the Blue Devils' most valuable defender with his length and ability to switch one through five. Despite a heavy batch of bigs coming into Durham next season, the Blue Devils would love to get Brown's defensive prowess back as he was a huge part of Duke's top-five defense. Ngongba didn't play much through the first half of the season but came on in a big way after Brown began dealing with injuries. The freshman displayed his rim-protecting ability and potential to run the floor as a center. With Maluach's exit, the Blue Devils have no true centers on the roster currently for next season, so one of these two guys has a chance to start at the five spot if they return. Ngongba averaged 3.9 points in 10.6 minutes a game this season, and Brown averaged 2.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals a game.
Mason Gillis and James are not included here as both are out of collegiate eligibility, but those are the predictions for who's in and out next season for Duke basketball.