Duke Reacts to Major Announcement Featuring Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel Ahead of NBA Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Duke Blue Devils had a dominant season in the ACC, capturing both the regular-season and conference tournament titles behind standout performances from freshmen Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach.
Now, following a heartbreaking Final Four loss to Houston in April, the trio is expected to hear their names called at the NBA draft on June 25 in Brooklyn. On Wednesday, it was announced that all three have been invited to the green room—reserved for top prospects and their families—to walk the stage and shake hands with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver when their names are called.
They are three of the 13 players who received the prestigious invite thus far. On Wednesday morning, Duke’s social media team celebrated the milestone with a post featuring a photo of the trio and the caption: “3 of 13.”
3 of 13 🟢✅😈👀 pic.twitter.com/EbGiVKdEo5
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) June 11, 2025
Cooper Flagg is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
That outcome has been widely expected since the start of his freshman season at Duke, and with the Mavericks unexpectedly winning the draft lottery, it now seems all but certain he’ll be the first name called.
Cooper Flagg plans to have a private visit with the Mavericks in Dallas on June 17, sources tell ESPN. One week after his first official Mavs visit, Flagg is set to be Dallas’ No. 1 pick in the NBA draft on June 25. pic.twitter.com/hznGD60Kch
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 8, 2025
As for Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach, there remains some uncertainty regarding their draft positions. However, both are widely viewed as lottery-caliber prospects, indicating they are likely to be selected within the top 14 picks.
All three played pivotal roles in Duke’s successful season and fully embraced the team-first mentality preached by head coach Jon Scheyer. Despite knowing their individual stats might not be as prominent on a talent-loaded roster, they bought in—and the results followed.
The Blue Devils notched 35 wins, won the ACC,and reached the Final Four for the first time since 2022. Now, all three are poised to see their NBA dreams become reality in just a few weeks.
Related: Cooper Flagg Makes Big Decision with Mavericks Ahead of NBA Draft
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.