NBA Draft Analyst Predicts Another Duke Player Lands With Sixers

The Philadelphia 76ers go back-to-back with a Duke guard in a 2025 NBA Mock Draft scenario.

Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Kon Knueppel (7) grabs a rebound against Houston Cougars forward J'Wan Roberts (13) during the first half in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

May is here, and soon the Philadelphia 76ers will find out if they are keeping their 2025 first-round selection or not. If the lottery works in their favor, they’ll have a top-six selection. Anything beyond that, and the Oklahoma City Thunder are getting a lottery pick despite being the top team in the Western Conference.

Lately, mock simulations have seen the Sixers picking as high as No. 2, which would be an incredibly fortunate scenario for a team that had bad luck all year long. When it comes to The Athletic’s most recent mock, though, the Sixers just kept their pick in a simulation, selecting at sixth overall.

According to Sam Vecenie’s post-early-entry mock draft, the Sixers go back-to-back on selecting Duke prospect, Kon Knueppel.

Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Kon Knueppel (7) shoots against Houston Cougars guard Mylik Wilson (8) in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

“There could be a consideration to get a big to backup Joel Embiid, but my read is that Daryl Morey would see that as a bad way to maximize the current core of players that he worked hard to assemble last fall,” Vecenie wrote.

“So we’ll go with Knueppel, a bigger shooter who is competitive and tough. He has a case as the best shooter in the class along with Johnson, and his overall game was more impactful this season. They’re right next to each other on my personal board. His presence would help the Sixers with different lineup constructions, although some executives worry about what exactly Knueppel’s upside is because of some perceived athletic limitations.”

Right after Daryl Morey and the Sixers called it a season last month, the President of Basketball Operations made it clear that they are going to take the best player available if they are able to keep the pick. Unless a big to backup Joel Embiid is the top player on their board, the Sixers might be loading up on another guard.

Knueppel hails from Wisconsin, where he was a five-star recruit and a top-20 player in the nation just two years ago. He played 39 games at Duke for his freshman season in 2024-2025, averaging 14 points on 48 percent shooting from the field and 41 percent shooting from three.

Just last year, the Sixers saw the former Duke freshman Jared McCain slide beyond the lottery in the 2024 NBA Draft. When it was time for Morey and Philly’s front office to make their pick at 16th overall, they called on a 20-year-old McCain.

In 36 games at Duke, McCain posted similar stats to Knueppel. The Sixers' rookie shot 46 percent from the field, knocking down 41 percent of his threes, and producing 14 points per game. Although McCain’s rookie season was a small sample, after he suffered a knee injury 23 games in, the former Duke player’s game translated well to the NBA.

Early on, McCain was a Rookie of the Year favorite, as he averaged 15 points, three assists, and two rebounds, while knocking down 38 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

In this mock scenario, the Sixers would comfortably take a gamble on another Duke prospect, allowing Knueppel to be the second Blue Devil to get taken off the board after Cooper Flagg. Their ultimate decision will depend on the area they land in.

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