Utah Jazz Reportedly Interested in Top Duke Prospect

The Utah Jazz are among the few teams with their eyes on Duke's Kon Knueppel ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft.

According to ESPN's Jonathan Givony, the Jazz and Charlotte Hornets are among the short list of teams with reported interest in drafting Knueppel, with his floor being no lower than the eighth pick.

"Knueppel has some real fans among NBA teams in this portion of the draft, with proponents highlighting his elite movement and spot-up shooting (emphasis on his ability to shoot off movement as opposed to his actual movement), defensive smarts and playmaking, as well as an analytics-friendly profile that shines through in team draft models," Givony wrote. "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."

Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Kon Knueppel (7) reacts after a play against the Houston Cougars 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

Knueppel has been one of the more intriguing draft risers in recent weeks and could be in line to be the second Duke prospect slated to be a top-five pick later next week; the Jazz potentially being the team that takes a flier on him.

Knueppel was a starter for all of Duke's 39 games this past season as a freshman, averaging 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists on 47.9% shooting from the field and 40.6% shooting from three, projecting to be a versatile wing fit at the next level who clearly has caught the attention of many NBA scouts.

Duke’s Kon Knueppel’s official measurements from the NBA Draft Combine:

6’5 barefoot, 219 lbs with a 6’6 ¼" wingspan and 8’5 ½" standing reach pic.twitter.com/Kg2wVJtOvz
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 12, 2025

For the Jazz, Knueppel will be among a small group of strong fits at number five, if he winds up falling to their pick. The Hornets, who also have similar reported intrigue in the Duke forward, might certainly be in play to pick him up one spot ahead at fourth overall, then nixing the idea for Utah entirely. Though if he's on the board, you'd have to expect the Jazz to take a long, hard look at bringing him in.

Needless to say, keep a close eye on Knueppel being the guy for Utah as the 2025 NBA Draft arrives next week on Wednesday, June 25th, in Brooklyn, NY.

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