Next month, the former Duke Basketball star Kon Knueppel is expected to go off the board as a top 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
As the pre-draft process plays out, Knueppel was recently compared to two former members of the Detroit Pistons’ organization. One of them happens to be a Pistons pick from the 2017 NBA Draft.
The Ringer’s J. Kyle Mann compared Knueppel to Luke Kennard and Evan Fournier. In addition, the Duke standout was mentioned in the same breath as Wally Sczerbiak and Gordon Hayward.
Coming out of Duke, Knueppel is recognized as one of the best three-point shooters leaving the NCAA. During his lone college season, Knueppel knocked down nearly 41 percent of his long-range attempts on 5.3 attempts per game.
Knueppel could have an immediate impact on his next team as he possesses one of the most valuable traits in the game: efficient shooting from beyond the arc.
That’s precisely what the Pistons saw in Kennard following his two-year run at Duke. In 73 games, Kennard averaged 38 percent from three. His freshman effort was a shaky one, as he knocked down just 32 percent of his deep attempts. Year two was a stellar turnaround, as Kennard averaged 44 percent from three.
When Kennard reached the NBA, he spent his first three seasons playing for the Pistons. He averaged 10 points per game while knocking down 40 percent of his threes. As Kennard starred in his role in 2019-2020, the Pistons sold high on the trade market. Kennard was sent to the Los Angeles Clippers for a two-and-a-half-year run before he ended up on the Memphis Grizzlies.
In recent drafts, Knueppel would’ve been a name to keep an eye on for the Pistons. As they were consistently within the top five after lottery night, the Pistons had links to many top 10 propsects over the years. Knueppel would’ve been an interesting floor-spacer for the Cade Cunningham-led Pistons.
But this year, not only are the Pistons not picking within the top five—or the lottery—they don’t even own their first-rounder at this point. Making the playoffs meant sending the pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
