Former Duke stars Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel were both projected to be NBA lottery picks, and both players were top-five selections in the 2025 draft.Flagg went No. 1 overall to the Dallas Mavericks,

Cooper Flagg’s Mom Reacts to Mavs Rookie's Interaction With Kon Knueppel originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Their days of lighting up the college hoops scene might be in the rearview mirror, but Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel are just getting started when it comes to making their mark in the NBA.

In between both makes and misses, Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel has impressed the organization for ensuring that his value goes beyond his shooting accuracy.

Kon Knueppel had a little bit of a coming out party with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists as the Charlotte Hornets took down the Dallas Mavericks, 87-69.

One of Knueppel’s biggest strengths is his perimeter shooting. During his only year at Duke, he shot 40.9% from beyond the arc on 5.3 attempts per game. If this can translate to the next level, he should be able to carve out a nice role in the NBA.

The opening day of the NBA Las Vegas Summer League provided fireworks and the debut of No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, who struggled to find his shot in a dramatic win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Day 2 of the multi-week event from Sin City on Friday provided a further look into more prospects from last month's draft making their debut in summer league,

The 19-year-old is a part of a crowded draft class for the Hornets, joining UConn guard Liam McNeeley (29th pick), James (33rd pick) and Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner (34th pick). They are each highly touted and project to be players the team can build around.