While the Duke Blue Devils are in the midst of another stellar season, being at the forefront of national championship contenders conversations, two stars from last year’s team are making waves in the NBA.
Former Duke stars Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel are two of the best rookies in the NBA this season, prompting Duke’s social media team to start up a campaign in hopes of seeing the duo become teammates once again, this time for Team USA at the Olympics in a couple of years.
Duke Campaigning for Former Stars To Team Up at 2028 Olympics
Duke is one of the most prominent basketball schools in America, and its legacy continues to grow year by year thanks to the star players it has helped develop.
Two of those stars representing Duke at the highest level, Flagg and Knueppel, have been enjoying fantastic rookie seasons in the NBA. Their play has sparked Olympic conversations, with the games a little over two years away.
“Olympic teammates 2028 [in my opinion],” Duke men’s basketball posted to X.
Olympic teammates 2028 imo pic.twitter.com/9GwFPYV7Bj
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 4, 2026
Obviously, there is plenty of time for the former Duke pair to further push their case to be involved in Olympic shortlists on a loaded Team USA, but the rookies have made quite a case thus far. The pair are the two top scorers among their fellow rookies.
Through 62 games, Knueppel leads the pack with 1189 total points this season.
The forward has been a crucial factor in the Hornets’ surprise success after being drafted fourth overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. He is averaging 19.2 points per game on 48.8% shooting from the field, while adding 5.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. He is also making 3.5 three-pointers per game on solid efficiency (.436).
The Hornets’ rookie is already making a significant impact in all areas of the game while being a dependable threat from deep.
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Although he has only played 49 games for the Mavericks, Flagg, the first overall pick of the 2025 rookie class, trails only his former Duke teammate in scoring with 999 total points. Flagg has been the ultimate scoring threat for a Mavericks team that was in desperate need of a scorer with Kyrie Irving sidelined.
Flagg is averaging 20.4 points a game on 48.2% shooting. Flagg has also added 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. When he is healthy and on the floor, the ball will almost certainly find its way to his hands on nearly every offensive possession.
Flagg and Knueppel are already two of the brightest young stars in the NBA, and their raw talent, combined with an unmatched work ethic, indicates the best is still to come. Their rookie numbers already justify Olympic discussions, and if their play and influence on their respective franchises keep improving, these will be the quietest Olympic discussions they are part of.
The future remains bright for these two former Duke players, and NBA success is likely to follow. Could Olympic success also be on the horizon for them?
Duke will definitely help propel them to Los Angeles for the Summer Olympics, sparking discussions about the former teammates possibly making the USA roster. For these two former Duke stars, the sky might not be high enough of a limit.
