Kon Knueppel might not be the highest-rated prospect coming into this year’s draft, but he has potential to have a successful NBA career. Among the other prospects, Knueppel is one of the most NBA-ready because of his shooting, size, and playmaking abilities.
What makes him more fascinating is that even though he’s expected to be a lottery pick, he could be a reasonably high one or a late one, depending on what NBA teams want most in the draft. That’s what makes his first upcoming NBA team all the more intriguing.
5 NBA Teams That Could Draft Kon Knueppel
Knueppel’s ceiling isn’t as a team’s next franchise guy but rather as someone they could put next to their franchise guy. Here are five teams that could draft Knueppel.
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors remain the most confusing team in the NBA as they finally leaned into the tank, then sabotaged it by acquiring Brandon Ingram. However, Ingram still hasn’t seen the floor since arriving in Toronto.
With Scottie Barnes seen as the face of the franchise, Knueppel could give them a shooter that size that they could certainly use next to Barnes and Ingram.
Having that kind of outside shooting and complementary playmaking, Knueppel could give the Raptors that extra oomph to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
Miami Heat
The Heat have had a long history of properly utilizing smart basketball players who can space the floor. Knueppel fits that description to a tee, so he’d be perfect in South Beach. With Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo manning the offense for Miami, Knueppel could be another gem for the Heat.
Maybe he’s not the franchise replacement for Jimmy Butler, but Knueppel could make Miami appealing enough for them to get a ceiling-raiser that could replace Butler.
Portland Trail Blazers
As one of the NBA’s surprise teams who will likely barely miss the playoffs, Knueppel could help them make them even tougher to beat, especially if they can build off of their promising second half of the season.
Knueppel gives them another playmaker to take some of the load off of Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson. Portland needs its next franchise player. While that’s not Knueppel necessarily, he makes the Trail Blazers even more dynamic than they already are.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs already have their franchise player Victor Wembanyama. It will be on them to build the right team around him. They have all-star veterans like De’Aaron Fox while also having promising talent like Stephon Castle. Knueppel doesn’t have a star ceiling, but he gives them a veteran-like player known for his feel of the game.
The Spurs have not made it a secret that they want to return to the playoffs. They’ll likely add some proven veterans, but having multi-faceted rookies should only help them in that regard. If Knueppel is available to them, don’t be surprised if he turns into a Danny Green-type.
Brooklyn Nets
This would all depend on what the Nets will want and if they get the No. 6 pick. Despite their records, Brooklyn is a well-coached team with high-IQ players. Having a younger one who fits that bill could be a good step forward for them.
Knueppel should be able to produce for them right away. He might not be able to get the Nets a lot more wins, but he could add more to their promising youth movement. It sounds like a reach that they’d take him so high, but the Nets want to build their next team the right way, and Knueppel wouldn’t be the wrong choice.
Knueppel won’t have the highest ceiling compared to some of his fellow draftees, but his archetype as a basketball player screams someone who will be ready for the pros immediately. He’ll have a lot of appeal for lottery teams that want to get back into the playoffs.