There was little suspense about what the Dallas Mavericks would do with the No. 1 pick in June. Going into draft night, it was considered a certainty that they would take Cooper Flagg.
Flagg had weeks to prepare for the moment. After the Mavericks made it official, he did an interview with NBA TV to talk about his fit with his new team.
Flagg answered questions matter-of-factly until he heard over the loudspeaker that the Charlotte Hornets had drafted Kon Knueppel — Flagg’s college teammate at Duke — with the No. 4 pick. That news caused Flagg to be as animated as he was all evening.
Saturday, Flagg and Knueppel faced each other for the first time as NBA players. Flagg had another strong preseason outing, tallying 11 points, three rebounds, four assists and three steals in 24 minutes, and Knueppel scored 12 points in the Mavericks’ 120-116 loss to the Hornets.
As soon as the game ended, Flagg and Knueppel found each other on the court and exchanged a hug.
“The No. 4 pick is a big deal,” Flagg said. “Just really happy for him. That’s someone who is going to be a friend of mine for life. … I think he’s in a great situation and a great spot. Just happy for him moving forward with the opportunity he has.”
Flagg and Knueppel were roommates at Duke. They were the two leading scorers on a Blue Devils team that had a 35-4 record. Duke won the ACC championship and was a popular pick to win the national title before losing in heartbreaking fashion to Houston in the Final Four.
Knueppel’s 3-point shooting ability was one of the reasons the Hornets decided to take him at No. 4. He only went 1-for-5 on 3s in Saturday’s game, but early in the fourth quarter, he was able to convert from behind the arc while getting fouled by Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy. Knueppel stepped to the line and completed the four-point play.
Knueppel wasn’t the only familiar face Flagg squared off against Saturday. Sion James played at Duke last season. Charlotte also has Liam McNeeley, whom Flagg played high school ball with at Montverde Academy, on its roster.
“It was cool, having three former teammates on the same team,” Flagg said. “Playing against them on this level is pretty cool. I just feel blessed to have this opportunity to play against them.”
Four Duke players were chosen in the top 33 picks of the 2025 NBA Draft: Flagg (No. 1), Knueppel (No. 4), Khaman Maluach (No. 10) and James (No. 33).
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