Every team wants Cooper Flagg in the upcoming NBA draft, but the Dallas Mavericks will most certainly acquire him.
However, there are other young players, including those who played with Flagg, showing a lot of promise.
According to Krysten Peek, both the Charlotte Hornets and Utah Jazz are interested in Kon Knueppel and may choose him within the top five.
“Teams like the Utah Jazz (No. 5) and Charlotte Hornets (No. 4) are showing interest in the versatile guard (Kon Knueppel) and like his ability to seamlessly slide in alongside a star, ball-dominant player like Cooper Flagg and still find ways to positively impact the game,” said Peek, per NBACentral.
The Hornets and Jazz are showing interest in drafting Kon Knueppel within the top 5, per @krystenpeek
“Teams like the Utah Jazz (No. 5) and Charlotte Hornets (No. 4) are showing interest in the versatile guard (Kon Knueppel) and like his ability to seamlessly slide in alongside… pic.twitter.com/2WZI0xQZDh
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 4, 2025
Knueppel declared himself for the draft last month after a noteworthy year with Duke.
Of course, Flagg may have gotten the most headlines, but Knueppel was a strong and consistent part of that team.
He was the team’s second-leading scorer with an average of 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting 40.7 percent from the three-point line.
There are a lot of young prospects in this draft class who could become All-Stars.
Flagg is the one who everyone is talking about, but this is a deep class, and Knueppel is rightfully gaining interest.
But the Hornets and Jazz have to be careful about how they spend their picks.
There is a big difference between playing in college and performing in the NBA, and Knueppel’s talents just may not translate to the league.
The Hornets and Jazz like what they see from him, but they still have time to contemplate, consider other choices, and then finally make their ultimate decision.
