Duke Basketball Stars Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach Earn Coveted NBA Draft Green Room Invitations for 2025

The 2025 NBA Draft is shaping up to be a historic one for the Duke Blue Devils. On Wednesday, it was confirmed that Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach—all members of Duke’s one-and-done freshman class—have received official invitations to attend the NBA Draft Green Room later this month in Brooklyn. For Duke, this moment isn’t just a recognition of individual talent, but a testament to the program’s ability to mold future pros with global reach and impact.

Being invited to the Green Room is one of the most prestigious honors for a draft prospect. Reserved for players expected to be selected in the first round—and typically within the lottery—it symbolizes not just talent but marketability, promise, and the expectation of immediate impact at the NBA level. It also offers the players and their families a front-row seat to what is often the culmination of a lifelong dream. For Flagg, Knueppel, and Maluach, their presence in that room reinforces the immense hype and buzz that has surrounded them throughout their lone seasons in Durham.

Cooper Flagg’s invitation was inevitable. The 6-foot-9 forward from Newport, Maine arrived at Duke as the top recruit in the 2024 class, and all he did in his freshman season was affirm everything scouts had hoped to see. Flagg averaged 17.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.3 blocks per game while leading Duke to an ACC regular season title and a Final Four appearance. His elite two-way versatility, explosive athleticism, and a rare motor for a player of his pedigree have many projecting him as the likely No. 1 overall pick. Flagg’s combination of skill, effort, and polish belies his age, and he’s drawn comparisons to everyone from Jayson Tatum to a young Kevin Garnett. His inclusion in the Green Room not only reflects his on-court dominance but also his position as the face of a new wave of NBA talent.

Kon Knueppel, on the other hand, has had one of the most compelling rises of any prospect in this draft class. Entering Duke as a five-star shooting guard from Wisconsin, Knueppel had the reputation of being a cerebral scorer and deadeye shooter. But by season’s end, he had proven to be far more than that. The 6-foot-6 guard posted averages of 14.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while shooting an astonishing 43.9% from three-point range. His ability to move without the ball, knock down contested shots, and make smart decisions in transition turned him into a Swiss army knife for Jon Scheyer’s offense. But it was his late-season playmaking that vaulted him into the lottery conversation. Knueppel’s savvy and feel for the game has teams believing he can become an instant contributor in the league, particularly as spacing and off-ball IQ become increasingly valuable commodities in today’s NBA.

Then there’s Khaman Maluach, perhaps the most intriguing of Duke’s freshman trio. A 7-foot-2 center from South Sudan by way of the NBA Academy Africa, Maluach was a relatively unknown commodity when he committed to Duke but quickly became one of the breakout stories of the season. He averaged 10.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game while anchoring Duke’s defense with his length and instincts. What makes Maluach so special is his combination of raw tools and touch. Though still developing physically, he runs the floor like a wing, protects the rim like a veteran, and has even flashed a respectable mid-range jumper. Scouts are enamored with his upside, and while some project him to go outside the top 10, others believe he could surge into the top 7 based on fit and team need. His Green Room invitation confirms what many have been whispering all year: Maluach may be a project, but he’s one with franchise-altering potential.

For Duke, having three players earn Green Room nods in the same year marks yet another feather in the cap for Jon Scheyer, whose recruiting prowess and developmental success are starting to mirror those of his predecessor, Mike Krzyzewski. Scheyer’s second full season at the helm was filled with both pressure and expectation, particularly after landing the consensus No. 1 recruiting class. But with a Final Four run, multiple projected lottery picks, and a program that continues to evolve in the NIL era, it’s safe to say he’s delivering on that promise.

The significance of these Green Room invitations also speaks to Duke’s expanding global reach. With Flagg representing New England, Knueppel the Midwest, and Maluach hailing from Africa, this trio embodies a new kind of Blue Devil identity—one that’s not just rooted in American high school pipelines but is now truly international. This diversity of background and style also reflects the way the NBA itself is evolving. Today’s league values versatility, adaptability, and positional flexibility, all of which these three prospects offer in abundance.

While draft night will bring its own drama—trade rumors, shifting boards, and surprise picks—the presence of Flagg, Knueppel, and Maluach in the Green Room guarantees that Duke will again take center stage. There’s a high probability that all three will be selected in the lottery, something that has rarely been accomplished by any school in a single draft. Should that happen, it would not only validate the early mock draft buzz but cement the 2024-25 Duke team as one of the most talent-rich groups in recent memory, regardless of whether it brought home a national title.

And beyond just numbers or draft positions, this moment is deeply personal for each player. For Flagg, it’s the culmination of a journey from a small town in Maine to the national spotlight. For Knueppel, it’s the reward for trusting in his game and carving a niche on a team filled with stars. For Maluach, it’s a story of global ascent—one that started in East Africa and has taken him to the cusp of NBA stardom.

Their paths to this point couldn’t be more different, but their destination is the same: the Green Room, where only the most elite prospects get to wait to hear their names called, shake the commissioner’s hand, and put on that long-awaited NBA hat. It’s a night that changes lives and legacies. And for Duke, it’s yet another reminder that the pipeline from Durham to the pros remains as powerful—and prolific—as ever.

The 2025 NBA Draft will be held on June 26 in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Teams are still finalizing boards and lining up private workouts, but few names are more locked in than Flagg, Knueppel, and Maluach. Expect Commissioner Adam Silver to call each of them within the first 14 picks, and don’t be surprised if Flagg is the first one to walk across that stage. The Blue Devils are, once again, the center of basketball’s brightest future.

From Cameron Indoor to the world’s biggest arenas, these three are about to take the next step in their careers. And Duke, as it always has, will be watching proudly as its next generation of stars makes the leap from college blue to NBA gold.