What if we told you Duke has not one, not two, but three future NBA lottery picks — and they’re already being compared to the likes of Jayson Tatum, Rudy Gobert, and Desmond Bane? The 2024–25 Blue Devil trio has scouts buzzing, and ESPN’s latest projections don’t just suggest star potential — they hint at superstardom. These comparisons aren’t just flattering; they’re jaw-dropping. If you’re a Duke fan, an NBA draft junkie, or just love the hype of rising talent, this is a breakdown you don’t want to miss.
The 2024-25 trio of Duke basketball one-and-done talents continues to receive lofty praise.
One popular way to evaluate up-and-comers ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft, June 25-26, is to liken their games to those who have come before them in the league. Such comparisons are often based on resemblances between skillsets, with some mentioning similarities in physical appearances. Either way, it’s a method of projecting Duke basketball products’ trajectory on the NBA stage.
The Duke basketball program’s latest one-and-done standouts have already garnered several player comparisons, including those courtesy of ESPN’s Jeremy Woo this weekend. He gave each of his 14 projected lottery picks two comparisons apiece on Saturday, one for a high-end result and another for a low-end outlook.
Duke’s Cooper Flagg resembles a pair of NBA champions, per Woo, with the high-end comparison coming in the form of fellow Blue Devil product Jayson Tatum and low-end being former NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala. Both represent a similar blend of offense and defense that Flagg somewhat mirrors, as Tatum primarily shines on offense while Iguodala often stood out as an elite defender.
As for Khaman Maluach, Woo likened the 7-foot-2 Duke center to a pair of current pros in Rudy Gobert and Daniel Gafford, with Gobert as the high-end comparison and Gafford serving as the low-end projection. The Gobert mention is rather obvious due to similarities in physical build, not to mention the ability to protect the rim.
Meanwhile, Kon Knueppel’s range is much wider in Woo’s eyes, with Desmond Bane and Joe Harris serving as the reigning ACC Tournament MVP’s most similar archetypes. Bane has become a prolific scorer and shot-creator for the Grizzlies, and Harris was known for his shooting prowess off the bench.
All three Duke basketball one-and-dones figure to get selected in the lottery of this year’s NBA Draft. Each could have an instant impact, potentially exceeding the level of success the low-end comparisons have already achieved.
