The Philadelphia 76ers will have a number of options to look at when it comes to the 2025 NBA draft. Holding the No. 3 pick following a miserable 24-58 season, the Sixers will look to continue building the roster around their star trio of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey.

The Sixers will be looking to add a young talent to the roster in need of an injection of youth. President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey knows he needs to add some young pieces to get through the 82-game grind of the regular season, and give Philadelphia some reliable pieces.

The popular option for the Sixers at No. 3 has been Rutgers star Ace Bailey, but there are other options the Sixers can look at. One of them is Duke guard Kon Knueppel who is an option for Philadelphia whether it’s at the No. 3 pick or if the Sixers were to trade down. He has his limitations, but he can do so many things on the floor.

Knueppel’s strengths

2024-25 stats: 14.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.0 spg, 47.9% FG, 40.6% 3FG

While not the most athletic or explosive player, Knueppel uses his smarts in order to free himself up for open looks from the perimeter. He has such a high basketball IQ which allows him to navigate screens and come up with open looks on the perimeter. He also has a nice handle which allows him to get to the basket off the bounce and make plays for others. That is a good asset to have when considering he’s also listed at 6-foot-7. When considering the fact that the Sixers always need shooters to put around Embiid on the offensive end, Knueppel would make a lot of sense if Philadelphia is selecting No. 5 or No. 6.

He shot 77-for-178 (43.3%) on catch-and-shoot 3s and was an impressive 36-for-84 (42.9%) on those attempts while guarded. Knueppel is somebody the Sixers can turn to by putting the ball in his hands and he can run things from the perimeter. Maybe not as a lead guard, but certainly as a secondary ball-handler and playmaker. He certainly has his own questions to answer, as does most of these draft prospects, but Knueppel is somebody who Philadelphia can feel confident in almost right away.

Knueppel’s limitations

He isn’t the most athletic player in the world and that could hold him back in certain situations. Especially, on the defensive end. There will be a lot of times a team will hunt him on that end and make the Sixers have to come up with a scheme and a way to hide him, but assuming a guy like Quentin Grimes returns in free agency, the Sixers will certainly have options on the perimeter defensively to make sure Knueppel doesn’t get picked on. One has to wonder if those limitations will deter the Sixers from looking at him at No. 3, but he is still somebody who can make a difference. He is certainly a worthy option at No. 3 for Philadelphia.