Duke Could Be in Hot Water if Two Key Players Leave for NBA
The Duke Blue Devils currently boast a roster that looks like a surefire top-ten team heading into the 2025–26 college basketball season. With key returnees like Caleb Foster, Isaiah Evans, Patrick Ngongba II, Darren Harris, and Maliq Brown, along with the addition of versatile transfer Cedric Coward, Jon Scheyer’s squad appears well-equipped for a strong campaign. The team is also actively pursuing top transfer Desmond Claude, which could further strengthen the lineup.
However, there’s real uncertainty on the horizon.
Duke is already replacing its entire starting five from last season. Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Tyrese Proctor, and Khaman Maluach have all declared for the 2025 NBA Draft, while Sion James has completed his eligibility and is also draft-bound.
Now, the Blue Devils face the possibility of losing two expected starters for next season — Coward and Evans — both of whom are set to participate in the NBA Draft Combine. While Coward is more likely to stay in the draft, there remains a scenario where both he and Evans leave, putting Duke in a tough spot just months before the season tips off.
Should that worst-case scenario play out, Duke’s depth and experience would take a significant hit. Without Coward and Evans, the likely starting lineup would include Foster, Cayden Boozer, Nik Khamenia, Cameron Boozer, and Ngongba. The bench rotation would be thin, with only Harris, Brown, and perhaps Cam Sheffield contributing — a group short on proven production.
While the incoming freshmen, especially the Boozer twins and Khamenia, rank among the top high school recruits in the country, they have yet to prove themselves at the college level. Foster has shown flashes of promise but underwhelmed in his previous campaign. Harris saw minimal court time, Ngongba battled injuries for much of the season, and although Brown is a defensive standout, he contributes little offensively.
Without the return of Coward and Evans — and without further reinforcements from the transfer portal — Duke could go from a top-ten team to potentially unranked heading into the season. If the Blue Devils manage to land Desmond Claude, the situation changes dramatically. But as it stands now, losing both Coward and Evans would be a major blow — and one that could derail their 2025–26 outlook.
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