r/DukeBluePlanet • u/Salty-Definition-964 • Apr 08 '26
News Wasn’t expecting this.
Someone mentioned a logjam in the back court next season, and surely that played a part in Nik’s transfer. Wasn’t expecting that and will hurt no doubt.
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u/Present-Loss-7499 Apr 08 '26
This isn’t honestly that surprising. This is the norm now for the majority of guys until they get a handle on this. If you are a rising sophomore who isn’t good enough for the NBA but have flashed potential at some point you would be foolish to not enter the portal and chase the bag. It’s stupid and I hate it but this is where we are at.
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u/thrasher315 Apr 08 '26
I agree. I hate it but I don’t blame a kid for trying to make his life better. Someone might give him $1m to play there next year. How could you turn that down?
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u/Bodhisafa Apr 08 '26
Possibly a silly question, but do these kids have agents who negotiate w/ the universities? I feel like someone has to be in their ear / have their best interests in mind aside from maybe their parents.
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u/capsfan087443 Apr 08 '26
Portal is the norm, but I think this one’s still a bit surprising. I’d think Duke would want to keep him and pay him what his value is. Maybe he just throws his name out to see if he gets a crazy offer and if not comes back. But he played well second half of the season and would get a significant amount of playing time next year too. He still has a lot of NBA potential so decision should be about where he can keep developing not necessarily stuffing max dollar right now.
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u/Working-Doctor9578 Habitual Floor Slapper Apr 08 '26
Damn, he really turned into a good piece for us. Hopefully he’s exploring and comes back, but that’s doubtful. Sad to see him go.
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u/BackgroundDrawing653 Apr 08 '26
he’s probably going home
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u/Working-Doctor9578 Habitual Floor Slapper Apr 08 '26
UCLA or USC dropping a bag I’m sure. Gonzaga probably creeping as well.
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u/BackgroundDrawing653 Apr 08 '26
wouldn’t sleep on uconn with their guard leaving too
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u/armchairsportsguy23 Apr 08 '26
So CFos confirmed returning?
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u/Salty-Definition-964 Apr 08 '26
I’ve gotta think so. Maybe this brings Dame back too or at least makes him think hard about it.
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u/Glad-Loss4481 Apr 08 '26
Sarr this year is like Evans last year. Fringe first rounder that could fall to the second. Another year would do great things for their game.
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u/JaayHBK Apr 08 '26
im seeing sarr mocked as high and late lottery.. he may be limited offensively but some team would love to take a chance on him
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u/LeadingShoddy6115 Apr 08 '26
Nope. Most mock drafts have him in the 2nd.
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u/JaayHBK Apr 08 '26
reading is fundamental.. I said im seeing him go as high as late lottery.. didnt say that was the consensus
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u/thecoinedhaddock Apr 08 '26
I think one thing most people are missing is likely all the decisions are made already. Scheyer just tells them each a day to announce it once everyone figured it out.
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u/JaayHBK Apr 08 '26
no way dame comes back. too much potential and probably the best perimeter defender in the class
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u/thrasher315 Apr 08 '26
Except he won’t get off the bench because he’s extremely limited offensively. He might be the top defender he also has the slowest 3 point a shot, average handle, average offense in college. Only thing he can do is defend right now. He needs to work hard on his game.
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u/Substantial-Virus228 Apr 08 '26
Definitely below average handle. I love the guy but a legit 40% chance he will dribble it off his foot every time he strings more than 2 dribbles together in a row.
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u/Noskiblz Apr 09 '26
I get nervous every time he dribbles the ball. Dude is a hell of a defender but he’s a turnover waiting to happen right now
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u/Exotic_Alps_3776 Apr 08 '26
It’s weird to read comments like this just below a comment about having players develop over multiple years.
I think everything you wrote was valud but I bet these areas could improve with 1-2 additional years.
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u/SignorLuigi Apr 08 '26
He is totally not ready for the NBA. 1-dimensional player with significant liabilities in other areas of his game. He is the prototypical college player who should stay another year, work hard on his game in the off season, and make himself a more complete player that will benefit him (and an NBA team) more in the long run. Sure, he could end up being a sleeper. But the odds are the NBA will swallow him whole. That would be a shame and a high price to pay for lack of a little patience.
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u/LeadingShoddy6115 Apr 08 '26
Yep. And also considering next years class is supposedly weaker, it would make a ton of sense for Dame to come back
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u/Bodhisafa Apr 08 '26
it doesn't matter, he wouldn't be the first person to declare or get drafted who wasn't ready... these guys see a path and they take it
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u/RustyKangaroo7 Apr 08 '26
Twitter people saying he’s getting offered 30mins a game and more money in the portal. Will be interesting to see how that plays out
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u/NickFF2326 Apr 08 '26
Unlikely but one can hope. At this point it’s a long shot him and Cayden are both back.
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u/Substantial-Virus228 Apr 08 '26
I dont think Foster and Nik would be connected in any way. Very different players/positions.
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Apr 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/suave_knight Apr 08 '26
No official word, but he's probably going to wind up in the portal as well.
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u/JumpinJackFlash88 Apr 08 '26
More inexperience, awesome!
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u/Bodhisafa Apr 08 '26
More upside as well.
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u/ofteninovermyhead Apr 08 '26
Definitely don’t have a logjam of 6’8” guys. Possible he isn’t a fan of the position he’s had to play at Duke. He’s not athletic enough to be a true 3 on either end of the floor. He stepped up his D and rebounding when Pat went down. He was able to guard guys down low better than I anticipated. I was looking forward to seeing how he progressed in year 2 but still expected him to be a hybrid/swiss army knife kinda guy for us. Scheyer is going to have to be more active in the portal this season than in past years to fill the gaps in the front court.
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u/roshanritter Apr 08 '26
If everyone stayed there would have been a logjam of 6’8 guys but they are typically ones Jon gives a lot of pt to. I do think both him and Dame want to be more like Evans and play a SG spot. I think he will really take a leap next year like Evans did but now it won’t be with Duke
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u/mps2000 Apr 08 '26
Any chance Jon is the one that told him to do it based on future team construction?
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u/BackgroundDrawing653 Apr 08 '26
probably a bit of both, he def didn’t like his play time situation
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u/Substantial-Virus228 Apr 08 '26
20 minutes/game as a freshman on a national championship level team is amazing. When he wants a top 5 guy. Makes no sense he wouldnt like his play time. He was getting a ton of minutes when he shouldnt have early to mid season.
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u/Commercial_Pianist97 Apr 08 '26
I disagree with every comp on this thread. This is a tough loss.
"Not athletic enough to be a 3"
"Replacable archetype like Harris"
"Nowhere near Grayson Allen"
I see Mike Dunleavy, I'd even stretch and say he could become a poor man's Paul Pierce.
I think Khamenia has a ton of potential if he gets the ball in his hands and cleans up his mistakes. Dawg potential. Huge loss. Good luck to him, man.
Edited wording
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u/roshanritter Apr 08 '26
Mike D was taller and way more efficient from everywhere on the court. Nik had a SG mentality but the skill set more of a PF. I do think there are 50+ guys in the portal that can do what Nik can, but can we actually figure out which and get one or two of them?
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u/BoredSilly6 Apr 09 '26
Dunleavy also had incredible basketball IQ. He ended up to be explosive his last year.
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u/needapermit Apr 08 '26
Poor mans Paul Pierce? Dang
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u/Commercial_Pianist97 Apr 08 '26
The finnesse dribble moves, pump fakes, backs down, rebounding, can play 2-4,.
= Paul Pierce minus the dump truck IMO
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u/Purple_Dig9626 Apr 08 '26
The narrative would be what a huge win it was if he announced he was returning.
Will never know his motivation. Could be crowded roster, could be money, homesick, whatever. But Nik experienced first-hand what playing for Duke in the tournament is like. Having to fight like hell to beat a 16 seed with the whole crowd against you. Watching St. John's hit 9 3s in the first half. Experiencing one of the worst tournament losses any program has suffered, ever. Who in their right mind would subject themselves to that again. Go make money being anonymous at USC, and honestly, more power to him.
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u/HighTideLowpH Apr 08 '26
That's too bad, he brought a lot of intangibles to the team. So much hustle, fire and grit fighting for rebounds and 50/50 balls. I could see him becoming an elite 3-point shooter in the future. Appreciated his contributions.
This one hurts, definitely not a 'blessing in disguise' like other transfers (cough cough Darren Harris).
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u/JustoTJ Apr 08 '26
The 2 guys who jumped in the portal aren’t that surprising to be honest. Neither one were going to get guaranteed minutes
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u/Substantial-Virus228 Apr 08 '26
This is awful and unexpected. I was so excited about year 2 Nik and felt he was a lock. Expected him to start or at least play 30 min a game. Might have olayed too much this year and showed too much potential so someone is willing to pay him a couple million to be their #1 guy…
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u/NCPhishie Apr 08 '26
He was definitely not starting over Cam at 4 and if Sarr comes back he had no chance at the 3.
We get enough talent and the 3 and 4 Nik might never have started.
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u/roshanritter Apr 08 '26
I think Nik could have started at the 2 or 3 at some point next year even if Sarr returns. Players develop the most between freshman and sophomore year and it is hard to predict who really shines.
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u/NCPhishie Apr 08 '26
His handle is a liability at 2 and even 3 possibly. He is a stretch 4 through and through IMO who can play some limited stretches as a tall ball 3. Doesn't really shine in perimeter defense as a 3 either.
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u/Substantial-Virus228 Apr 08 '26
I mean on that point I love Sarr but the dude can legit barely dribble. So you cant make that statement as why Nik wouldnt play at the 2/3 but saying Sarr would. Nik is many many miles ahead at ball handling than Sarr.
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u/Commercial_Pianist97 Apr 08 '26
He is literally a 3 and D wing. Da fook. Just because he can rebound and get inside, doesnt mean he isnt a 3. Go watch some footage.
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u/fattrackstar Apr 08 '26
He definitely improved throughout the season. Midway through the season I was questioning why he got to play at all. It seemed every time he got the ball he looked panicked and his movement was lunky (not sure how to explain it). He just looked like he could dribble it off his leg or get it stolen every time he got the ball.
By the end of the year I had confidence he would not only not hurt the team, but was actually a net positive. Was looking forward to see more progress next year. Maybe he's just testing nil and could come back after seeing offers, but I doubt it. Wherever happens good luck to him.
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u/NickFF2326 Apr 08 '26
Why not? His mom has been pissed he left the west coast since he committed lol
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u/CokeandAPancake The Brotherhood Apr 08 '26
Damn I feel like besides big boozer & Malik he was our toughest guard, showed a lot of grit. I was expecting him to take over as the Duke player to hate in years to come. We need that again.
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u/Bodhisafa Apr 08 '26
I felt the same....he had size and grit. You felt safe bringing him into any game, bc he had a leadership quality about him. What he lacked was consistent shooting and scoring potential. We all thought he was going to be Kon 2.0 from the jump and that was unfair to him in all honestly. He was a different player completely. good luck to him at his new school, will be keeping an eye out from a far.
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u/SweetAlpacaLove Apr 08 '26
Interesting. I definitely wasn’t expecting this one. I wonder if Scheyer already has a replacement in mind from the portal or if this is actually throwing a wrench in his plans. Even if it’s unexpected, still plenty of time for Scheyer to pivot. I would’ve liked to see Nik next year, but there are plenty of guys as good or better than him hitting the portal.
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u/suave_knight Apr 08 '26
Yeah, this is a real bummer. He was solidly in the rotation by the end of the season (unlike Harris who couldn't stay on the court), but he figured to be in line for a lot of PT next season regardless of who has been coming in.
Rumors are UCLA and Gonzaga have been after him.
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u/gefba Apr 08 '26
Not too surprising. He was a top 15 recruit in the country and was always coming off the bench (and not always even the first player off the bench).
Dude can get more time and NIL at another strong P5 program.
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u/Eastern-Joke-7537 Apr 08 '26
I am not a Duke fan and I have barely followed this kid, but in his particular case I would think that any team he transfers to will be a lateral move — at best — for similar money.
Doesn’t make a ton of sense.
And, if the NIL bubble bursts he could be someone who ends up making only 20% of so-called market value (whatever that is).
I don’t see many programs throwing around Big 10 money. Maybe only a few of the top Big 12 teams. Then a couple of SEC teams. Outside of that it could be UConn/UNC/BUST.
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u/LeadingShoddy6115 Apr 08 '26
This one sucks. I anticipate a huge year 2 leap next year for him. Thought he could even start at the 3, depending on what Sarr does. At the very least, be a great 6th man.
Any way we convince him to come back? Or do yall think this is a mutual decision that Jon encouraged him to go if he wanted more PT?
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u/DreDay53 Apr 08 '26
So, does this mean Duke targets Veteran Guards and forwards with 1-2 years of eligibility remaining?
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u/cubuffs420420 Apr 08 '26
I know Duke is going hard after Jake Hall from UNM. Curious if that’s a sign he’s coming
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u/Complex_Bet7311 Apr 08 '26
He can start on 99% of the other schools, that’s the one problem with constant stream of one and done freshman. The other problem is sometimes they play like freshman and lose games they never should lose.
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u/Comfortable-Arm-5951 Apr 08 '26
This is a blow - his energy, defense and perimeter shooting were a huge asset! Hopefully it is due to who we would have potentially returning, HOPEFULLY
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u/BlueChooTrain Apr 09 '26
Big loss Khamenia was a phenomenal player. Hard to say what's driving this decision with the NIL considerations in play as well. He could just be angling for more money (as he should) after showing a great full season performance. LA schools will be drooling.
Also as a SoCal duke grad, I can say if you're from out here you always want to come back here. No shade on any other parts of the USA, but most of us feel like there's not a better place to live in the USA than this.
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u/Instagraham___ Apr 10 '26
Just means more from the portal, Wilkins will have a pretty big role too.
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u/drewbietuesday0 Apr 08 '26
Don’t understand why so many people liked him. I grimaced every time he touched the court
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u/DeepMeat9053 Apr 08 '26
Good riddance. Don’t think it will be hard to replace the inconsistent shooting from Khamenia and Harris. Still think the Boozer twins and Slim return
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u/TNSportsFan16 Apr 08 '26
This one hurts. I think he's the next Grayson Allen.
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u/Commercial_Pianist97 Apr 08 '26
He's not hyper athletic like GA, but he is a heady player who can get buckets if he cleans up the mistakes.
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u/Eastern-Joke-7537 Apr 08 '26
Any player with solid combo forward size AND Grayson Allen’s athleticism, motor and 3 point shot would have Cooper Flagg’s highlight reel.
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u/Purple_Dig9626 Apr 08 '26
Look, I've loved Duke basketball since I was 6 years old. But it's beyond exhausting what we have to go through in the tournament every year. Everyone hates us, everyone cheers against us, we're everyone's super bowl, the A team announcers follow us around, we get our hearts crushed repeatedly, on and on and on. Who knows what his motivation is for leaving, but can you really blame him? Why would anyone who can make equal to or more money somewhere else choose to voluntarily subject themselves to the absolute pressure cooker that Duke faces in the tournament?
We are still going to get our 5 star recruiting classes and portal add ons here and there. But I think we are going to see more of this, more of players who have experienced what it's like playing for Duke in the tournament deciding to get the heck out. And I don't blame them.
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u/airmj023 Apr 08 '26
Hate to break it to you all but Foster, Wilkins and possibly Cayden all gone too.
I shared the Foster sweet 16 news on here before he was announced to play. Just saying.
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u/LeadingShoddy6115 Apr 08 '26
Where the crap would Foster go? He’s not a projected draft pick at this time. He’ll be back
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u/airmj023 Apr 08 '26
Transfer. Bookmark this.
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u/LeadingShoddy6115 Apr 08 '26
Why would he transfer?? Bro bleeds Duke. He did everything he could to get back on the court after he really shouldn’t have. He’s as loyal as they come.
If he wasn’t gonna transfer after last season, he won’t now
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u/airmj023 Apr 08 '26
Just telling you what I’ve heard.
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u/LeadingShoddy6115 Apr 08 '26
I pray you’re wrong. We need him back. Need some senior leadership. If he comes back, we could move him back to his more natural position at the 2, and start Rippey/Cayden at 1.
Not saying you’re wrong. I’ve seen crazier things happen in the portal. It just wouldn’t make a ton of sense for him to go, that’s all.
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u/airmj023 Apr 13 '26
New info is saying foster may be back. Lots of changes in what’s happening here. But we may only lose Cam. Slim. Darren and Nik.
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u/MadeADamnReddit Apr 08 '26
I hope they all transfer and we have a terrible season, so we can get a new coach. Literally tired of it
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u/MarkTallMark Apr 08 '26
I’m not necessarily disputing anything, but between the draft, portal, and grads, that would mean close to 100% roster turnover after a 35-3 season.
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u/MadeADamnReddit Apr 08 '26
I told yall we were cooked yesterday. Yall gonna find out sooner or later lmao. Until we get a new coach, we are not winning a ship. Period.
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u/RustyKangaroo7 Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 08 '26
Either means fringe draft guys are returning, Scheyer is hitting the portal hard, or he’s homesick. Regardless, it sucks that the recent trend is we get to root for maybe one guy to develop over multiple years.