The Duke Blue Devils have been one of college basketball's best programs for four decades, and that means plenty of talent has gone to the NBA via Durham, North Carolina. In recent years, no school has combined college success with NBA talent like Duke has under Mike Krzyzewski and now Jon Scheyer.
Duke ranks second only to the Kentucky Wildcats in terms of current NBA players, and that list runs deep with talented stars and role players with elite skillsets. Who are the best Duke players currently in the NBA? Let's rank them all, 1 to 26.
These rankings are a snapshot in time; this is not a list of the greatest Duke players throughout NBA history. Similarly, a few months from this writing, Cam Boozer will leap onto the list. For now, this is every player in the NBA this season who played at Duke, assuming full health at this moment. We begin, therefore, with the only player on the list to win a championship as the best player on his team.
Ranking every Duke player in the NBA
No. 1: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Jayson Tatum was a Top-7 player at worst in the NBA before tearing his Achilles in last year's playoffs. His combination of on-ball scoring, shooting, playmaking and defense can fit on essentially any roster in the league, and just a few years ago he was the best player on a championship team. How he looks returning from injury will matter, but for now he is No. 1 on this list.
No. 2: Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
Jalen Johnson ruffled some feathers when he left Duke early to prepare for the NBA Draft, and some die-hard fans would prefer not to claim him as a Duke player. He did play for the Blue Devils, however, and he checks in at No. 2 after making the All-Star Team in his fifth season in the NBA. He is a triple double machine and does everything for the Atlanta Hawks.
No. 3: Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
Cooper Flagg passes multiple All-Star players on this list, as right now he is already a star and will only improve from here. He does everything to help a team win, from defense, rebounding and playmaking to already exceptional scoring ability. Flagg will be No. 1 on this list very soon.
No. 4: Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets
Duke sent not one but two stars into the NBA in the 2025 NBA Draft, with Kon Knueppel going fourth overall and putting together one of the best rookie seasons in the history of the league. He is a hyper-efficient shooter on high volume, blowing away the rookie record for made 3-pointers. Add in his playmaking, off-ball movement, rebounding and defensive effort, and you get a future All-NBA stud.
No. 5: Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks
Kyrie Irving would have been higher on this list were he healthy and showing himself to be at the same level, but as he ages into his 30s and tries to return from a significant knee injury, there are no certainties as to his level of play. At his best, no one has a better combination of handle and touch, and he can be a truly special No. 2 option on offense. No one ask him about the shape of the earth, though.
No. 6: Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans
There is a trio of players whose name value suggests that they should be higher on this list, but whose glaring weaknesses drag them back down it. Zion Williamson will stand at the top of the group, but you could make an argument for ordering them in any way.
Zion's very real injury history has sapped his athleticism, taking him from historically special to just above-average. He remains a force to handle inside and has grown as a passer, but the defense that was spectacular at Duke has disappeared in the NBA. Without shooting or rim protection, he makes for a very difficult fit on a good team.
No. 7: Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
Paolo Banchero is a unique physical force, with exceptional skill for his size. He puts up points in bunches and his best moments make him look like a superstar. But he is unable to create shots efficiently and his lack of shooting makes it difficult to build an elite offense around him. Every Duke fan hopes he finds a way to break through into the player he could become.
No. 8: Brandon Ingram, Toronto Raptors
Two-time All-Star Brandon Ingram can score. At times, he has also shown an ability to make plays for others. But at his core, Ingram is a silky-smooth scorer who loves to hunt the midrange shot. That player can be valuable, especially when you do it as well as Ingram, but he doesn't bring the complete package to be a Top-40 player in the NBA.
No. 9: RJ Barrett, Toronto Raptors
One of the best human beings to come through Duke in recent years, RJ Barrett is playing for his hometown Toronto Raptors team after starting his career with the New York Knicks at "Duke North", Madison Square Garden. He is a really good scorer and passer at the 2 but hasn't taken the leap into stardom.
No. 10: Dereck Lively II, Dallas Mavericks
Another player injured to finish the 2025-26 season, Dereck Lively II was the starting center on an NBA Finals team as a rookie. His massive size inside elevates his game on both ends; he is a shot-blocking machine and a supreme finisher inside. He isn't a star and won't become a star, but he should be a two-way starter for years to come.
No. 11: Mark Williams, Phoenix Suns
Mark Williams was always underrated by the national media, but true Duke fans know just how much of an impact he made. Injuries zapped the start to his career, but he has found his stride and been mostly healthy in his fourth year and blossomed into a bona fide, high-impact starting center for the Phoenix Suns.
No. 12: Tre Jones, Chicago Bulls
For years it was Final Four Most Outstanding Player Tyus Jones who was the better of the two brothers, but Tre Jones has grown into a reliable starting point guard who doesn't shoot it like his brother but does just about everything else: a bulldog point of attack defender, rebounder and playmaker who fits onto great teams as the ultimate glue guy.
No. 13: Wendell Carter Jr., Orlando Magic
While Marvin Bagley III has busted out after going in the Top 10 of the 2018 NBA Draft, Wendell Carter Jr. was taken later but has had the better career by far. He has developed as a shooter to be dangerous enough from the perimeter, and while not an elite rim protector is a switchable big who has been a part of good defenses in Orlando.
No. 14: Jared McCain, Oklahoma City Thunder
Jared McCain had a molten start to his rookie season, got hurt, and was playing poorly upon his return as a sophomore. A trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder appears to have unlocked his scoring once again, and one of the best shooters in Duke history is finding his rhythm in the NBA once more.
No. 15: Kyle Filipowski, Utah Jazz
In two seasons in the league, Kyle Filipowski has shown real flashes of being a dynamic offensive threat from all three levels. He has defensive limitations, but in the right context he has a long future awaiting him in the NBA.