The Charlotte Hornets have selected former Duke basketball guard Sion James with the 33rd overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, marking the second Blue Devil that Charlotte has taken. The Hornets picked fellow Duke product Kon Knueppel with the fourth overall pick in the first round.

James became the fourth Blue Devil to be selected in the 2025 Draft, following Cooper Flagg (No. 1 overall to Dallas Mavericks), Knueppel to Charlotte at four, and Khaman Maluach (No. 10 overall to Phoenix Suns).

After seeing the Blue Devils' elite defense that propelled the program to a Final Four in 2024-25, the Hornets have now selected potentially the top two perimeter defenders from that Blue Devil squad. Charlotte ranked 24th in the NBA last season in defensive rating and is adding two defensive-minded Blue Devils to bolster their perimeter.

James has the potential to be the biggest steal of this entire draft, as the former Tulane guard is the exact type of guard a playoff team wants coming off the bench. The 6'6, 220-pound guard has a high motor, is an elite perimeter defender, finishes through contact tremendously at the rim, and can pass at a high level. James also rarely makes mistakes, similarly to Knueppel.

He played his first four collegiate seasons at Tulane before spending a graduate campaign with Duke, and absolutely skyrocketed his stock as an NBA-ready guard from day one.

James originally came off the bench, but became a starter towards the beginning of ACC play and blossomed into the Blue Devils' veteran leader on both sides of the ball. He finished his lone season in Durham averaging 8.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on 51.6% shooting from the field. James thrived as a downhill driver with his frame, but also displayed his outside shooting potential, knocking down 41.3% of his threes on 1.9 attempts a night.

His passing might be his most underrated trait. James totaled 115 assists at Duke to just 47 turnovers and almost never makes an improper read.

The Hornets have taken maybe the two most surefire prospects coming out of Durham in this class, with the exception of Flagg. Both James and Knueppel have unstoppable motors and are always the most intense players on the court.

Charlotte won't need to build as much rookie chemistry as other franchises, as they've selected two Blue Devils that can both contribute to winning basketball right away.