Transfer guard John Blackwell to play for Duke, not enter NBA draft
John Blackwell has decided he’ll spend a year at Duke before trying the NBA.
The transfer from Wisconsin withdrew his name from the NBA Draft process on Friday, he announced on his Instagram account, electing to play for a Blue Devils team that again could be a strong contender for a national championship.
Blackwell, who will be a senior, will give the Devils a 6-foot-3 guard who averaged 19.1 points, 51 rebounds and 2.3 assists for the Badgers last season.
Blackwell, one of the most coveted portal players after last season, further bolsters a talented backcourt that will have senior Caleb Foster, sophomore Cayden Boozer and freshmen Deron Rippey Jr. and Bryson Howard. Blackwell was a 39% shooter on 3-pointers last season.
The Blue Devils had freshman forward Cameron Boozer, the ACC’s player of the year in 2025-25, and sophomore guard Isaiah Evans decide to leave early to enter the 2026 draft. Blackwell was one of 72 players invited to the NBA Combine in Chicago, going through drills and getting feedback from NBA scouts and officials before reaching his decision.
The Blue Devils had two players leave via the portal: forward Nikolas Khamenia, who transferred to Connecticut, and guard Darren Harris, who went to Indiana.
