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Bizarre Kyle Filipowski Rumors Emerge Following Draft Tumble

Former Duke standout Kyle Filipowski surprisingly didn't hear his name called in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft leading people to question what happened.

By Jovan Alford

Mar 31, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Kyle Filipowski (30) reacts in the second half against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the finals of the South Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at American Airline Center.
Mar 31, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Kyle Filipowski (30) reacts in the second half against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the finals of the South Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at American Airline Center. / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
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One of the biggest surprises after the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft Thursday night was Duke big man Kyle Filipowski not hearing his name at the Barclays Center. In the days and weeks leading up to the draft, Filipowski was projected as a late first-round pick (20-30).

The 7-foot center was one of the better big men in the class and had a stellar second season with the Blue Devils. Filipowski averaged 16.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 30.4 minutes per game.

The glaring omission of Filipowski from the first round caught the attention of NBA champion and former Duke star Jayson Tatum, who said that teams would regret passing up on the big man.

However, with the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft on the horizon, we might have found out why Filipowski slid out of the first round and it almost sounds farfetched.

On the latest Zach Lowe podcast, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony said Filipowski’s workouts weren’t great and “there were question marks about the interviews.” Givony mentioned that the former Duke center was nervous and didn’t make shots at his pro day.

Then the NBA draft analyst mentioned Filipowski’s girlfriend, catching Lowe off guard during the pod. However, Givony continued to say someone needs to draft Filipowski early in the second round based on his skills.

As for the girlfriend, Lowe asks Givony about what’s going on with that situation and Givony says that she’s 25/26 years old and people call the relationship weird. And there was also a mention of how he doesn’t talk to his parents.

No one could make up these circumstances, even if you tried. Nonetheless, one could make a case that his slide could be because of the performance at pro-day, which is a valid reason. But once you start bringing up family and girlfriends, that’s where things get bizarre.

The good news for Filipowski is that based on what he did at Duke, he should hear his name called during the second round and hopefully land in a spot, where he can compete for minutes in year one.

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