Premier 2027 Center Reports Duke Basketball Recruiting Offer
Premier 2027 Center Reports Duke Basketball Recruiting Offer
Duke basketball has officially targeted a stock-rising big man for its next class.Matt Giles|
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Duke Blue DevilsJust a few days after fifth-year Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff went on a bit of an offer spree, the Blue Devils dished out another 2027 offer on Wednesday. This latest target for the blueblood recruiting powerhouse in Durham is Prolific Prep (Fla.) standout center Lewis Uvwo.
The 6-foot-10, 225-pound five-star revealed the offer from Scheyer & Co. on his Instagram account. According to Uvwo's past announcements, his number of suitors now sits at roughly two dozen, and that collection includes a handful of other top-tier recruiting powers in the Kentucky Wildcats, Kansas Jayhawks, Florida Gators, Michigan Wolverines, and Arkansas Razorbacks.
Although Uvwo ranks outside the top 40 on a few recruiting sites, in the eyes of 247Sports alone, he has soared from No. 181 to No. 7 overall — No. 1 among centers — since February. Meanwhile, on the 247Sports 2027 Composite, the Nigeria native, who arrived in the United States back in January and has been playing basketball for only a couple of years, currently checks in at No. 23 overall, No. 4 among centers, and No. 7 in Florida.
"With a 7-foot-7 wingspan, a pogo-stick pop off the floor from any angle, anticipation, timing and natural instincts, Uvwo is one of the best shot blockers to come through high school basketball in many years," 247Sports' Jeff Rabjohns noted about the coveted prep after watching him capture co-MVP honors at the loaded Pangos All-American Camp in Las Vegas back in early June. "He volleyball spiked one shot attempt with two hands. He swatted several others.
6’10 Lewis Uvwo has been playing with so much ENERGY at @PangosAACamp 😤🔥 @Lewisuvwo1 pic.twitter.com/bulZ0shx50
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) June 2, 2026
"He even blocked some shots that were almost taps to teammates. At one point...guards basically stopped driving and even attempting to challenge him."
One 2027 Duke Basketball Pledge Already in Tow
On Monday night, Duke basketball reeled in its first 2027 commit, as Wisconsin Lutheran School four-star power forward Kager Knueppel, younger brother of former Blue Devil star Kon Knueppel, revealed his plan to suit up for Jon Scheyer the season after next. Kager Knueppel ranks No. 28 overall in the eyes of 247Sports, marking a 94-notch jump from where he appeared less than two months ago.

As for the Blue Devils' list of undecided 2027 targets, that now includes Lewis Uvwo, of course, along with two other five-star prospects in Southeastern Prep Academy (Fla.) point guard Beckham Black, who ranks No. 4 overall on the 247Sports 2027 Composite, and Millennium High School (Ariz.) combo guard Adan Diggs, who stacks up at No. 2 among his peers.
Stay tuned to Duke Blue Devils On SI for more Duke basketball recruiting news.
Published 57 seconds ago
MATT GILESMatt Giles is the editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining SI in 2022, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.
Follow MattGilesBDAnalysis: Jaylen Brown's Shocking Trade to Philadelphia For Paul George, Picks
Analysis: Jaylen Brown's Shocking Trade to Philadelphia For Paul George, Picks
Heads are spinning in Boston as fans try to process a confusing and underwhelming return for Jaylen Brown, but it might be part of a bigger plan.John Karalis|
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Boston CelticsThe Jaylen Brown saga is not only over, it has ended in absolutely shocking fashion.
The Boston Celtics are sending Brown to the rival Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first round picks, and two second round picks. It is a decidedly underwhelming return that changes the Celtics’ calculus a bit.
First, let's start on the court, where George is still a fine basketball player, but at 36 years old, he’s nowhere near what Jaylen Brown is consistently. George is often injured, playing a combined 78 games over the last two regular seasons in Philadelphia, and only one full season since leaving the OKC Thunder in 2019. When healthy, he can approximate some of the things Brown does, but he can't do them at the same level, nor for as long as he used to. He has averaged 16.7 points per game with the Sixers, but he shot 37.5% from three in that time, which is an improvement over Brown’s 34.7% last season and 35.8% over his career.
Financially, there are no savings in the short term because George has a trade kicker that brings him up to the same 35% max salary as Brown. The difference, though, is that George only has two seasons left on his deal, the last of which is a player option which he will undoubtedly pick up. Brown has three seasons left, and is looking for a max extension.
What this signals is another summer of trade talks next year as the Celtics shop George's expiring contract in an effort to get a long-term solution next to Jayson Tatum. George is essentially a stopgap solution who, at best, can give the Celtics some decent enough production and a style of play that doesn’t blow up their play style. At worst, he’ll only be available sporadically and this upcoming season will mirror last year’s “gap” year with Tatum playing Brown’s role.
The Celtics are certainly not punting on the season, but they also aren't going for it either. Obviously, they have Tatum and other really good players, so they'll be in the playoff mix. The addition of Mitchell Robinson shores up a weakness, and a bounce back season from Derrick White would keep them in contention for a top-four seed. But losing a star of Brown's caliber obviously holds them back some.
Meanwhile, the Sixers are starting to look like a real threat. Brown, along with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe form a pretty formidable backcourt. The big question for them is the hierarchy. With Joel Embiid clearly in the later stages of his career, Maxey appeared to be stepping into the number one role. Brown is coming off his best season as a pro, and the perception is that he wanted to lead his own team. If there's any benefit of the doubt to give Brad Stevens right now, it's that he has sent Brown to a situation where his role is still questioned, which has at least some potential to cause friction.
Brown has also been very critical of Embiid, going on a rant calling him a flopper after Boston’s playoff loss to Philadelphia. That will make for at least some awkward initial conversations in the Sixers locker room.
"Flopping has ruined our league. Joel Embiid is one of the greatest players that has played basketball, but he flops. He knows it too"
— Riley ❄️ (@rileysbetter) May 4, 2026
- Jaylen Brown pic.twitter.com/jEdxqbWE0C
That all may be a reach, but it's worth keeping an eye on at the very least. However, it's much more likely that Brown will relish the opportunity to lift a rival past his former team. By going to Philadelphia, he will have plenty of chances to put on a show against the Celtics. And nothing will ingratiate someone with Sixers fans more than trashing Boston.
There is also the matter of Brad Stevens’ handling of this saga. It’s hard to see this return and not think Boston should have just added whatever was necessary to get Giannis Antetokounmpo. My only conclusion here is that Boston only wanted Antetokounmpo in exchange for limited assets because they weren’t truly targeting him as an answer. I have to give credit here to Sam Sheehan, a former Celtics blogger who came out of writing hibernation to pen a pretty on-point assessment of that pursuit.
He wrote, “While they take a bit of a mystique hit, I think “missing out” on the Giannis trade also had the added bonus of giving the Celtics front office the circumstantial cover to trade Brown when they really wanted to do it all along. This way there’s a “Well we had to give it our best shot for Giannis, but now that this is out there, I guess we gotta flip Jaylen. Sorry about wasting another year of your prime Jayson! Give us a year and we will make it up to you!”
Where Stevens seems to have mishandled the situation is his assessment of the market for Brown. It feels like he walked into the summer thinking he’d get a massive haul for an All-NBA player in his prime. However, teams weren’t willing to pony up anywhere near the assets he was looking for, partly because Brown’s salary was too prohibitive. The apron system was just too unforgiving, which could be a signal for how max contracts are doled out down the road.
A full accounting of Brown's legacy in Boston is better served in a separate space, but it's clear that he leaves as one of Boston's greats. He scored 13,474 regular season points for Boston, good for 10th on the all-time list. He’s a champion and a Finals MVP. What he accomplished in Boston, both on and off the court.
It's a shocking end to his time in Boston, but it's time that should be remembered fondly. It's still a mystery as to why the Celtics felt the need to move him so suddenly, and so urgently. This goes down as one of the more unusual chapters in Celtics history, made even more bizarre by how it ended.
No matter the reasoning, it's clear that this is very much the beginning of a longer than expected road back to contention for Boston.
Published 5 minutes ago
JOHN KARALISJohn Karalis is a 20-year veteran of Celtics coverage and was nominated for NSMA's Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year in 2019. He has hosted the Locked On Celtics podcast since 2016 and has written two books about the Celtics. John was born and raised in Pawtucket, RI. He graduated from Shea High School in Pawtucket, where he played football, soccer, baseball, and basketball and was captain of the baseball and basketball teams. John graduated from Emerson College in Boston with a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism and was a member of their Gold Key Honor Society. He was a four-year starter and two-year captain of the Men’s Basketball team, and remains one of the school's top all-time scorers, and Emerson's all-time leading rebounder. He is also the first Emerson College player to play professional basketball (Greece). John started his career in television, producing and creating shows since 1997. He spent nine years at WBZ, launching two different news and lifestyle shows before ascending to Executive Producer and Managing Editor. He then went to New York, where he was a producer and reporter until 2018. John is one of Boston’s original Celtics bloggers, creating RedsArmy.com in 2006. In 2018, John joined the Celtics beat full-time for MassLive.com and then went to Boston Sports Journal in 2021, where he covered the Celtics for five years. He has hosted the Locked On Celtics podcast since 2016, and it currently ranks as the #1 Boston Celtics podcast on iTunes and Spotify rankings. He is also one of the co-hosts of the Locked on NBA podcast.
Follow John_KaralisKnicks Had Reasons Aside From Money to Let Mitch Robinson Walk
Knicks Had Reasons Aside From Money to Let Mitch Robinson Walk
The New York Knicks likely said goodbye to Mitchell Robinson due to financial AND on-court concernsSteven Simineri|
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New York KnicksIt was fitting that the New York Knicks clinched their first championship in 53 years with a Mitchell Robinson offensive board. That turned out to be the lasting image of the longest-tenured Knick in orange and blue.
Over the last few days, Knicks fans went from "Robinson is a goner" to "maybe he can stay", to the reality that he's leaving and for the one place where it stings most. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the 28-year old center has agreed to a three-year, $47.4 million deal with the blood rival Boston Celtics, with a player option in the third season.
His exodus is seen a casualty of the second apron situation and the Knicks not being able to come close to Boston's offer while also staying under the threshold. However, there's elements about Robinson as a player that could have played a role in how much New York was willing to chase him.
Knicks are dodging major risks that come with Mitchell Robinson by letting him walk
It will take some time for Knicks fans to get used to seeing Robinson in Celtic green, but the eight-year veteran went where he could get handsomely paid and is directly looking at a starting role. This is despite legitimate doubts about his offense and physical limitations.
It's completely possible that the front office disguised its reluctance to spend big on Robinson, given his hiccups, by hiding behind James Dolan's decree to avoid going above the second apron.
If you take the emotional investment out of the equation, two years guaranteed (plus a player option) at that number for a guy who has poor conditioning, can’t make free throws and needs to be load-managed is a risky proposition. It's also safe to assume people within the Knicks couldn’t have been thrilled about the big man mysteriously breaking his hand in the days leading up to the Finals.
Thanks to abiding by a strict load management program and not suiting up in back-to-backs, Robinson saw action in 60 appearances, his most since 2021-22. But he’s an injury waiting to happen and over the last four years, he’s missed 22 games, 65 games, 51 games and 23 games.
Then there’s his historic free throw woes. Robinson started the season 6-of-28 (21%) from the line and finished with a career-low percentage of 40.8%. Since Robinson shot 60% during his rookie campaign, his free throw percentage has declined every year, except for the 2024-25 season, where he played just 17 games.
Robinson has the worst free throw percentage in NBA playoffs history (minimum 50 attempts) at 35.5%. With that has come the Hack-A-Mitch strategy deployed by opposing coaches that’s made him unplayable at vital times. The Knicks will be going from hating the strategy to imploring Mike Brown to do it in big games against Boston.
When Robinson is on the court, he’s unquestionably a difference maker. The seven-foot center brings rim protection, is agile enough to switch onto wings during pick-and-rolls and has become one of the league’s great offensive rebounding forces.
That said, he's a man of a few specific talents, along with major injury potential at any moment. Even if the team was happy to blow past the second apron, there's a chance they would've balked at this price point anyways considering his drawbacks.
There's no telling where the next year could go for Robinson as his health-tested body will now be recovering from its longest playoff run yet. Any step back in play or availability would've made him much harder to trade next summer, which likely was on the team's mind as it considered breaking the bank for him despite that massive risk.
At the very least, the team now can put its sole attention on finding the next main backup for Towns. That's clarity they lacked heading into this year's draft, but with the wing and guard positions shored up, center will be where Leon Rose gets to spend his time seeking a solution.
It's tough to see Robinson go, but it was the prudent decision to limit any potential poorly aging deals while the team tries to extend its title window.
Published 37 minutes ago
STEVEN SIMINERISteven Simineri is a freelance writer and radio reporter with Metro Networks, the Associated Press and CBS Sports Radio based in New York. His reporting experience includes the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Yankees, Mets, Rangers, New Jersey Devils and US Open Tennis tournament. He has been a contributor for Forbes, Sporting News, River Avenue Blues and Nets Daily. He graduated from Fordham University and was a former on-air talent at NPR-affiliate WFUV (90.7 FM).