The Duke Blue Devils and head coach Jon Scheyer didn't end the 2025-26 college basketball season the way they'd hoped. Entering the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed in the East Region, they strung together three wins. However, their run ended with an Elite Eight loss to the No. 2 UConn Huskies.
Every time Duke falls short of a national championship, it's a disappointment. Now into the offseason, Scheyer and his staff must navigate some significant roster changes. With the transfer portal officially opening on Tuesday, the Blue Devils are already set to lose two players. The latest departure came on Wednesday.
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Nikolas Khamenia, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound guard/forward out of Los Angeles, California, was a five-star recruit, according to 247Sports, coming out of the 2025 cycle. He chose Duke over other programs such as the Gonzaga Bulldogs, Arizona Wildcats, North Carolina Tar Heels and UCLA Bruins.
As a true freshman for the Blue Devils, he appeared in 38 games and made five starts. Khamenia averaged 19.8 minutes, 5.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and one assist per game. He also shot 44.4% from the field and 34% from the three-point line.
Despite making an impact early on in his time with Duke, his time in Durham is coming to an end. On Wednesday, 247Sports' Travis Branham reported that Khamenia is entering the transfer portal.
Khamenia becomes the second player that Scheyer has lost, joining guard/forward Darren Harris. He and his staff may look to the portal for a potential replacement. Last offseason, Duke lost just one player to the portal, while bringing in two.
