Duke basketball forward Nikolas Khamenia enters NCAA transfer portal
Duke’s Blue Devils have had another player announce he will leave the program as forward Nikolas Khamenia has entered the NCAA transfer portal.
Khamenia, a five-star recruit out of California, proved to be a versatile 6-8 forward as a freshman for the Devils. He averaged 5.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in 38 games, and Duke coach Jon Scheyer said he was one of the most competitive players on the team.
Khamenia’s role increased as the season went along, and in the postseason, and he proved to be a good frontcourt complement for Cameron Boozer, Pat Ngongba and Maliq Brown for the Devils. He started five games and averaged 19.8 minutes a game for the season, shooting 34% from 3-point range.
Khamenia had a season high of 14 points over Louisville and Syracuse in the regular season and again against Clemson in Duke’s ACC Tournament run to the title. He had a season-best nine rebounds in the road win against Michigan State and matched it against Michigan.
“We watched Nik in high school and didn’t think there was a better competitor in the country,” Scheyer said of Khamenia. “He’s fearless.”
Khamenia’s departure was first reported by DraftExpress. He is the second Duke player to enter the portal. Sophomore guard Darren Harris announced Tuesday he would transfer.
This story was originally published April 8, 2026 at 11:01 AM with the headline "Duke basketball forward Nikolas Khamenia enters NCAA transfer portal."
