Arizona was a finalist with Gonzaga, North Carolina and UCLA for small forward Nikolas Khamenia before he signed with Duke in the 2025 class. Khamenia entered the transfer portal on Wednesday. Depending on who returns to Arizona in 2026-27, Khamenia could be a perfect fit for the Wildcats' roster.
Khamenia came off the bench for Duke and averaged 5.7 points per game on 44.4 percent from the field and 34.0 percent on three-point attempts with 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 19.8 minutes per game. During the NCAA Tournament, as Duke made the East Regional Final, Khamenia saw an increase in minutes and production.
In 22 MPG during the NCAA Tournament, Khamenia averaged 5.0 PPG on 37.5 percent from the field, and made three of his nine three-point attempts with eight rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal in the four games for the Blue Devils.
Khamenia took an official visit to Arizona on August 30, 2004, before signing with Duke during the Early Signing Period in November. Khamenia was the 19th-ranked prospect, fourth small forward and fourth player in California in the 2025 class per 247Sports out of legendary Harvard-Westlake.
NEWS: Duke's Nik Khamenia will enter the transfer portal, his agency, Excel Sports, told DraftExpress.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 8, 2026
The 6'8 wing was a top-15 recruit in the class of 2025 and a key rotation player this season, averaging 5.7 points in 20 minutes. Will have a huge line of P5 suitors. pic.twitter.com/ZgNfJkni0o
Where Khamenia ranks as a transfer
The 247Sports transfer rankings have Khamenia 31st overall and the third-ranked small forward. After being a five-star high school prospect, Khamenia is a four-star transfer. Despite his low assist numbers at Duke, Khamenia is regarded as an elite passer.
Adam Finkelstein, the 247Sports Director of Scouting, observed that Khamenia is "an exceptional passer who can throw darts off the dribble with both hands and thread the needle when needed." The skill set of Khamenia would seem to be a perfect fit in Tommy Lloyd's system that values highly skilled bigs.
Arizona pursuing Khamenia will likely depend on if Dwayne Aristode and Ivan Kharchenkov depart. Aristode has been mentioned as a possible transfer and Kharchenkov could decide to test his NBA Draft prospects if he receives a combine invite. It would be unlikely for Khamenia to transfer with the potential of being a reserve.