Who Will Emerge Behind Kon Knueppel?
The Charlotte Hornets walked away with four players in the 2025 NBA Draft, two coming in the first round and two in the second round. With their two first-round selections, they took Duke's Kon Knueppel fourth overall, and made a trade with the Phoenix Suns to acquire the draft rights to UConn's Liam McNeeley. In the second round, at pick 33 they selected another Blue Devil in Sion James, and at 34 took Creighton big man Ryan Kalkbrenner.
What Happened?
Just a year later, and the draft looks like a wide success for the Hornets. Knueppel ended up coming second in Rookie of the Year voting, and put together perhaps the greatest rookie shooting season ever. McNeeley spent the majority of his time in the G-League, but played a key role in the Greensboro Swarm's eventual G-League title. As for James and Kalkbrenner, they have shown promise in their young careers.
Why It Matters for Charlotte Hornets
The emergence of these sophomores is a bright spot for the Hornets, who are looking to build on a successful season. With Knueppel and McNeeley leading the way, the team is poised to make a deep run in the playoffs. James and Kalkbrenner will look to continue their growth and become key contributors for the Hornets.
What Comes Next?
The Hornets will look to build on their success and make a push for the playoffs. With their young core of players, they have a bright future ahead of them. As the season progresses, fans will be eager to see how these sophomores continue to develop and contribute to the team's success.
Last result: New York Knicks 96-110 Charlotte Hornets (2026-04-12). Recent form (last 5): 2W-0D-3L (WWLLL, most recent first); on a 2-game winning run. Ahead of a run of games you can check on our [fixtures](/fixtures) page.
