Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel could win the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball won the 2020-21 Rookie of the Year Award. He might not be the only player on the team with that award soon.
The NBA announced on Sunday that Kon Knueppel is a finalist for the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year Award.
Knueppel averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game this season while shooting 47.5% from the field, 42.5% from beyond the arc and 86.3% from the free-throw line. He became the first rookie in NBA history to lead the league in 3-pointers.
A Duke product, Knueppel claimed the first four Rookie of the Month awards this season, becoming the first Hornet ever to win the award four times. Here is what else the rookie accomplished this season, via the Hornets:
- Set a new franchise record for 3PM in a season with 261, breaking a record previously set by Kemba Walker in 2018-19.
- At age 20, became the only player in NBA history age 22 or younger to record 250 3PM in a season against New York (March 26).
- Passed Michael Jordan for the NBA rookie record for most games with 20+ points on 65% true shooting (27) against Miami (March 6) in his then-rookie-leading 14th 25-point game.
- Set an NBA rookie record for 3-pointers made in a season (207) with a career-high-tying and franchise-rookie-record-tying 8 3PM at Indiana (Feb. 26); Knueppel tied his own franchise rookie record.
- Set a new NBA record for most games with 5+ 3PM by a rookie with 14 at Atlanta (Feb. 7).
- Broke the rookie record for most games with 20+ points on 50/40/90 shooting splits (12) against Golden State (Dec. 31), previously set by Stephen Curry.
- Knueppel is one of three rookies in NBA history (min. 25 games played) to average 15 points and 5 rebounds per game and shoot 40% from 3-point range; the other two are Larry Bird and Paul Pierce.
It will be fascinating to see if Knueppel wins the Rookie of the Year Award. Either Knueppel or Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg will take home the honors.
Knueppel and Flagg were teammates and roommates at Duke.
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