The Charlotte Hornets traded LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves this summer. ESPN now has a "big question" for the Charlotte franchise.
After trading LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves, ESPN has one "big question" for the Charlotte Hornets franchise.
Who picks up the scoring slack in Ball's absence?
The natural answer is Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, the new faces of the Hornets' franchise in the post-Ball era.
Even though Knueppel didn't win the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year Award, he still had a special season for the Hornets. The swingman averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game and shot 47.5% from the field, 42.5% from 3 and 86.3% from the free-throw line. He led the NBA in 3s.
Miller appeared in 65 games for the Hornets last season. He averaged 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 43.5% from the field, 38.3% from beyond the arc and 89.2% from the free-throw line.
The Hornets can sign Miller to a rookie-scale extension this summer. If an extension doesn't happen, Miller would become a restricted free agent next summer.
Charlotte hasn't made the playoffs since 2016. It will be fascinating to see if the team makes the playoffs next season in Year 1 of the post-Ball era.
Hornets president of basketball operations and general manager Jeff Peterson told Marc J. Spears of Andscape that he was comfortable trading Ball because of Miller and Knueppel.
The young forwards are now under major pressure to live up to the hype.
"I’m very comfortable," Peterson said. "[Hornets head coach] Charles [Lee] and I had a conversation with both of them knowing that these trades can be challenging. Sometimes I do think we forget that we’re human beings dealing with this stuff — lives and its emotions. Those guys are friends and they are in the locker room every day. At the same time, Charles and I kind of explained, We believe in you guys, too. You guys are here. We want to continue to see you guys grow. This is going to challenge you guys. You guys got to continue to get better.' We wouldn’t have made that trade if we didn’t feel comfortable with what they can continue to be developing into."
Charlotte opens the 2026-27 season on the road against the Brooklyn Nets. The home opener is against the Atlanta Hawks.
