After a breakout season led by Kon Knueppel, Jeff Peterson explains how the Charlotte Hornet’s thriving rookie core is redefining the culture and simplifying future draft strategies.
The Charlotte Hornets achieved an incredible turnaround in 2025-26, making the Play-In Tournament.
While the Hornets fell short of making the playoffs with a blowout loss to the Orlando Magic, there is reason for hope in Charlotte.
The Hornets are building young talent around their star, LaMelo Ball. Rookie Kon Knueppel made the most three-point shots of any player in the league, showing his potential to grow into a superstar could be right around the corner.
Knueppel finished second in the NBA Rookie of the Year vote, losing to his former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg. Flagg had the hype coming into the season, but Knueppel made the case that he deserved the award based on his play throughout the season.
Knueppel, Sion James, Ryan Kalkbrenner and Liam McNeeley made up a rookie class that turned heads during the season.
Hornets President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson recently explained what he thinks the class is capable of, believing the team will be better next year.
“I can’t tell you how proud I am of our rookies,” Peterson said, via the Hornets. “All four of them contributed this year at some point. Of course, they all have different skillsets, strengths, paths, things like that.
"First and foremost, just who they are as humans, their approach. They’re professional, show up every day wanting to work, wanting to learn, wanting to be coached. They’re self-motivated, so I have no doubt in my mind that they will continue to get better.”
Peterson thinks the success of the 2025 class will make his job easier when it comes to the 2026 NBA Draft.
“That just makes it easier, again, for whoever we draft this year,” said Peterson. “They get to see those four rookies as an example. Those are the guys who will continue to set the tone, of course, with the other guys in the locker room.
"It’ll make it easier for whoever we bring in. Like they can look at somebody like Sion and he’s setting an example of when to show up, what to do, things like that.”
The Hornets have two first-round picks this year, the No. 14 and the No. 18 (Orlando).