Hornets coach Charles Lee says Kon Knueppel and Grant Williams are making progress in their recoveries from hamstring injuries.
Charlotte Hornets coach Charles Lee said Kon Knueppel and Grant Williams are trending positively in their recoveries from hamstring injuries, in comments Jeremy Grandison posted Sunday afternoon.
Both are already ruled out of the preseason. The Hornets announced Sept. 25 that Knueppel injured his left hamstring and Williams injured his right hamstring during offseason on-court activity, and that both would be re-evaluated during the first week of the regular season.
"Their engagement has been really good in how they're helping and elevating our practices and our environment," Lee said. "... they're trending positively. They're doing a little bit more on the court every day."
Knueppel Still Targeting Regular-Season Return
Lee is entering his third season as Charlotte's coach. Knueppel and Williams traveled with the team to Charleston, South Carolina, for training camp, which ran Sept. 29 through Oct. 2 on The Citadel's campus. The Hornets brought 21 players to camp, and nearly half of them are on the roster for the first time.
The preseason opens Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET against the Brooklyn Nets at Spectrum Center. Milwaukee visits Oct. 11. Charlotte then finishes the exhibition schedule on the road, at Boston on Oct. 14 and at Memphis on Oct. 16.
Knueppel appeared in 81 games as a rookie. The one he missed came after he left a Dec. 26 game at Orlando in the second quarter with a right ankle injury, having already scored a team-high 16 points.
At media day on Sept. 28, Knueppel aimed to play in the Oct. 21 opener at Brooklyn.
"We know that I want to play in every game," Knueppel said. "We saw that last year, [I] pretty badly rolled [my] ankle and only missed one; I didn't miss any games in college or high school. So I'm going to do my best to get myself prepared for that."
Charlotte took Knueppel out of Duke with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. He averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting 47.5% from the field, 42.5% from 3-point range, and 86.3% from the free-throw line. His 273 3-pointers led the NBA. No rookie had done that before.
Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks, Knueppel's teammate and roommate at Duke, won Rookie of the Year with 412 points to Knueppel's 386. Flagg received 56 first-place votes. Knueppel received 44. Both made the All-Rookie First Team.
Williams Continues Working Back After Major Knee Injury
Williams tore the ACL, meniscus, and other ligaments in his right knee at Milwaukee on Nov. 23, 2024. The Charlotte native had surgery in Chicago on Dec. 11 of that year and did not play again until Jan. 10, 2026.
Across 36 appearances last season, including three starts, Williams averaged 7.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 19.8 minutes. He shot 42.6% from the field and 38.8% from 3-point range.
Charlotte finished 44-38, ninth in the Eastern Conference. Williams scored five points in 18 minutes in a 127-126 overtime play-in win over the Miami Heat, then had one point in 15 minutes when the Hornets lost 121-90 at Orlando three nights later.
Boston drafted Williams 22nd overall in 2019. The Hornets acquired him from Dallas in 2024.
Hornets Enter Season With a Different Core
Charlotte traded LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Miles Bridges to the Phoenix Suns this offseason.
Coby White, who signed a three-year, $74 million contract in July, said at media day that his first job as the starting point guard is finding shots for Knueppel and Brandon Miller. White also wants both wings getting late-game opportunities.
Miller is back from shoulder surgery he had May 6.
Charlotte plays at Brooklyn on Oct. 21 and hosts the Atlanta Hawks on Oct. 23.
