Charlotte Hornets wing Kon Knueppel made ESPN's top 50 NBA players list.
Charlotte Hornets second-year small forward Kon Knueppel made ESPN's top 50 NBA players list.
ESPN ranked Knueppel No. 48. The Duke product is one spot ahead of Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz and one spot behind Derrick White of the Boston Celtics.
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 3-pointers.
Knueppel claimed the first four Rookie of the Month awards last season, becoming the first Hornet ever to win the award four times.
Here is what else Knueppel accomplished last season, via the Hornets:
- 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.
Knueppel and Brandon Miller are the new franchise players in Charlotte after the LaMelo Ball trade.
The Hornets traded Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves this summer. Miles Bridges was also traded to the Phoenix Suns.
Charlotte is widely expected to start Coby White, Miller, Knueppel, Naz Reid and Moussa Diabaté next season. It will be fascinating to see if the Hornets can make the playoffs in Year 1 of the post-Ball era.
2016 was the last time Charlotte made the playoffs. Knueppel, who was the first rookie to lead the NBA in made 3-pointers (272), has All-Star written all over him.
The Hornets open the 2026-27 season on the road against the Brooklyn Nets.
The home opener is against the Atlanta Hawks.
