Charlotte Hornets Draft Kon Knueppel with No. 4 Pick

At Wednesday’s 2025 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets were again set to add one of the top prospects.

With the No. 4 pick, they officially took Kon Knueppel.

Big-bodied at 6-foot-6, Knueppel offers some of the highest feel in the class on the wing. He functioned as Cooper Flagg’s No. 2 scoring option at Duke, but stepped in when the No. 1 overall pick went down due to injury.

He averaged 14.4 points, 2.7 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game for the Blue Devils, generally playing a mistake-free game. He offers one of the better dribble-pass-shoot prospects in the class, functioning with a solid handle, processing and 41% outside shooting.

The Hornets have been no strangers to the draft in recent years, earning top picks for the better part of the last decade. 

Charlotte kicked off a new era in selecting LaMelo Ball with the No. 3 pick at the 2020 NBA Draft, who’s showed obvious talent in his short career. He won Rookie of the Year then earned an All-Star bid in just his second season, but has since played in just 35 games per season.

In the year’s following, the Hornets would miss on a few prospects, but nab talented wing Brandon Miller No. 2 overall in 2023.

Now, they’ll look to compete in the East following yet another underwhelming season.

Per an earlier scouting report from NBA Draft on SI: While Knueppel can make things happen as a ball handler and score in the midrange and at the rim, he’s most known for being a sniper from beyond the arc with perfect shooting mechanics that are very repeatable in all shot situations. That's why at minimum he has the tools to be a helpful off-ball threat at the next level. He’s patient and generally takes good shots, which makes him an efficient scorer. On top of being a great shooter on the perimeter, Knueppel also has the ability to leverage his size and strength in the paint. Especially when he’s being defended by someone smaller than him, he often likes to back down and score in the post. 

Should Ball and co. stay healthy, the Hornets — having added talent at the draft — could be primed to make the postseason in the East for the first time in awhile.

Charlotte also owns the No. 33 and 34 picks in the second round, which will take place tomorrow. The next major milestone in the NBA offseason will be the 2025 NBA 2K25 Summer League held in Las Vegas, NV, which will take place from July 10-20.