Jul 14, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) dribbles the ball against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half of a NBA basketball game at the Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

How bad would it be if Charlotte Hornets' rookie Kon Knueppel was a bust?

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Sep 19, 2025 12:41 PM ET

It happens all the time. NBA prospects sometimes just don't pan out. Unfortunately, the Charlotte Hornets know way too much about that. The jury is still out on Tidjane Salaun, but he looks more like a bust than a future star. What about Kon Knueppel?

Knueppel is like any other prospect. He seems to have traits that should absolutely help him perform at the NBA level, but they might not. He might just not be an NBA player. What happens to the Hornets if he's not?

It would be devastating if Kon Knueppel was a bust

If Kon Knueppel doesn't pan out, the Charlotte Hornets might be in trouble. It's not as if they're counting on him like the Utah Jazz are counting on Ace Bailey, but Knueppel is wildly important to Charlotte's roster.

The Hornets already have two franchise cornerstones in LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. Knueppel was drafted to be the glue connecting them and to unlock their games even more. If he can't do that, then it'll end up producing more of what we've seen over the last couple of seasons.

Knueppel is a bit of a role player, but he fills a crucial role. The Hornets would still have their two stars if the former Duke sharpshooter is not cut out for this level, but the timeline would get completely messed up.

Knueppel being bad would push the Hornets back into the top of the lottery again in 2025. Maybe you can argue that having Ball, Miller, and one of AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, or another of the top 2026 prospects is better than Ball, Miller, and Knueppel, but that still has untold effects.

For one thing, Knueppel, Miller, Ball, and a mid-lottery or late-lottery prospect is a better combination than just the three mentioned. For another, it would result in a wasted year, which is bad when it comes to Miller. He's on his rookie contract, but pretty soon, he'll command a ton of salary, so wasting a season while he's pretty cheap would be a huge missed opportunity.

It's not like the Hornets project to contend this year or even next, but with Knueppel potentially flaming out, that timeline gets pushed even further out, and it might mean that Charlotte blows it up altogether and gets rid of Ball or Miller.

That would be a disaster, and it would be really disappointing for fans who have some excitement for the first time in a decade to be let down by Knueppel's hypothetical bust status.