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Tre Johnson or Kon Knueppel: Who should the Hornets select if VJ Edgecombe is off the board?

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Matt Alquiza | Last updated Jun 4, 2025 1:22 PM ET

As we barrel towards the NBA Draft, a marriage between the Charlotte Hornets and Baylor swingman VJ Edgecombe looks increasingly more likely. The athletic guard would slide nicely into Charles Lee's starting lineup between LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller as a long-term starting shooting guard that would accentuate the strengths and mitigate the weakness of Charlotte's marquee duo.

Although all reporting says that Edgecombe is on track to take his throne in the Queen City, the NBA Draft is still a fickle beast. Twists and turns are likely to come between now and draft day, and there's a real chance that Edgecombe gets scooped up with the third overall pick before Charlotte even has the chance to select him.

In that scenario, two players would jump to the top of mind for Hornets fans: Kon Knueppel and Tre Johnson. Who would Charlotte select between those two?

Knueppel vs. Johnson

Knueppel is the safer option. On top of being a knockdown three-point shooter, Knueppel brings a host of ancillary skills to the table. He's a nice complimentary piece to pair with star ball handlers due to the aforementioned shooting, savvy play-finishing around the basket despite his limited athleticism, and his on-ball creation upside. When his National Player of the Year winning teammate Cooper Flagg went down with a gnarly ankle injury in the ACC Tournament, Knueppel shined as the lead playmaker in Duke's run to the championship.

There are concern's about Kon's long-term defensive viability due to his poor wingspan and lack of vertical and horizontal burst, but his bulky frame, high IQ, and acute awareness of his deficiencies lead me to believe that he'll top out as a solid team defender.

The thought of Knueppel operating in Charles Lee's offense as a spot-up shooting, tertiary ball handling complement to Ball and Miller is enticing. For his perceived limitations, Knueppel would be a solid pick at number four overall.

If Knueppel is the safe option, Johnson is the home run swing.

As a freshman at Texas, Johnson was handed an immense playmaking load and he acquitted himself well under pounds of pressure. Johnson captained a rocky Rodney Terry-led offensive system and ended up leading the country's most difficult conference in scoring as a baby-faced teenager.

His on-ball scoring bag is deep, containing a myriad of counters on the perimeter to create space from sticky defenders. Although he struggles to finish through contact around the basket, Johnson is a beyond-his-years midrange scorer who deploys tight footwork in congested areas to rise above defenders and get his shots off.

Johnson is an offensive dynamo that would thrive in the half court and transition alongside talented shot creators and improve steadily in all facets of his game without the playmaking burden he was tasked with at Texas.

However, like Knueppel, Johnson struggles on defense. Unlike Knueppel, Johnson has impressive physical tools, standing 6'6" with a 6'10 wingspan, that can be molded into an active defender by the right craftsman. Many of his defensive struggles as a freshman can be boiled down to inattentiveness, poor fluidity in his movements, and a lack of strength when guarding more physical ball handlers. It will take time, and the right coaching staff, but Johnson can rise above the poor reputation he rightfully garnered on the defensive end at Texas.

The Verdict

With just over three weeks to go until the NBA Draft, I'm personally leaning towards Johnson as the pick for Charlotte. While the defensive limitations are legitimately concerning, I'm willing to bet on three things: his size, his work ethic, and his blistering outside shot.

A LaMelo Ball, Tre Johnson, Brandon Miller perimeter trio would struggle to contain opposing ball handlers, but the offense would be intoxicating. Also, if one or two of the three fully buy into slowing down opposing primary options on a night-to-night basis, I have faith in Charles Lee's defensive infrastructure being strong enough to overcome the deficiencies of the three primary guards.

While I like Knueppel as a prospect, I don't see him topping out as anything more than the third or fourth best player on a championship-level team, and that's not a player you draft with this type of premium pick Charlotte owns. Johnson is the true home run swing that could develop into the type of player that carries an offense home down the stretch of a meaningful basketball game. And if Ball isn't long for Charlotte, they will need someone to do that in his stead, and Johnson can be that guy.