Hornets announce key injuries to Kon Knueppel, Grant Williams

Charlotte Hornets guard/forward Kon Knueppel. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hornets announce key injuries to Kon Knueppel, Grant Williams ahead of preseason

By Andrew Wright | Last updated Sep 25, 2026 5:00 PM ET

After falling just one game short of their first playoff appearance in 10 seasons, the Charlotte Hornets have set the bar high for themselves entering the 2026-27 season.

Before the season can even get started, though, Charlotte got bad news about two injuries that could impact the beginning of the season.

Charlotte announces injuries to Kon Knueppel, Grant Williams

According to a post from the Hornets official X account on Friday, the team announced that Kon Knueppel (left hamstring) and Grant Williams (right hamstring) suffered injuries during offseason on-court activities.

Both Knueppel and Williams will be forced to miss the entire preseason, and the team announced that the two will be re-evaluated during the first week of the regular season.

Knueppel missed just one game in his stellar rookie season, while Williams was able to appear in only 16 games last season while recovering from a torn ACL in the 2024-25 season.

OFFICIAL: Kon Knueppel suffered a left hamstring injury and Grant Williams suffered a right hamstring injury during offseason on-court activity. Both players will miss our preseason games and be re-evaluated during the first week of the regular season.

Read the release:… pic.twitter.com/23HAlWX5QI
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) September 25, 2026

Hamstring issues can be troublesome

No two hamstring issues are the same, and no two players respond to them or recover from them the same. That could be an issue for Charlotte, as both Knueppel and Williams are expected to play major roles this season.

Knueppel was expected to be the starting shooting guard for Charlotte once again and was looking to build on a record-setting rookie season, while Williams was expected to be a key bench piece who brings leadership and toughness.

Knueppel and Williams will miss all of the Hornets' preseason games.

In 81 games last season, Knueppel averaged 18.5 PPG and led the league in 3-pointers made en route to his runner-up finish for Rookie of the Year. https://t.co/uFZW2aHqfA
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) September 25, 2026

Who can step up in the absence of Kon Knueppel and Grant Williams?

Charlotte has a surplus of younger players (Sion James, Hannes Steinbach, Liam McNeeley) that may be forced into some early-season roles. It also, though, has veteran players (Dennis Schroder, Buddy Hield) who would have no issues being inserted into the starting lineup if need be.

The organization is certainly hoping that Knueppel and Williams recover in a timely manner and return to play as soon as possible. If not, Charlotte could be in jeopardy of missing the playoffs for an 11th straight season.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

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