Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel will likely miss the beginning of the 2026-27 NBA season after suffering a strained left hamstring, the team announced on Friday.
Knueppel, 21, suffered the injury during “offseason on-court activity,” according to the Hornets’ statement. Veteran forward Grant Williams also sustained a hamstring strain, hurting his right leg, according to the team. Both players will miss Charlotte’s preseason games and will be re-evaluated during the first week of the regular season.
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NBA training camps begin next week on Sept. 29. The Hornets’ first of four preseason contests is scheduled for Oct. 6. Their regular-season opener is Oct. 21. Both opening games are against the Brooklyn Nets.
Last season, the 6-foot-6 sharpshooter finished second in NBA Rookie of the Year balloting after challenging eventual winner and 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg by averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Selected No. 4 overall out of Duke in the 2025 NBA Draft, he led the league by making 273 3-pointers, shooting 43% on 673 attempts.
Knueppel also helped lead a significant turnaround for the Hornets franchise, improving to 44-38 and qualifying for the NBA play-in tournament as the No. 9 seed. after finishing with the league’s third-worst record at 19-63 during the prior season.
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Viewed as one of the NBA’s most explosive teams going into the play-in tournament, Charlotte won an overtime thriller over the Miami Heat before being eliminated in a blowout loss to the Orlando Magic. The toll of a long NBA season appeared to have worn Knueppel, who scored a total of 17 points and made only 1 of 12 3-pointers in the two play-in games.
Knueppel is poised for a larger role with the Hornets after the surprising trade of LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves, in addition to Miles Bridges being dealt to the Phoenix Suns.
The second-year star and Brandon Miller are expected to be the core of an up-and-coming playoff contender that also re-signed guard Coby White, drafted center Hannes Steinbach and guard Christian Anderson, and added center Naz Reid with guards Grayson Allen, Buddy Hield and Ryan Nembhard in an overhauled and highly competitive Eastern Conference.
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Williams, 27, averaged 7 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 39% from long range last season. He has been limited to 52 games during the past two seasons while recovering from a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee.
