Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel will miss the entire preseason because of a left hamstring injury, putting his availability for the start of the regular season in doubt.
The Hornets announced Friday that Knueppel suffered the injury during on-court activity. The team plans to reevaluate the guard during the first week of the regular season before determining when he can return.
Charlotte is scheduled to begin its regular-season campaign against Brooklyn on Oct. 21, meaning Knueppel could miss the opener depending on his recovery.
His absence comes after an impressive rookie season in which he established himself as one of Charlotte’s key offensive players.
Selected with the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, Knueppel averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists across 81 games during his first season in the league.
His biggest impact came from beyond the arc. Knueppel made 273 three-pointers, leading the NBA in that category while also setting a new rookie record. He comfortably surpassed the previous mark of 206 three-pointers held by Keegan Murray.
Knueppel’s performances also put him among the league’s standout first-year players. He finished as runner-up for NBA Rookie of the Year and earned a place on the All-Rookie first team. He was also named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month four times during the season.
Charlotte will now have to prepare for the preseason without one of its most productive young players while waiting for further information on his recovery.
Knueppel is not the only Hornets player dealing with a hamstring problem. Forward Grant Williams will also sit out the entire preseason with a hamstring injury.
Like Knueppel, Williams is expected to be evaluated during the first week of the regular season, according to the team.
With both players unavailable during preseason preparations, Charlotte will have to adjust its rotation before the campaign begins.
The Hornets will be hoping Knueppel’s recovery progresses sufficiently for him to return early in the regular season after his highly productive rookie year. His status for the Oct. 21 opener against Brooklyn will become clearer following his planned reevaluation.
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