Hornets Notes: Knueppel, Miller, McNeeley, Kalkbrenner, Plumlee
Two spots in the Hornets‘ starting lineup are uncertain as the regular season approaches, and coach Charles Lee indicated they could be flexible for a while, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Moussa Diabate was the starting center for Sunday’s preseason opener against Oklahoma City, while rookie Kon Knueppel got the nod at small forward.
“I spoke with Tre (Mann) and Kon and Collin (Sexton), and I said, ‘I think you guys need to be prepared to start a lot of different ways and we’ll see how the season goes,’” Lee said. “I think that each one of them has had really high moments or really good bright spots and have shown that they learned to be out there and have a significant role. And all three I think will have a significant role. And every night it might look a little bit different and they need to be open minded to it. And so (Sunday), trying to just get some data on what lineups I think work well defensively, what lineups work well offensively and we’ll keep kind of carving out what we think makes the most sense for our team on a night-to-night basis.”
Knueppel, the fourth pick in this year’s draft, led Charlotte in scoring with 18 points, shooting 6-of-13 from the field and 4-of-10 beyond the arc. He’s eager to launch his NBA career and isn’t concerned about whether he’s used as a starter or a reserve.
“I think it doesn’t really matter,” Knueppel said. “I think we’re all going to contribute a bunch or all three of us will. So, just depending on the matchups each night, we want to start out on their guard heavy. Maybe he goes to one of those guys just depending on the matchup. But I think we’ll all get similar playing time every game.”
There’s more from Charlotte, all from Boone:
- Sunday night marked Brandon Miller‘s return to the court for the first time since he tore a ligament in his right wrist in January. Boone notes that Miller didn’t show any lingering effects from the injury, throwing down a pair of dunks with his right hand and driving into the lane with no fear of contact. “Just getting that feel back,” Miller said. “I haven’t played basketball with my guys in a long time, so I would say just getting the feel back and building that confidence and bond that we have with our teammates, just being that stronger every day.”
- Rookies Liam McNeeley and Ryan Kalkbrenner also saw significant minutes in their debuts Sunday night. They both displayed a mix of inexperience and positive plays, and Lee was encouraged by what he saw. “I think everyone got to see what these kids are about,” he said. “Our young rookies, they’re fearless, they don’t back down. Their competitive spirit, their winning spirit, they’re coming up with offensive rebounds, they’re diving on the floor for loose balls. There’s a physicality, there’s a togetherness.”
- Mason Plumlee joined the team on Sunday after missing nearly a week with an excused absence. He participated in warmups but didn’t play as Lee gave the minutes at center to Diabaté and Kalkbrenner.
Hornets Notes: Miller, Knueppel, Lee, Mann, Dinwiddie, Lineup
Forward Brandon Miller is healthy and will participate in training camp, Hornets president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson said on Monday, according to Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). Miller’s 2024/25 campaign was cut short by wrist surgery performed in January.
There’s no timetable regarding the injury status of Grant Williams and Josh Green, Peterson added. Both players are expected to miss all of training camp. Green underwent left shoulder surgery in June, while Williams tore the ACL and meniscus in his right knee last November.
We have more on the Hornets from Boone:
- LaMelo Ball was caught off guard by rookie Kon Knueppel‘s athleticism, particularly his hops (Twitter link). “I’m not going to lie. I’m going to go with the bounce,” he said. “For real. I didn’t know he could jump like that. He’s even caught a few little dunks. I’m like, ‘Hold up, I’ve seen ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ at the end and he’s been kind of jumping like that the whole day, though. Solid.”
- Hornets head coach Charles Lee indicated the system and offensive strategy has been tweaked so they can play faster this season. He added he’s more prepared now than he was in his first year on the job (Twitter link).
- Tre Mann re-signed with the team on a three-year, $24MM contract. He missed most of last season due to a back injury but started to feel back to normal in April. “I’m grateful to be healthy,” he said. (Twitter video link).
- Journeyman guard Spencer Dinwiddie signed a one-year deal in July as a free agent. He believes the team has the talent to end its postseason drought. “Being able to help a team possibly trying to make the playoffs is an exciting opportunity and another challenge in my career,” he said. (video link).
- Ball, Miller and Miles Bridges are starting lineup locks. Who fills the other spots? According to Boone, Sexton could be the person sliding into the shooting guard spot. Starting him would allow Lee to moved him to point guard when Ball goes to the bench in the opening quarter. At center, Lee could play the matchup game. Veteran Mason Plumlee appears to be the favorite to snag that spot, backed up by Moussa Diabate and rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner.
Hornets’ Josh Green, Grant Williams To Miss Training Camp
Hornets wing Josh Green and forward Grant Williams will both miss training camp as they continue to recover from their respective injuries, head coach Charles Lee recently told reporters, including Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
Green underwent left shoulder surgery in June, while Williams tore the ACL and meniscus in his right knee last November.
According to Boone, Lee said both players are making progress, but neither has a specific timeline to return, though Williams is apparently a little further along in his recovery.
Given that Green and Williams miss training camp, which begins September 30, it’s possible neither player will be active for Charlotte’s regular season opener on Oct. 22.
Here are few more items of interest from Boone’s story:
- In addition to making on-court strides this offseason, Brandon Miller has also impressed Lee by becoming a vocal leader, Boone writes. In particular, Miller has been mentoring fellow 2023 first-round pick Nick Smith Jr. Miller is another Hornet whose ’24/25 season was cut short — he underwent right wrist surgery in January. He said in late July the wrist was close to fully healed.
- Lee wants LaMelo Ball to become a locker-room leader as well and thinks trade addition Collin Sexton will help with that, per Boone. While Lee said Ball has made strides on defense, he still wants the team’s highest-paid player to be more consistent on that end of the court.
- Each of Charlotte’s 2025 draft picks — Kon Knueppel, Liam McNeeley, Sion James and Ryan Kalkbrenner — will receive minutes during the preseason, according to Lee, who thinks big man Kalkbrenner could eventually have a career similar to Brook Lopez.
Hornets Rookies Optimistic About Future, 2025/26 Season
Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer recently interviewed the Hornets‘ four 2025 draft picks — Kon Knueppel (No. 4), Liam McNeeley (No. 29), Sion James (No. 33) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (No. 34) — to see how they’re adjusting to the city and preparing for their rookie seasons, among other topics.
The Hornets were the only team to go undefeated at the Las Vegas Summer League, finishing 6-0 en route to the championship, with Knueppel named the finale’s MVP. The former Duke wing says he’s happy fans are excited about the Summer League showing, but the team is striving for more.
“I think it’s cool,” Knueppel told Boone. “We want to carry that momentum over a little bit. We’ve been having a good fall so far, playing a bunch with the guys. So, it’s been good so far and hopefully we can carry that momentum toward the season.”
Knueppel is also looking forward to playing for head coach Charles Lee, according to Boone.
“He’s a good person first,” Knueppel said. “It’s real easy to gravitate toward someone who is a good guy. And to see the way he operates with other people, everyone in the organization. And his family, too, he loves being around his family, so that’s just someone you want to play hard for. He takes the Xs and O’s really seriously. So, yeah, I’m really excited.”
Here are a few more highlights from Boone’s interviews:
McNeeley on fan enthusiasm for the 2025/26 season:
“Yeah, Charlotte’s like a big sports city, a big sports town. I think it’s cool to give the fans something to hope for, something to root for. It’s really cool to be part of something that’s building and is going to be at a high level in a couple of years.”
Kalkbrenner on what has stood out most about the team:
“Obviously, I’ve never been in the NBA before, but I think this year’s group is really, really committed to changing the culture, and trying to win and bring a winning culture here. It seems like we all want the same thing. We’re not just here to be here, have a job or whatever. We are all trying to win. So, I’ve been really impressed with that and it makes me really excited to get out there with them.”
James on which part of his game he wants to improve most:
“It will really happen once the games start coming. It’s probably too soon to say now. I want to improve everything in my game is the cop out answer I guess, but in reality I know I’m just going to have to figure out what it means to be in the NBA. And doing that, there will be some ups and downs, but I’m OK with that.”
Summer League Notes: Rookie Standouts, Maluach, Fears
The 2025 Summer League gave fans and teams first impressions of most of this year’s incoming rookies, as well as serving as a showcase for several sophomores and younger veterans. In the wake of the event, Law Murray of the Athletic breaks down each rookie’s performance with an eye for what it could mean for the coming season.
Cooper Flagg (Mavericks), Dylan Harper (Spurs), and VJ Edgecombe (Sixers) were arguably the biggest names who participated in the Summer Leagues – headlined by the Las Vegas event – and despite some shooting efficiency concerns, all three gave their fans plenty of reason for excitement.
Flagg displayed a well-rounded on-ball skill set, Harper came up clutch in his last game to force overtime, and Edgecombe lived at the free throw line while displaying some advanced ball-screen offensive game, Murray observes.
The next three picks in the draft, Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Ace Bailey (Jazz), and Tre Johnson (Wizards), all showed off their shot-making capabilities, which will likely be what earns them regular playing time as rookies. Knueppel was rewarded for his play with the only All-Summer League Second Team selection among rookies, while Nique Clifford (Kings) was the lone rookie to make the First Team, thanks to his stellar all-around play.
Other rookies, such as Collin Murray-Boyles (Raptors), Carter Bryant (Spurs), Joan Beringer (Timberwolves), and Brooks Barnhizer (Thunder) flashed tantalizing defensive capabilities, though Murray-Boyles and Bryant were inconsistent offensively, Murray notes.
Here are a few more leftover Summer League notes:
- John Hollinger of the Athletic takes a look at some of the low points of Summer League, including the worst ejection of the tournament, awarded to the Celtics‘ Jordan Walsh for not only having an excessive foul on the Heat’s Pelle Larsson, but for accidentally throwing him into Walsh’s own front office executives courtside.
- In terms of players who struggled, Hollinger mentions Khaman Maluach (Suns), who had difficulty catching lobs and other passes, Jeremiah Fears (Pelicans), who was unable to spearhead an offense and create for others, and the limitations of the four Nets rookies who suited up, among others.
- On the non-player side, Hollinger points to an abundance of turnovers caused by stepping out of bounds, as well as the prevalence of split-screen interviews that made following the games an exercise in patience and eagle-eyed vision.
NBA Names Kyle Filipowski Summer League MVP, Announces All-SL Teams
Jazz forward/center Kyle Filipowski has officially been named the Summer League Most Valuable Player for 2025, the NBA announced today (via Twitter). Filipowski is also one of five players who earned a spot on the All-Summer League first team.
Here are the full All-Summer League teams, per the league (Twitter links):
First Team
- Kyle Filipowski (Jazz)
- Nique Clifford (Kings)
- David Jones-Garcia (Spurs)
- Jordan Miller (Clippers)
- Terrence Shannon Jr. (Timberwolves)
Second Team
- Ron Holland (Pistons)
- Isaac Jones (Kings)
- Kon Knueppel (Hornets)
- Ajay Mitchell (Thunder)
- KJ Simpson (Hornets)
Filipowski, who is entering his second NBA season after playing 72 games as a rookie, appeared in a total of six Summer League contests (Salt Lake City and Las Vegas). He averaged 23.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 blocks in 27.6 minutes per game. He especially excelled in Las Vegas, averaging 29.3 PPG and 7.7 RPG in three outings.
Clifford, a rookie drafted with the No. 24 pick last month, posted averages of 15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals in six contests. Jones-Garcia, who is seeking a contract, finished an eight-game summer campaign with averages of 22 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists. He posted averages of 21.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in a handful of games in Vegas.
Miller (22.0, 7.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists) racked up impressive number in five summer games after being waived earlier this month by the Clippers. Entering his second season with Minnesota, Shannon (22.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists) excelled in three contests.
After competing in the Summer League championship game on Sunday, both the Hornets (Knueppel and Simpson) and Kings (Clifford and Jones) had multiple players recognized for their play in Las Vegas. Knueppel was named the MVP of the championship game.
Southeast Notes: Da Silva, Wagner, Bitadze, Knueppel, McNeeley, Heat
Magic forwards Tristan Da Silva and Franz Wagner have been named to Germany’s preliminary roster for this summer’s EuroBasket tournament, according to Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel.
Wagner is one of the top players for Germany, which finished third at the competition in 2022. NBA veterans Dennis Schröder and Daniel Theis are also on the 16-man roster, which must be cut down to 12 for the tournament. Magic assistant coach Randy Gregory will serve as an assistant coach.
Orlando center Goga Bitadze will play for the Republic of Georgia at the event. The tournament will take place Aug. 27-Sept. 14 in Cyprus, Finland, Poland and Latvia.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- The Hornets won the Las Vegas Summer League title and Kon Knueppel was named the tourney’s MVP. In doing so, Knueppel proved he had much to offer than just his ability to knock down jumpers, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer writes. Late first-round pick Liam McNeeley played with a chip on his shoulder and he could prove to be a steal at No. 29 overall, Boone adds.
- The Heat essentially have one two-way contract available. Did any of the unsigned players on their Summer League roster earn that deal? The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang identifies five players — center Dain Dainja, forwards Javonte Cooke and Myron Gardner and guards Erik Stevenson and Bryson Warren — who deserve consideration for that spot.
- How does the current Heat roster stack up against their Eastern Conference peers? Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald believes that Miami could finish anywhere from fifth to 10th in the East and identifies Cleveland and New York as the only clubs clearly better than the Heat, unless Philadelphia’s top players are healthy.
Hornets’ Knueppel Named Summer League Championship Game MVP
The Hornets took home the NBA’s 2025 Summer League championship with an 83-78 victory over Sacramento in Sunday’s finale in Las Vegas.
Rookie center Ryan Kalkbrenner (15 points, nine rebounds), and two-way guard KJ Simpson (11 points, seven rebounds, five assists) were among the Hornets who played key roles in the win, but No. 4 overall pick Kon Knueppel led the way with a team-high 21 points and +9 on/off mark, earning him championship game MVP honors, as Mark Anderson of The Associated Press details.
Knueppel got off to a shaky start in Summer League play earlier this month, scoring just five points on 1-of-8 shooting in his Hornets debut vs. Utah. He bounced back nicely, however, scoring at least 16 points and making multiple three-pointers in each of his next four games.
Knueppel was the first of four players drafted by the Hornets last month — the team also selected Liam McNeeley at No. 29, Sion James at No. 33, and Kalkbrenner at No. 34.
While James and McNeeley appeared in just two of Charlotte’s six Summer League games due to hip and Achilles issues, respectively, all four of the team’s 2025 draftees showed some promise in Las Vegas as the Hornets became the only club to go 6-0 at the event.
Kings, Hornets To Meet For Las Vegas Summer League Title
Play will wrap up in the Las Vegas Summer League on Sunday with the Kings facing the Hornets in the championship game at 9 p.m. CT. Both teams advanced with convincing wins on Saturday, with Sacramento defeating Toronto, 98-88, and Charlotte routing Oklahoma City, 109-80.
Isaac Jones led the way for the Kings with 36 points and six rebounds in the semifinal matchup. The 25-year-old power forward appeared in 40 games as a rookie last season and is set to return after the team exercised its option on him last month. Sacramento also got 15 points from Mason Jones, who missed the previous game with an oblique injury, and 12 points and seven rebounds from rookie center Maxime Raynaud.
Charlotte was led by 25 points from Jaylen Sims, who appeared in six games with the team last season after signing a 10-day contract in April. The 26-year-old shooting guard is currently a free agent. Kon Knueppel, the fourth selection in last month’s draft, scored 17 points in 21 minutes before leaving the game after suffering a head injury while diving for a loose ball, according to Ben Golliver of The Washington Post (Twitter link).
Even if Knueppel returns today, the Hornets will be without two of their top players. First-round pick Liam McNeeley missed the past two games with right Achilles tendinopathy, while last year’s lottery pick Tidjane Salaün sat out the last three games due to right Achilles soreness.
There were six unbeaten teams during this year’s preliminary games, with the Raptors (+15.8), Thunder (+14.8), Hornets (+12.7) and Kings (+11.5) advancing due to point differential ahead of the Timberwolves (+9.5) and Hawks (+8.0).
Today’s contest will feature a matchup of former college teammates Nique Clifford and KJ Simpson, who spent two years together at Colorado, notes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. The Kings traded up to take Clifford with the 24th pick in this year’s draft, and he’s gotten off to a strong start in Summer League, averaging 16.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals in five games while shooting 55.4% from the field and 50% from three-point range.
Simpson has served as the Hornets’ primary ball-handler in Las Vegas and has posted 19.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals in five games.
The Kings are seeking their third title since playoffs were added to the league in 2013. They defeated the Rockets in 2014 and the Celtics in 2021. The Hornets are chasing their first Summer League championship.
Southeast Notes: Knueppel, Bane, Christopher, Risacher, Johnson
After Cooper Flagg referred to his Thursday Summer League debut as “one of the worst games of my life,” his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel conveyed a similar sentiment in the wake of a 1-of-8 performance from the field on Friday in his first Summer League game with the Hornets.
“Probably one of the worst games I’ve played in a while,” Knueppel said, per Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “I just couldn’t get one to go. Didn’t feel great, especially missing free throws. But I thought I did a good job defensively, held my own. I’ve got to be a little smarter with the ball. A couple of bad turnovers but it’s good to get my feet underneath me a little bit and get ready for the next game.”
Although Knueppel struggled to score, Charlotte’s other rookies made a positive first impression. Liam McNeeley, in particular, had a huge debut in Vegas, registering a team-high 22 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists in 28 minutes off the bench to help lead the Hornets to a win over Utah.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Appearing on ESPN Today on Friday (YouTube link), Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley spoke glowingly about new addition Desmond Bane, stating that it’s “fantastic” to have the veteran wing on his roster. “He was in the gym the other day with Franz (Wagner) and Anthony Black already,” Mosley said. “Just his work ethic, his character, his care factor, just (the) leadership that he brings to the table is going to be so special for us.”
- Former first-round pick Josh Christopher, who spent last season on a two-way contract with Miami, was a late addition to the Hawks‘ Summer League roster, tweets Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The 6’4″ guard didn’t play at all on Friday in Atlanta’s first game in Vegas.
- During an ESPN interview at halftime of the Hawks‘ Friday game, general manager Onsi Saleh said the team “couldn’t be more happy” with the development of last year’s No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, per Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com (Twitter link). “He has gotten his body so right, especially given how young he is,” Saleh said. “… I saw him in the summertime and he looked like he put on some more weight.”
- There weren’t a ton of bright spots for the Wizards in their blowout loss to Phoenix on Friday, but the play of No. 6 overall pick Tre Johnson was one of them, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Johnson scored 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting and earned praise from coach J.J. Outlaw and his teammates for his Summer League debut. “He played aggressive. He played with a lot of confidence, which was expected,” second-year forward Kyshawn George said. “It was his first game, his first start. He’s only going to get better from here.”