The Charlotte Hornets may be on the verge of being in an ideal position on draft night, and it's all thanks to the Philadelphia 76ers. Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer reported on his Substack that the Sixers have already worked out VJ Edgecombe, and have another workout scheduled with Ace Bailey. If Philly is dead-set on drafting one of these high-upside wings, that could leave the Hornets in prime position to select Kon Knueppel with the fourth pick.
Of course, many Hornets fans are still unhappy that Charlotte moved down in the draft lottery yet again, but it's far from the time to panic. There will be several solid options available when pick number four is announced, and drafting Knueppel may just be the Hornets' best move.
A freshman out of Duke University, Knueppel is a big body at 6-foot-7, 215, who has incredible scoring touch and a lethal three-point shot to his name. He was one of the best scorers in college basketball in 2024-25, and his talent was evident in spite of playing alongside the consensus number one pick in Cooper Flagg.
Kon Knueppel could be available for the Hornets with the 4th pick
Most draft analysts see Knueppel as one of the most polished offensive players in this class, and he'd be an excellent fit alongside the Hornets' current core. The refined scoring power that Kon will bring to the NBA from day one would do a lot to inject some structure into a Charlotte offense that can sometime rely too much on LaMelo Ball's creation abilities.
Knueppel would be able to slot in right next to Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges as a player this team can trust to put points on the board. His skill set would not only be what this team needs right now, but it's also one that's typically pretty hard to find outside of the first couple picks in the draft.
What I mean by that is a player who's this NBA-ready and could legitimately be playing a major role in his rookie season. I look at Knueppel's long-term ceiling being something similar to Khris Middleton's if he truly lives up to his potential, and he'll likely end up going higher in future "re-drafts" than he does on draft night.
The truth is that the Hornets have enough raw talent and athleticism on their roster. They need to be looking for a guy who can bring consistency and legitimate floor-stretching abilities to the table as a rookie, without taking away too many opportunities from Charlotte's stars. The front office took a gamble on a project last year when they drafted Tidjane Salaun, this year it's time for them to pick someone league-ready who's a higher-floor prospect.