Kon Knueppel Set to Return for Hornets Against Nets

Knueppel has been cleared to play Wednesday after the Hornets listed him as questionable a day earlier. The 2025 fourth overall pick strained his left hamstring before training camp and missed the preseason as well as Charlotte’s first eight regular-season games. He practiced with the Greensboro Swarm last week before rejoining the Hornets the following day.

His return comes as Charlotte seeks to end a four-game losing streak and improve an offense that has struggled early. Through eight games, the Hornets have averaged 97.4 points and shot 40.5% from the field. They have also made 29.6% of their three-point attempts, while averaging 21.3 assists and 19.8 turnovers.

Knueppel was a major contributor as a rookie, averaging 18.5 points over 81 games and making 42.5% of his three-pointers on 7.9 attempts per game. He led the NBA in three-pointers made last season and set a franchise record for threes in a season. He finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, one vote behind Cooper Flagg.

Charlotte has also recently welcomed back guard Coby White, who missed the first seven games with a calf injury. Forward Grant Williams, sidelined by a hamstring injury since before training camp, was assigned to the Swarm on Wednesday for practice. Knueppel’s game against Brooklyn will be his first since Charlotte’s Play-In Tournament loss in April.