NBA
Hornets’ Kon Knueppel was named the summer league championship game MVP
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated10 hours ago on July 21, 2025
The Kings and Hornets met on Sunday, July 20, for the 2k26 summer league championship game. Charlotte had a 36-18 lead in the second quarter, but Sacramento made a rally.
In the end, the Hornets won 83-78 on Sunday for Charlotte’s first summer league title. Fourth overall pick Kon Knueppel finished with a team-high 21 points. Additionally, he had five rebounds and two assists in 33 minutes. After the Hornets’ win, the rookie was named the championship game MVP. Kon Knueppel is expected to be a starter for the Hornets in 2025-26.
How high is the ceiling for former Duke star Kon Knueppel
Kon Knueppel’s team-high 21 points earns him the #NBA2KSummerLeague Championship Game MVP! pic.twitter.com/XCe7n62udI
— NBA (@NBA) July 21, 2025
Two Duke Blue Devils were selected in the top four picks of the 2025 NBA draft. Consensus All-American and National Player of the Year Cooper Flagg was the first overall pick by Dallas. With the fourth pick, the Charlotte Hornets selected SF Kon Knueppel. In his lone season for Duke, Knueppel started all 39 games he appeared in. He averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. Additionally, the 19-year-old shot an impressive .406% from beyond the arc.
During his summer league debut for the Hornets, Kon Knueppel finished with five points. It took a few games for Knueppel to shake off the rust and adjust to the play style in the NBA. In his last four games, the rookie averaged 18.3 points for Charlotte. Knueppel scored a summer league career-high 21 points in the championship game vs. Sacramento.
NO. 4 PICK KON KNUEPPEL LEADS THE @hornets TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP IN VEGAS 🏆
🐝 21 PTS
🐝 5 REB
🐝 4 3PM#NBA2KSummerLeague pic.twitter.com/MaIfk73GF9— NBA (@NBA) July 21, 2025
He was 8-21 from the field and 4-11 from beyond the arc. His +/- of +9 was the best of any player for Charlotte on Sunday. Based on what they saw in the summer league, the Hornets should be excited to add a talented player like Kon Knuppel. The rookie is a legitimate three-level scorer and should adjust quickly to the NBA.
His largest obstacle could be how often the ball is in his hands. LaMelo Ball is a ball-dominant PG who averaged 25.5 points and 7.4 assists per game. That’s a large usage rate for the Hornets. On top of that, the team has three players who averaged 20+ points per game last season. That included LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Miles Bridges. Kon Knueppel will have to earn the trust and respect of his teammates to become a key role player for the Hornets.
