The Hornets have locked in the next chapter for two of their young wings, picking up the 2027/28 options on Kon Knueppel and Liam McNeeley.
Knueppel is set to make about $11MM in 2027/28, which will be his third season in the league. McNeeley’s salary comes in at approximately $3MM. Charlotte has until November 1, 2027 to decide on the fourth-year options for both players.
For Knueppel, the decision was never really in doubt. He was selected fourth overall in the 2025 draft and finished a close second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2026/27, making his option an easy call for the Hornets.
McNeeley’s case was different, but still straightforward enough for the team to move ahead. His $3MM salary for next season is close to his projected minimum of $2.61MM, giving Charlotte a relatively modest cap number while it waits to see how much more he can grow after playing a limited role so far in his career.
One notable name was absent from the Hornets’ press release: Tidjane Salaun. Charlotte has until Monday to decide whether to exercise his fourth-year option, which is worth $10.4MM.
That omission may point toward the Hornets declining the option on the French forward, though nothing has been confirmed yet. Salaun, 21, was taken sixth overall in the 2024 draft and was the first major pick made by head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson.
The 6’10” power forward had a rough rookie season in 2024/25, then showed some progress in a smaller role in ’25/26. This season, he’s averaging 5.3 points and 3.2 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per game over six appearances.
In Other News...
Hornets Need More Around Brandon Miller In Crucial Pistons Rematch
Brandon Miller gave Charlotte plenty to work with in the first meeting with Detroit, pouring in 31 points in a game the Hornets still could not finish off. Now the teams meet again with Charlotte sitting at 3-4 and trying to steady itself against a Pistons group that has opened the season 5-1, making this one feel like an early test of whether the Hornets can turn a strong individual effort into a more complete team performance.
The challenge is bigger because Charlotte is already dealing with two hamstring absences, which has thinned the rotation and put more pressure on the supporting cast around Miller. The Hornets do not need a miracle so much as a few more reliable scoring nights and cleaner minutes from the rest of the roster, especially in a rematch where Detroit already knows what Miller can do and will be ready for it. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Just Put Tidjane Salan In A Tough Roster Spot
Tidjane Salans recent night offered a small reminder of why the Hornets remain intrigued by him. He logged 12 minutes and flashed a few promising moments, the kind of brief run that keeps a young player on the radar even when his role is still in flux.
The bigger issue is what Charlotte has already done with his contract. The Hornets have reportedly declined the fourth-year option on Salans deal, which changes the timeline on his future and puts the team in a more delicate spot with a player it may still want to keep around. Charlotte could look to bring him back on a friendlier deal, but with his contract situation shifting, he also becomes a name to watch as the February trade deadline approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Face A Bigger Problem Than Another Close Loss
Another close loss left Charlotte with the same familiar frustration, this time after the Hornets let a late lead slip away against Philadelphia. The result was disappointing enough on its own, but it also reinforced a bigger issue hanging over the team right now: the Hornets are still trying to clean up the kind of late-game mistakes that keep turning winnable nights into losses.
Moussa Diabat pointed to execution as the problem, and the timing makes the concern even sharper with Charlotte still waiting on injured contributors Coby White, Kon Knueppel and Grant Williams to come back. Those absences matter, and the hope inside the locker room is that the roster will look more complete soon, but the Hornets also know the current stretch is exposing how much sharper they need to be before that help arrives. [Read more 🡒]