Charlotte’s preseason picture got a little brighter Sunday, with coach Charles Lee offering encouraging words on both Kon Knueppel and Grant Williams as they work back from hamstring injuries.
Lee said the two Hornets are “trending positively” and continuing to do more on the court each day, though both remain out for the preseason. Charlotte announced on Sept. 25 that Knueppel had injured his left hamstring and Williams his right hamstring during offseason on-court work, with both set to be re-evaluated during the first week of the regular season.
“Their engagement has been really good in how they're helping and elevating our practices and our environment,” Lee said. “... they're trending positively. They're doing a little bit more on the court every day.”
The update comes with training camp already in the books. Lee, now in his third season as Charlotte’s coach, had Knueppel and Williams with the team in Charleston, South Carolina, where camp ran Sept. 29 through Oct. 2 on The Citadel’s campus. The Hornets brought 21 players to camp, and nearly half were on the roster for the first time.
Knueppel’s status is especially worth watching after a huge rookie season. The fourth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft out of Duke played in 81 games, missing only one after leaving a Dec. 26 game at Orlando in the second quarter with a right ankle injury.
He had already scored a team-high 16 points in that game. At media day on Sept.
28, Knueppel said he hoped to be ready for the Oct. 21 opener at Brooklyn.
“We know that I want to play in every game,” Knueppel said. “We saw that last year, [I] pretty badly rolled [my] ankle and only missed one; I didn't miss any games in college or high school. So I'm going to do my best to get myself prepared for that.”
His debut season was a statement. Knueppel averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 47.5% from the field, 42.5% from 3-point range and 86.3% from the free-throw line.
His 273 3-pointers led the NBA, and no rookie had ever done that before. He finished second in Rookie of the Year voting behind Dallas Mavericks teammate and roommate Cooper Flagg, 412 points to 386, and both players landed on the All-Rookie First Team.
Williams is continuing his own long climb back after a major knee injury. He tore the ACL, meniscus and other ligaments in his right knee at Milwaukee on Nov. 23, 2024, had surgery in Chicago on Dec. 11, and didn’t return until Jan.
10, 2026. Last season, across 36 appearances and three starts, he averaged 7.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 19.8 minutes while shooting 42.6% from the field and 38.8% from deep.
Williams also saw action in Charlotte’s postseason run. He scored five points in 18 minutes during the 127-126 overtime play-in win over Miami, then had one point in 15 minutes in the 121-90 loss at Orlando three nights later. The Hornets finished 44-38 and ninth in the Eastern Conference.
The roster around them has changed plenty this offseason. Charlotte traded LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Miles Bridges to the Phoenix Suns.
Coby White, who signed a three-year, $74 million deal in July, said at media day that his first job as the starting point guard is creating looks for Knueppel and Brandon Miller, while also making sure both wings get late-game chances. Miller is back after shoulder surgery on May 6.
Charlotte opens the preseason Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET against the Brooklyn Nets at Spectrum Center.
The exhibition slate continues against Milwaukee on Oct. 11, then at Boston on Oct. 14 and at Memphis on Oct. 16.
The regular season starts Oct. 21 at Brooklyn, and the Hornets host the Atlanta Hawks on Oct. 23.
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Now McNeeley is back in the mix for a Hornets team that has added Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale and is leaning on veterans such as Coby White for guidance in camp. The competition for minutes is real, but McNeeleys second-year confidence is showing up at a time when Charlotte is looking for reliable rotation answers. The next question is whether the opening he has created for himself is wide enough to stick once the roster settles in. [Read more 🡒]