Charlotte Hornets Rookies Could be Impactful in Year 1

The Charlotte Hornets have been one of the worst teams at drafting over the last 25 years. Outside of Kemba Walker, LaMelo Ball and potentially Brandon Miller, the Hornets have failed to draft and keep impactful players on the roster.

However, after the 2025 NBA Draft, their fortunes could improve.

Many consider the Hornets one of the draft’s biggest winners. The team left New York with four players who look to bolster their identity and culture while adding much-needed depth and talent to the roster.

Charlotte’s season will hinge on Ball and Miller’s health and improvement, but their rookies have a chance to help the team take a much-needed leap after three straight twenty-win seasons.

Kon Knueppel

The Hornets started the draft by selecting Kon Knueppel No. 4 overall. Knueppel is an elite-level moment shooter who doubles as a secondary ball-handler and processes the game at a high level. In his lone season as a Blue Devil, he averaged 14.4 points, four rebounds and 2.7 assists on 64.2 true shooting percentage.

Knueppel followed his freshman campaign with a stellar Summer League performance, leading the team to its first championship in franchise history. The wing will immediately impact a team that ranked 27th in three-point percentage and struggled with ball-handling and decision-making outside of Ball.

Liam McNeeley

Charlotte acquired the No. 29 pick from the Suns in the Mark Williams trade and selected Liam McNeeley–a highly-touted sharpshooter out of high school who was overtasked and injured at UConn, but had some big performances throughout the season.

In a simpler role for the Hornets, McNeeley will be asked to knock down open threes, move off the ball and attack an occasional closeout. Mcneeley’s biggest issues as a freshman were defending the ball and finishing at the rim in the half-court, but if he can improve in those areas, he has a shot to add value in his rookie season.

Sion James

Charlotte held two second-round picks, the first of which they used on Kneueppel’s teammate Sion James. James is a hard-nosed guard that offers secondary ball-handling, connective passing and stingy defense.

The former Blue Devil is the type of player who will earn minutes in the rotation because of small things that don’t show up in the box score, such as battling for a 50/50 ball or making a timely rotation. James's complementary shooting and motor on the defensive end have a chance of helping the 23rd-ranked defense in the NBA.

Ryan Kalkbrenner

The Hornets ended their draft by selecting Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner—who many thought should be a first-round pick. Kalkbrenner has been productive and impactful since his sophomore year in Omaha. Since 2023, Kalkbrenner has finished above 70 percent at the rim and added 70 dunks each season.

In addition to his ability to finish at the rim, Kalkbrenner was one of the best defensive players in college basketball. The seven-footer won three Big East Defensive Players of the Year awards and improved Creighton’s defense by nearly 10 points per 100 possessions in his final season. With Charlotte moving on from Williams, Kalkbrenner is slated to be a fixture in the team's rotation.