Hornets Suffer 2 Major Injury Blows with Grant Williams, Kon Knueppel Going Down

Last year, the Charlotte Hornets were mostly healthy for the first time in what felt like ages. LaMelo Ball played 72 games. Brandon Miller missed a small chunk of time, but he played over 60 games as well. Kon Knueppel's brilliant rookie year saw only one game missed due to injury.

That luck might've run out. The Hornets, the team that could not stay healthy to save its life before 2025-26, have suffered two pretty substantial blows, and the preseason hasn't even begun.

OFFICIAL: Kon Knueppel suffered a left hamstring injury and Grant Williams suffered a right hamstring injury during offseason on-court activity. Both players will miss our preseason games and be re-evaluated during the first week of the regular season.

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It was announced on Friday afternoon that both Grant Williams and Kon Knueppel had gone down. Knueppel hurt his left hamstring, while Williams hurt his right. They're both expected to miss the entire preseason and will be re-evaluated during the first week of the regular season.

In other words, neither will be available for opening night, and it's unclear how soon they'll be back.

However, in the grand scheme of injuries that occur before players even play a preseason game, this is relatively minor. Neither is expected to be gone for a while, and in the case of Williams, it's fortunate that he didn't suffer another knee injury. He just returned from an ACL injury partway through last season.

The Hornets are also somewhat well-equipped to deal with this. They have a lot more depth. Obviously, losing the near-Rookie of the Year is a huge blow, but the Hornets just traded for Grayson Allen. They also have Liam McNeeley, Knueppel's draft classmate, waiting in the wings.

The frontcourt is also loaded with bodies, so Williams' absence won't be felt as strongly, either. Both he and Knueppel have strengths others can't replicate, but the Hornets have enough in both positions to absorb a loss for a little while. Depth is a strength again with this roster.

Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams (2) shoots in the first half against the San Antonio Spurs | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Plus, the Hornets traded away LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges in a clear attempt to recalibrate the window further down the line. They were not planning to contend for a title this year, so starting off slow (like they did in 2025-26) is not the end of the world.

It's not good, but it could certainly be worse. The Hornets, because of the timing of these injuries, will fortunately have the entire preseason to test out backup options and determine a new starting five for when the games do matter.

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