NBA Insiders Point Out Fatal Flaw in Hornets' Roster Reshuffle

The Charlotte Hornets had a franchise cornerstone in LaMelo Ball, someone who was certainly All-Star-caliber and nearly made an All-NBA team last season. Those are the types of players NBA teams want and need to build around.

The Hornets traded him, betting on a lot of factors (including Ball's health). They're also betting on Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel to be the new franchise cornerstones. There's a big risk in that, though.

🎙️ @WindhorstESPN: "I think 7th is aggressive here, because ultimately this team still needs cornerstone players."

🎙️ @BannedMacMahon: "They think they have two, but I don't think either of those guys are first-team All-NBA in the future type of players, in Kon Knueppel and… https://t.co/JiCuVlJP57 pic.twitter.com/ZylI2qDcUl
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) September 18, 2026

Tim McMahon and Brian Windhorst aren't sure it's the smartest bet. The Hornets got ranked seventh in future power rankings, highlighting their bright future. But Windhorst isn't sure they actually have franchise players to build with.

No one's debating that Knueppel and Miller are good. They very much are. But there is a difference between being a good player and being the sort of player that teams can build around and use as the focal point of a championship-caliber roster.

It's unclear if either Knueppel or Miller can be that. Right now, they're not. "I think seventh is aggressive here, because ultimately this team still needs cornerstone players," Windhorst said. Ball wasn't a surefire franchise cornerstone, per se, but he was closer than Miller or Knueppel.

McMahon laid bare the risk the Hornets are taking. "They think they have two, but I don't think either of those guys are first-team All-NBA in the future type of players, in Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller," he said.

The draft capital is reason to be excited about the Hornets, but those picks are both well off in the future and totally unknown. What is known is that the Hornets are building around Miller and Knueppel, which could totally backfire.

The best way to put it is to compare it to an NFL quarterback. Good quarterbacks are all around the league, but great ones are not, and those great ones are who get to and win the Super Bowl more often than not.

Jayson Tatum (0) drives the ball against Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) and guard Kon Knueppel | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Miller and Knueppel are good quarterbacks, to keep up the metaphor for a bit longer. Are they Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks? That remains to be seen, but as of now, neither look like they're going to particularly enter the Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tier of player.

So, that brings up another problem. Those good QBs often get paid like they're the best because the market works that way. Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel will both eventually get paid. If the Hornets can save money on both contracts and build out a deeper roster, then they would be in good shape (see: the Sam Darnold situation, for example).

But because they're now the faces of this franchise and very good players, the Hornets are probably going to have to spend close to the max on both, thereby limiting their ability to surround them with talent.

If they develop into All-NBA players, which is not impossible, then it's a moot point. But if not, then things could get a little complicated in Buzz City.

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