The Charlotte Hornets Made the Best Move in the Entire NBA

For a long time, the Charlotte Hornets have been known for their awful decisions. In the draft, they have one of the worst stretches in NBA history by any team. They traded the draft rights to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Duren.

They signed Nicolas Batum to a dreadful $120 million contract. Gordon Hayward got the same deal, and it also aged incredibly poorly. Lately, though, they've been better (the Tidjane Salaün pick perhaps notwithstanding).

And in 2025-26, it looks as if they've not only stopped making atrocious moves but have actually started making good moves. Really good moves. According to ESPN's Zach Kram, they made the best move anyone in the NBA has made in the last several months.

The Nuggets traded for Cameron Johnson. The Mavericks drafted generational prospect Cooper Flagg. The Rockets traded for Kevin Durant. The Jazz traded for Jaren Jackson Jr. Plenty of teams made great moves dating back to the end of last season.

None was better than the Hornets drafting Kon Knueppel, though. This was no gimme back at draft time. Ace Bailey was seen as the third-best prospect in the draft, and he was there. There were arguments for Tre Johnson, too.

Kon Knueppel stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the fourth pick by the Charlotte Hornets | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Hornets picked Knueppel, though. "[Charlotte] slammed an even mightier home run [than VJ Edgecombe to the 76ers] with the No. 4 selection, Kon Knueppel. Suffice it to say, that was the right choice: Knueppel is the Rookie of the Year favorite, having already smashed the rookie record for 3-pointers, and he is already one of the most efficient scorers in the NBA," Kram wrote.

The move has transformed the Hornets, but Kram isn't convinced they'll be making a deep playoff run since they're still stuck in the Play-In despite being 26-12 since January 1 (sixth-best record in the entire sport).

"From a long-term perspective, the Hornets made the best, most important decision for any team over the last year," Kram acknowledged. "Knueppel is a cornerstone for what could be the franchise's most successful stretch since it was reborn as an expansion team in 2004."

Combine that move with the fact that the Hornets didn't make any of Kram's worst moves, like waiving Damian Lillard or trading for Jordan Poole, and it's clear to see that the stigma is wearing off. These Hornets aren't the same old Hornets. They're smart, and it's paying off with a bright future (and present).

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