The Hornets Finally Have Something Most NBA Teams Would Covet

It's taken some time (five years, to be exact), but the Charlotte Hornets have finally put together the young core they have long been working on. The talent is there, and it's mostly under 24 years old.

LaMelo Ball is 24. Brandon Miller is 23. Kon Knueppel is 20. That trio is one of the better trios in the entire NBA, but especially so when put up against other trios of the same age range. In fact, among under-24 trios, the Hornets are right at the top.

🎙️ @BannedMacMahon: "Is there a better 24-and-under trio in the league than LaMelo (Ball), Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel?"

🎙️ @TimBontemps: "I'd take the Spurs guys. Aside from the Spurs guys... it's a short list."

🎙️ @BannedMacMahon: "Kon (Knueppel), he hasn't just been a… pic.twitter.com/9KoaPtpa7y
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) March 30, 2026

At least, that's ESPN insider Tim McMahon's take. He posited that there is no better threesome of players that young in the entire NBA. His Hoop Collective co-host, Tim Bontemps, debated, though there was agreement that Charlotte's core is right there.

Bontemps would take the San Antonio Spurs' trio of Victor Wembanyama (22), Stephon Castle (21), and Dylan Harper (20) over the Hornets, but aside from them, it's a "short list" of better trios than Ball, Miller, and Knueppel.

Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) speaks with Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Taking it further, McMahon said, "Kon, he hasn't just been a volume three-point shooter, but he's shooting well over 43% going into the weekend. He's a good rebounder, and he's been a much better playmaker than people thought."

Bontemps isn't quite ready to crown Knueppel the Rookie of the Year, saying that it's close enough that the final stretch could swing back in Flagg's favor. And if that's the case, Bontemps thinks Flagg will get the edge, though perhaps unfairly.

"It all is broken in his direction, but it's close enough where I think the ball is sort of on Cooper (Flagg)'s racket. And if he has a great two weeks... my guess is in a situation like this, people will be trying to find ways to vote for Cooper in the end," he said.

However, whether he wins Rookie of the Year or not, Knueppel is already one of the best players in the NBA. Adding him to a young duo that was already pretty good certainly gave the Hornets one of the best young trios in the sport.

They are the primary reason Charlotte has surged into the playoff conversation, with a chance to earn as high as the fifth seed in the East over the next seven games.

But even if that doesn't pan out, this trio, which will age out of this arbitrary 24-year barrier when Ball turns 25 in August, is why the future is so bright in Buzz City.

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