It's fair to question the timing of the Charlotte Hornets' decision to trade LaMelo Ball on Thursday in a reported deal that sends Naz Reid, a future first-round pick, and multiple pick swaps back to Charlotte. After all, the Hornets were one of the best teams in the entire NBA over the second half of the season.
When the dust settled, Charlotte won 44 games, the most for the franchise since 2016. They made the NBA's play-in tournament and even won a game before falling to the Orlando Magic, just barely missing the playoffs. Armed with a trio of star players all 25 and younger in Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel, the future looked bright for the Hornets.
But they pulled the rip cord on that trio by sending Ball to the Twin Cities. That trio is now a duo, consisting of Miller and the impressive rookie Knueppel. Charlotte's willingness to part with Ball now shows that the franchise is comfortable moving forward with Miller and Knueppel as the cornerstones of the future. Knueppel's brilliance as a rookie was a big part of that.
Kon Knueppel is at the forefront of the Charlotte Hornets' future after LaMelo Ball's trade
Knueppel certainly benefited from Ball's gravity and his ability to beat defenders off the dribble to get the ball to him with space to fire. Knueppel had a brilliant rookie season, setting multiple NBA records for three-point shooting in the process.
He averaged 18.5 points per game and hit 42.5% from three during his rookie season, far exceeding expectations even as the No. 4 pick in the draft. He finished a close second to former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg in Rookie of the Year voting.
Now, Knueppel will be one of the centerpieces of Charlotte's franchise. He was always going to be, but that point is all the more clear now that Ball is out of the picture.
It's a risky move by Charlotte. They're banking on further growth from Miller and Knueppel, and they're clearly banking on things not working out well for the Timberwolves. The first round pick they acquired is an unprotected 2033 selection. The pick swaps are for 2028, 2029, and 2030. If things don't work out well with Ball, it could easily lead to the end of the line for the Anthony Edwards era in Minnesota, which would make those picks swaps - and that unprotected 2033 1st - that much juicier.
Ball's injury history has been disconcerting. He's only played 50+ games in a season once in the last four years, and that was this past season. Whether or not you can win big with him as your centerpiece is fair to question, too. The Hornets clearly didn't think so, and they're happy to move on with Miller and Knueppel offering a lot more stability as the faces of the franchise.
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