Former Duke basketball freshman phenom Kon Knueppel was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, which, to many, felt like the right pick as Knueppel is one of the most surefire prospects in this class. However, one network didn't think so, as Bleacher Report gave Charlotte a C+ grade on their Knueppel pick, which is pretty ridiculous.
"Enough momentum had been moving this direction in recent mock drafts that this selection isn’t quite a shock," Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley said in his grade. "However, Kon Knueppel seems much more like a support piece than a building block, which isn’t the case for some of the other blue-chippers left on the board. A Hornets team coming off consecutive 60-plus-loss campaigns should probably be chasing upside over everything else."
Although many view Knueppel as a safer prospect, with an extremely high floor and maybe not as high of a ceiling as some of the other prospects taken after him, he fits perfectly in this Hornets rotation and is as NBA-ready of a prospect as anyone in this draft.
Defensively, Knueppel will immediately add perimeter help to a Hornets defense that ranked 24th in the NBA in defensive rating last season. At 6'7, the Wisconsin native can guard multiple positions on the floor and is extremely physical with as high of a motor as any prospect.
On the offensive side of the ball, Knueppel will be the perfect complement alongside two score-first rising stars in LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. Ball running the point fits Knueppel's game perfectly, as the wing thrives off the ball. Knueppel is the best catch-and-shooter in this draft and quite possibly the best overall outside shooter in this class. He shot 40.6% from three on 5.2 attempts a night as a rookie with the Blue Devils, and that efficiency rose as a stand-still shooter in the corners. A ball-dominant guard like Ball who is also a talented passer, will leave Knueppel with the space he needs to knock down outside shots both in transition and in the half court.
Miller and Ball will also be where the defense is attracted to, at least early in Knueppel's career. The makeup of this backcourt sets up Knueppel for scoring success right off the bat. Add in Knueppel's motor and how little he makes mistakes, and this seems like a perfect fit, and this grade is just downright wrong.