Charlotte Hornets rookie guard Kon Knueppel suffered an ankle injury Friday against the Orlando Magic and was ruled out for the rest of the game.
Knueppel landed awkwardly while going up for a rebound late in the first half. He was helped off the court by the Hornets' athletic trainers.
He was having an excellent game before going down. He had 16 points and was 4/4 on 3-pointers, all in the first quarter.
He's played in all 30 games for the Hornets this season, including 29 starts. He's averaging 19.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 47.4% from the field and 41.9% from deep.
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Knueppel made history last week, becoming the fastest player ever to reach 100 career made 3-pointers. He's already established himself as one of the Hornets' top players.
Knueppel was drafted No. 4 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft by Charlotte. He was part of a four-man draft class for the Hornets. He is a top candidate for the NBA's Rookie of the Year award, along with former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg (Dallas Mavericks).
The Hornets have battled injuries throughout the season. Stars LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller have missed significant time. Charlotte signed big man PJ Hall on Wednesday to fill in for centers Ryan Kalkbrenner and Mason Plumlee, who are both out.
Guards Tre Mann and KJ Simpson could see increased minutes if Knueppel is out for an extended period. Veteran wing Josh Green could also provide minutes at a guard spot if needed.