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The Charlotte Hornets finished the season with a 19-63 record. LaMelo Ball was an All-Star candidate in the Eastern Conference before an injury ended the Hornets star's season. Charlotte fell one spot in the NBA Draft lottery to No. 4 and entered the event with three picks. They retained and used all three picks on Kon Knueppel, Sion James, and Ryan Kalkbrenner.
The Hornets also made a trade during the first round, sending Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns. They received the No. 29 pick and a first round pick in 2029 in return. Charlotte used the pick to select UConn forward Liam McNeeley, adding him to their 2025 draft haul. The Hornets will welcome all four rookies to the team this year and they will all play in Summer League.
As a whole, the NBA Draft went quite well for Charlotte. After the Hornets tried to trade Williams to the Lakers before the trade deadline, a move involving him was inevitable. However, getting two first round picks in return is a great haul. Now it is up to general manager Jeff Peterson to build a competitive team around LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.
Here are our grades for all four of the Hornets' 2025 NBA Draft picks.
Kon Knueppel(No. 4): A
The Hornets had two options at No. 4 after the NBA Draft lottery concluded. They were split between Duke's Kon Knueppel and Baylor's V.J. Edgecombe before the drama surrounding Ace Bailey began. The Rutgers star declined his workout with Charlotte and the Philadelphia 76ers, scaring both teams away from him. At the end of the day, the Hornets picked the safe option in Knueppel.
Knueppel is one of the best pure shooters in this class alongside Washington Wizards rookie Tre Johnson. During his time at Duke, he displayed the ability to play a supporting role alongside a star without getting lost in the shuffle. That will be his role playing alongside Ball, and he should be able to take advantage of the wide-open 3-point looks the Hornets' star will produce.
Liam McNeeley(N0. 29): B+
This grade is as much for what the Hornets got in exchange for Williams as the player they chose with the pick. Turning one first round pick into two is impressive by itself. However, Williams' trade value for the Hornets took a hit after he failed his physical and Charlotte still flipped him successfully.
McNeeley had an up-and-down season in Bobby Hurley's program. Despite a rough showing, the forward has a game that translates better to the NBA than college basketball. If nothing else, he is a bona-fide sniper from 3-point range. His size should also make his transition a smooth one, but his defense will have to improve for him to get real rotation minutes.
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Sion James(N0. 33): B+
The Hornets had two back-to-back early picks in the second round and used the first on another Duke player. However Sion James and Knueppel's games could not be more different. The former is a much better defender, ball-handler, and passer than the No. 4 pick. However, his defense will get him minutes for Charles Lee early on in his career.
James' defensive upside was too much to ignore. His season at Duke saw him guard the opponent's best guard in all of the Blue Devils' games. At his peak, James could become a great point-of attack defender to help improve a Hornets defense that was near the bottom of the league last season.
There is already a player in the league that he could strive to be: Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort. James had his moments offensively at Duke, but he will make his money on the defensive end.
Ryan Kalkbrenner(No. 34): B+
Ryan Kalkbrenner was mocked as a first round pick by Clutchpoints' Brett Siegel. As he slipped into the second round, the former Creighton big man's value kept rising, and the Hornets snapped him up in the second round. After trading Williams away to Phoenix, Charlotte found themselves with a big hole in the middle of the floor.
Kalkbrenner fills the gap easily and has a skillset that has a lot of potential growth as he develops. He shot 34% from 3-point range in his senior season and was the Big East Defensive Player of the Year in all four of his collegiate seasons. He excels as a lob-catcher, music to Ball and Knueppel's ears. If his defense translates, Lee can funnel guards and wings towards him on that end of the floor.
All in all, the Hornets walk away from the 2025 Draft as one of its biggest winners. They are one of many teams that could take advantage of a wide-open Eastern Conference next season. The health of Ball and Miller will go a long way in determining just how serious the team is as a threat.
If they put together healthy campaigns, their rookies are all high-floor players that can help them win games immediately.
