The Charlotte Hornets went undefeated through their first four games at NBA Summer League. The Hornets earned a spot in the semifinals easily, squaring off against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a spot in the championship on the line. The Hornets, led by No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel and Jaylen Sims, played a dominant game. However, Knueppel exited with a head injury.
According to the Washington Post's Ben Golliver, Knueppel injured his head while diving for a loose ball. He was able to get up and walked to Charlotte's locker room under his own power.
Kon Knueppel just exited the Las Vegas Summer League semifinal bleeding from a head wound after diving for a loose ball with the Hornets up by 26 points. Baller pic.twitter.com/f7PgPcGTIy
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 19, 2025
Hornets fans don't want to see their lottery pick suffer any injuries. However, there are some, like Golliver, who are impressed. Knueppel dived for the loose ball with his team winning by nearly 30 points. He did not have to hit the floor, but he did anyways. Even though his play in Summer League has been inconsistent, Knueppel has shown flashes of who he could be in the NBA.
Before he left the game, Knueppel was having arguably his best game so far this summer. Through 21 minutes, the former Duke Blue Devil had 17 points and two steals. Luckily for his team, Sims stepped up in his absence. The third-year pro led the way for Charlotte with 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field.
The Hornets blew out the Thunder 109-80 in the second NBA Summer League semifinal game. They have a date with the Sacramento Kings on Sunday in the Summer League title game. Charlotte has not released any information on Knueppel's injury or whether or not he will play in the Hornets' last Summer League game.
Knueppel is the face of a 2025 Hornets draft class that includes Liam McNeely, Sion James, and Ryan Kalkbrenner. If their efforts in Summer League are any indication, Charlotte could have one of the best groups of rookies in the league.
