Kon Knueppel
#7SF · Charlotte Hornets
EfficientSharpshooter
Height
6'6"
Weight
215 lbs
Age
20
College
Duke
Draft
2025, Rd 1, #4
Experience
0 yrs
B+
A-
A
B-
N/A
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Grade Kon Knueppel
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The Verdict on Kon, in One Read
On the field, Kon Knueppel grades out as an excellent SF for Charlotte Hornets (A Impact). That places him 16th of 119 graded small forwards. In his on-court role, the grade is strong (B- Role), reflecting how he produces relative to others at his position. The contract is harder to defend: the Contract Value Index calls it good value (B+), with the cost outrunning the output. The public read is very positive (A- Sentiment), drawn from current news and social signal rather than the box score. As a prospect, expect these grades to move quickly as a real sample builds.
Career StatsB+
| Year | Team | GP | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | FG% | 3PT% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career |  | 81 | 18.5 | 5.3 | 3.4 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 47.5% | 42.5% | 86.3% |
| 2025-26 | | 81 | 18.5 | 5.3 | 3.4 |
Performance Grade by Season
CareerB-| Season | Team | GP | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | | 81 | 18.5 | 5.3 | 3.4 | 47.5% | B- B- |
Grades reflect the player's performance in each season. Header grade shows the current season.
Recent Games
| Date | OPP | Result | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG | 3PT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 4/17 | @ ORL | L 90-121 | 29 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3-10 | 1-6 | -26 |
| Tue, 4/14 | vs MIA | W 127-126 | 34 | 6 |
Current Contract
Length
4 years
Total Value
$45.5M
Guaranteed
$20.5M
AAV
$10.0M/yr
Guaranteed %45%
Contract Value Index (CVI)
B+
Good Value
OverpayFair ValueGreat Value
Kon Knueppel delivered enough rotation-tier impact to earn a B+ Contract Value Index against the NBA pay band. At $10M AAV on a four-year rookie scale deal, Knueppel is precisely where he should be — a fourth overall pick in year one posting 18.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 3.4 APG across 81 games in the 2025-26 season represents legitimate above-average production for a 20-year-old small forward, and the CVI reflects that floor-to-ceiling pairing cleanly. Small forwards at that salary tier typically carry higher offensive burden and defensive versatility expectations, and Knueppel's counting stats suggest he's meeting those thresholds without yet approaching the creation volume or efficiency markers that would push him into premium territory. The rookie scale structure locks Charlotte into four years of sub-market value, which is the entire bargain of the format — the team bought genuine upside cheaply, and his performance grade of B+ confirms the bet isn't a sunk cost. What separates Knueppel's CVI from a B is the gap between his organic cultural cachet — evident in the SLAM magazine locker-room moment and his standing as a consensus top-two Rookie of the Year candidate — and his on-court baseline; he's a foundational piece *trending* toward franchise cornerstone, but he isn't quite there yet. The contract itself carries no tail risk; four years is standard for a rookie deal, and by the time extension conversations arrive in 2028–29, Knueppel's trajectory will determine whether this deal becomes a steal or merely acceptable.
Performance Analysis
B+
#16 of 119 Small Forwards
Contracts in the Same Value Band
Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the B band — a quick read on where Kon's contract sits relative to comparable money.
How Kon Compares at the Position
Kon Knueppel ranks 16th of 119 graded small forwards by performance. That slots Kon between Brandon Miller (A-) just ahead and Saddiq Bey (B+) just behind.
Graded higher
Brandon MillerCharlotte HornetsA-Ausar ThompsonDetroit PistonsA-RJ BarrettToronto RaptorsB+Kon KnueppelB+
Graded lower
Saddiq BeyNew Orleans PelicansTransaction History
No transactions found for this player.
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About this player
Kon Knueppel is a player on a rookie-scale contract listed at SF for the Charlotte Hornets. FanVerdicts covers every NBA player, team, GM, and transaction — and puts your verdict on all of it. Sign in to cast your Fan Verdict on Kon Knueppel, see where the crowd lands, and argue the call. FanVerdicts also brings its own read — performance, sentiment, and Contract Value Index — as one honest input alongside the crowd's. Where FanVerdicts has weighed in so far: Contract Value Index B+, Performance B+, Sentiment A-.
The crowd's Fan Verdict moves in real time as fans vote on this profile. FanVerdicts' own read updates as new data lands — performance recalculates when NBA game stats post, sentiment shifts with media coverage and fan discussion, and the Contract Value Index recomputes when contract terms change. Contract details below show the structure (years, total value, average annual value, guarantees) behind the Contract Value Index read.
For league-wide context, the NBA hub has team rankings, GM report cards, the transactions feed, and live scoreboards. The NBA player rankings page sorts every active player by performance and contract value within their position.