Delete this franchise

[hepcat]

What a pathetic excuse for an NBA team. The league has made this franchise a punch line for late night TV jokes if they even remember the team exists. I GREW UP IN CHARLOTTE and followed the team in the good years and even I still forget the Hornets still exist sometimes. The truth is there is no reason for this team to exist. Delete franchise and follow college basketball. 

[Whoops]

Thunder Dan 2.0

[Wanderlai]

It’s in the running for worst franchise in pro sports no doubt about it. Always without fail missing the star players over and over. 

[Zaximus]

1 hour ago, Wanderlai said:

It’s in the running for worst franchise in pro sports no doubt about it. Always without fail missing the star players over and over. 

Somehow never getting the #1 pick since what, 91?  When you have a team as bad as this team for the last 25 years there should have been more chances at number 1 and that's how you know the NBA is a bad product for most teams' fans.

[PanthersNCSU]

Until LaMelo is traded, this is an unserious organization anyway. There's an insane lack of talent, and the talent all comes with baggage and injury concerns. 

I assume the OP was about passing on Ace...but he's exactly the type of prospect doomed to bust here and compound on to the problems with all of his rumored sketchiness. 

 

[carpanfan96]

11 minutes ago, PanthersNCSU said:

Until LaMelo is traded, this is an unserious organization anyway. There's an insane lack of talent, and the talent all comes with baggage and injury concerns. 

I assume the OP was about passing on Ace...but he's exactly the type of prospect doomed to bust here and compound on to the problems with all of his rumored sketchiness. 

 

With what was available, you had to take the swing or trade back. Kon wasn't worth taking with the 4th pick and wasn't in my top ten. He's at best a 6th man type player on a really good team. You either trade back or take Ace at 4. 

[Wanderlai]

5 minutes ago, carpanfan96 said:

With what was available, you had to take the swing or trade back. Kon wasn't worth taking with the 4th pick and wasn't in my top ten. He's at best a 6th man type player on a really good team. You either trade back or take Ace at 4. 

That’s the Hornets problem in a nut shell. Can’t get the #1 pick EVER when a generational talent is in the draft then when they go the safe pick route it still doesn’t work out. Forget about drafting a raw developmental player because they have no history of being able to do that either. 

[PanthersNCSU]

Just now, carpanfan96 said:

With what was available, you had to take the swing or trade back. Kon wasn't worth taking with the 4th pick and wasn't in my top ten. He's at best a 6th man type player on a really good team. You either trade back or take Ace at 4. 

Well, he was in probably every NBA franchise's top 6 or 7. Obviously it's nice to take the swing and it work out. But when a guy refuses to work out for your team, is probably the guy refusing to play with LaMelo, has sketchy handlers, etc.? You want...to take that swing? A desperate team does, sure. Which the Hornets are. But a smart team doesn't. Which is what they will hopefully become. 

Kon isn't a superstar, but his floor is Kyle Korver. Is that what you want in the 4th pick? Not really, but he's your 4th guy on a good team and what I think Charles Lee wants in a player. 

Trade down would've been nice, but for who? Tre Johnson would've been my guy, but he's gone if we trade with Brooklyn. If Washington wanted Ace, I doubt it would've taken much to come get him. Trade down and get Maluach (knowing you're trading Mark) would make sense and may have been the play, but I think Kon helps the team on the court and changing a culture. Not so sure about some of the guys in the 8-12 range. 

[carpanfan96]

4 minutes ago, PanthersNCSU said:

Well, he was in probably every NBA franchise's top 6 or 7. Obviously it's nice to take the swing and it work out. But when a guy refuses to work out for your team, is probably the guy refusing to play with LaMelo, has sketchy handlers, etc.? You want...to take that swing? A desperate team does, sure. Which the Hornets are. But a smart team doesn't. Which is what they will hopefully become. 

Kon isn't a superstar, but his floor is Kyle Korver. Is that what you want in the 4th pick? Not really, but he's your 4th guy on a good team and what I think Charles Lee wants in a player. 

Trade down would've been nice, but for who? Tre Johnson would've been my guy, but he's gone if we trade with Brooklyn. If Washington wanted Ace, I doubt it would've taken much to come get him. Trade down and get Maluach (knowing you're trading Mark) would make sense and may have been the play, but I think Kon helps the team on the court and changing a culture. Not so sure about some of the guys in the 8-12 range. 

He doesn't have the athleticism to play in the NBA. He had the worst numbers of anyone who worked out in this draft. He's legitimately the least athletic player in this draft, which is saying something.

 

His ceiling is Kyle Korver, with his lack of athleticism he's more likely to be out of the league in 5-6 years like Jimmer Fredette. 

Edited June 26, 2025 by carpanfan96

[SOJA]

Honestly I haven no idea what I would have even done last night, Edgecomb was the most realistic option to improve our team 

[djp14]

24 minutes ago, PanthersNCSU said:

Well, he was in probably every NBA franchise's top 6 or 7.

Yeah, pretty much every pre-draft ranking I saw had him no lower than 6. 

I don't know if he's gonna be any good or not, but it's not like this was some giant reach. 

[Htarnation4.0]

41 minutes ago, carpanfan96 said:

He doesn't have the athleticism to play in the NBA. He had the worst numbers of anyone who worked out in this draft. He's legitimately the least athletic player in this draft, which is saying something.

 

His ceiling is Kyle Korver, with his lack of athleticism he's more likely to be out of the league in 5-6 years like Jimmer Fredette. 

this league is about athleticism and he is lacking. Hope I'm wrong. I do like the kid out of Uconn, though. 

[WUnderhill]

1 hour ago, PanthersNCSU said:

Well, he was in probably every NBA franchise's top 6 or 7. Obviously it's nice to take the swing and it work out. But when a guy refuses to work out for your team, is probably the guy refusing to play with LaMelo, has sketchy handlers, etc.? You want...to take that swing? A desperate team does, sure. Which the Hornets are. But a smart team doesn't. Which is what they will hopefully become. 

Kon isn't a superstar, but his floor is Kyle Korver. Is that what you want in the 4th pick? Not really, but he's your 4th guy on a good team and what I think Charles Lee wants in a player. 

Trade down would've been nice, but for who? Tre Johnson would've been my guy, but he's gone if we trade with Brooklyn. If Washington wanted Ace, I doubt it would've taken much to come get him. Trade down and get Maluach (knowing you're trading Mark) would make sense and may have been the play, but I think Kon helps the team on the court and changing a culture. Not so sure about some of the guys in the 8-12 range. 

Culture change comes from the top down, not from drafting a 3 and no D guard. I doubt Lamelo is gonna take his cues from this 20yr old kid lol. If Brandon Miller couldn’t change the culture with how good he is and how much he hustles on both ends, Kon Knueppel sure as hell ain’t changing it. Ace Bailey by all accounts is also a great teammate and hard worker, btw, who was drafted by a team he supposedly didn’t want to go to yet he immediately bought in. And he’s got actual length and tools on both ends of the floor. I feel this pick is going to age like milk rather quickly.

[Jay Roosevelt]

The Hornets were screwed when they lost out on the #1 pick.

Outside of Cooper Flagg this was a terrible draft class full of risky prospects and red flags.

Kon Knueppel likely won't ever be a superstar - or even a star, realistically - but he can be a solid contributor for a long time in the league. That's actually more than I think will end up being the case for many of these players.