Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel was ruled out of Friday’s matchup with the Orlando Magic after suffering a right ankle injury late in the second quarter, the team announced.
After a 120-105 win over the Magic, Hornets head coach Charles Lee told reporters that X-rays on Knueppel’s ankle were negative. He’ll undergo more testing when the team returns to Charlotte.
Knueppel appeared to roll his ankle after landing awkwardly while defending Magic guard Desmond Bane with less than 20 seconds remaining in the half.
He did not seem to be putting weight on the injured ankle as he was helped off the court. The Hornets were leading 57-48 at the time.
The 20-year-old was off to a hot start prior to his exit, putting up 16 points in 15 minutes to help the Hornets gain an early lead.
He had shot 5-for-7 from the field and 4-for-4 from deep while adding an assist and three rebounds.
Knueppel has appeared in every Hornets game so far his rookie season after being selected out of Duke with the No. 4 pick of the 2025 draft.
Through 30 games, he trailed only Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball for the team scoring lead with 19.4 points per game by shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from deep.
Knueppel has also contributed 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists while averaging more than 33 minutes per night.
The Hornets went into Friday ranked No. 12 in the East following a 10-20 start to the season.
NBA insider Jake Fischer recently reported, however, that the Hornets are only “open to business to a degree” ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
According to Fischer, the Hornets might only consider shopping Collin Sexton while holding on to players like Bridges and Ball as the franchise “clings to hope that it can still be a Play-In team.”
Whether Knueppel misses any time with his injury could ultimately impact both the likelihood of the Hornets ending a nine-year playoff drought and how the franchise approaches the trade deadline.