![\"Kon](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2269726102-e1776007804848.jpg\")
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Charlotte Hornets guard\/forward Kon Knueppel. <\/p>\n
While the hype around this year\u2019s rookie class has always seemed focused on Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg<\/a>, there is a growing feeling that, in the end, it won\u2019t be Flagg who brings home the NBA\u2019s Rookie of the Year award.<\/p>\n Despite all the push toward Flagg and the overwhelming amount of attention he gets on a team that has openly been tanking this season, the smart money is starting to move toward Charlotte Hornets<\/a> rookie guard\/forward Kon Knueppel<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Ringer\u2019s Bill Simmons recently made an impassioned argument for Knueppel over Flagg for Rookie of the Year.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t believe Flagg is favored over Kon, who\u2019s the 2nd best guy on a playoff team that\u2019s going to win 46-47 games, and he\u2019s going to lead the league in 3s,\u201d Simmons said<\/a>. \u201cI think he\u2019s the key to that team in a lot of ways because he\u2019s the only one who really moves and the gravity he brings with him from other teams. Otherwise, you just have a lot of guys watching Lamelo Ball<\/a> dribble around. I love Flagg, he\u2019s fantastic, but he\u2019s doing this on basically a tanking lottery team that\u2019s going to win 25 games \u2026 if you want to vote for that, fine. But you have a situation of a rookie (in Knueppel) who is having a historic season for a team that\u2019s been one of the best teams in the league for 45 games now. For me, it\u2019s like a no-brainer. I would take Kon.\u201d<\/p>\n Cooper Flagg Clear Favorite for Rookie of the Year<\/p>\n Oddsmakers still have Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA<\/a> Draft, as the clear favorite over Knueppel, who was the No. 4 overall pick after they played their 1 season of college basketball together at Duke.<\/p>\n On DraftKings<\/a>, Flagg\u2019s odds stood at (-190) vs. Knueppel (+145) headed into the final regular-season game of the year on Sunday, when the Hornets play the Chicago Bulls and the Mavericks play the New York Knicks<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHas No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg done enough to completely flip the Rookie of the Year race?\u201d Sports Illustrated\u2019s Peter Dewey wrote<\/a> on April 11. \u201cAfter a 33-point game against the San Antonio Spurs<\/a> on Friday night, Flagg is now a -175 favorite in the odds at DraftKings to win Rookie of the Year over his college teammate Kon Knueppel. There is a real case for both players to win this award. Flagg has been forced into a lead role for a struggling Dallas team, and he\u2019s thrived in it, averaging 21.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 29.6 percent from 3.\u201d<\/p>\n Kon Knueppel Made NBA History as Rookie<\/p>\n Knueppel is shooting 42.7 percent on 3-pointers, and his 270 3-pointers headed into the regular-season finale are already the NBA rookie record. He also reached 250 career 3-pointers faster than any player in NBA history.<\/p>\n Most importantly, he\u2019s been a key to a stunning turnaround for the Hornets, who are 43-38 headed into the regular-season finale after going 19-63 last season.<\/p>\n They\u2019ll also be in the playoffs for the 1st time in a decade. Charlotte hadn\u2019t seen the postseason since losing in the 1st round in 2016 and hasn\u2019t advanced past the 1st round since 2002.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tTony Adame<\/a> covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Hornets\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t