Kon Knueppel lays out a Playoffs goal with the Charlotte Hornets in the 2026-27 season

Kon Knueppel lays out a Playoffs goal with the Charlotte Hornets in the 2026-27 season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

With the Charlotte Hornets trading away LaMelo Ball, the team is in a brand new era. They are focusing on building around both Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, who are the new stars for the foreseeable future. It is a big-time change for the Hornets after the past six years with Ball as the star player.

Charles Lee and his Hornets team will be ready to compete at a high level in the 2026-27 season. However, they have to know it will be challenging, especially with the major moves some Eastern Conference teams have made in the 2026 offseason. 

As he enters his sophomore NBA season, Knueppel will have more eyes on him. He was a rookie last season, and while it was expected that he would perform well, it was still a tremendous rookie campaign. He narrowly lost out to his former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg in the Rookie of the Year race, but it seems Knueppel is focused on the future now.

The Hornets will be fighting for a spot in the Playoffs once again. They had a spectacular second half to the 2025-26 season, but it only ended in them getting a spot in the Play-In Tournament, and they failed to get past that stage.

MORE: Brandon Miller speaks on why it is tough to adjust without LaMelo Ball

That led to the Ball and Miles Bridges trades, as it seems like the Hornets are focused on making future-centric moves. They know that Knueppel and Miller are the foundation for this next era, and the former is ready to make some bold commitments.

"Our goal is to make the playoffs, and we fell short of that. Gotta come back with a different fire and just use it as fuel... That's gonna be our goal again. We want to get there. We want to play significant games at the end of the season," Knueppel said on a WSOC-TV segment about the Hornets.

It will be quite challenging for the Hornets because the East just got better. LeBron James and Jaylen Brown joining up with the Philadelphia 76ers is huge, and the same can be said about Giannis Antetokounmpo playing for the Miami Heat now. Nevertheless, the Hornets are focused on themselves, and it seems they are ready to knock it out of the park.

• LaMelo Ball's return to Charlotte with the Timberwolves finally has a date
• The Hornets' front office believes they won the LaMelo Ball trade
• Kon Knueppel speaks about how LaMelo Ball's exit has affected him and the Hornets
• Charles Lee believes LaMelo Ball is only scratching the surface of his talent level
• The full details from the Hornets' LaMelo Ball trade with the Timberwolves