Two years ago, the Charlotte Hornets won just one Las Vegas Summer League game and were deemed by many as one of the worst summer league squads in recent memory.
Last night, the team finished its time in Vegas as undefeated champs going 6-0 against the competition and winning its first-ever summer league title against the Sacramento Kings 83-78.
This year’s team was led by the Hornets’ 2025 draft picks in lottery pick Kon Knnuepel, first-rounder Liam McNeeley and second-round selection Ryan Kalkbrenner. Knnuepel won title game MVP after finishing the matchup with a game-high 21 points and a clutch three-point basket that stretched Charlotte’s fourth quarter lead to four points.
Over the Hornets last four matchups, Knnuepel averaged 18.3 points and featured promising upside as a shot creator off-the-bounce and around the basket.
McNeeley was on a tear to start his Vegas campaign through the first two games averaging a promising 18.0 points per game before being shut down due to an Achilles injury. He went 6 of 14 from three while averaging 8 rebounds and 4 assists during that span.
Kalkbrenner was a steady source of productivity for the Hornets inside. In the title game, he finished as the team’s second-leading scorer with 15 points while nabbing nine rebounds and registering a block. Known for his defense as an NBA prospect, the seven-foot-one Creighton product swatted 10 shots through six games including a four-block performance against the Philadelphia 76ers.
A surprise breakout star for the Hornets’ summer league roster wound up being a former undrafted free agent that wasn’t eligible to play in the title game due to inking a two-way contract with another team. Ex-Denver Nugget P.J. Hall averaged a staggering 24.2 points and 14.7 rebounds per 36 minutes with the Hornets which allowed him to land a two-way deal with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Hall posted 11 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in a summer league victory versus the San Antonio Spurs and followed that up with an efficient 12 point and eight rebound showing against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Summer League Semifinals.
Knueppel, McNeeley and Kalkbrenner are all expected to be key contributors for a Hornets team that will be aiming to make the playoffs for the first time this decade.