Kon Knueppel speaks about how LaMelo Ball's departure felt for him and the Hornets

After getting drafted in 2020, LaMelo Ball ended up being one of the longest-tenured players on the Charlotte Hornets in the 2025-26 season. While they struggled in the first half of the season, they were quite impressive in the second half, as they were blowing out teams all over the league.

Unfortunately, that was not enough for them to reach the Playoffs. The front office decided to fully commit to their future as they traded Ball and Miles Bridges away to focus on the development of Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel as the franchise building blocks.

Kon Knueppel speaks about the impact of LaMelo Ball's exit

Now that Ball is playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves, he is far away from the Hornets. Despite his exit, his absence will be felt because people loved seeing him play the fun brand of basketball he played in Charlotte. However, he might find it even better to be in Minnesota alongside fellow 2020 draftee Anthony Edwards.

On the other side, the Hornets have a promising future with Knueppel and Miller as the franchise cornerstones. They are the prototypical perimeter players now, and with their offensive ceiling, anything is possible if they build well around them.

MORE: Kon Knueppel played an unexpected role during the Hornets' NBA Summer League opener

Of course, Knueppel and the rest of the Hornets will miss Ball. He provided solid basketball with good vibes in the locker room. Knueppel said as such during his first media appearance since the trade.

"He was great to be around every day, and so that’s already missed. Just the joy and energy he brought to the locker room... He’s loud, but he also comes in every day, and he says hello to everybody. And I mean like: Trainer, strength coach, assistant coach, whoever’s cooking the food in the meal room. So it’s cool to have people like that around," Knueppel said about Ball on the Milwaukee Uncut Podcast.

Moving forward, Knueppel now has more responsibilities as the Hornets' star player. It will be challenging, but it seems he is ready for that. He and Miller are studs with their numbers, and as long as they are healthy, they could pull off some big upsets that most people won't expect.

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• The complete details from the Hornets' Miles Bridges trade with the Suns