Hornets win their first summer league championship behind Knueppel’s 21-point MVP performance

LAS VEGAS, NV. (CAROLINA SPORTS LIVE) — Summer league is by no means the ‘end all, be all’ of what’s to come in the regular season, but a win is a win, and for the first time in franchise history, the Charlotte Hornets are NBA Summer League champions!

On Sunday night in Las Vegas, the Hornets, led by fourth overall pick Kon Knueppel, defeated the Sacramento Kings 83-78 in the NBA 2K26 Summer League Championship. Knueppel scored 21 points with five rebounds and had a clutch three-pointer down the stretch to secure the win and earn MVP for the game.

Fellow rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 15 points with nine rebounds, while KJ Simpson and DJ Rodman each scored 11.

Liam McNeely, the 29th overall selection in the 2025 draft, led the team this summer league with 18 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per game. However, he only played in the first two games before being ruled out with Achilles tendinitis.

Tidjane Salaun, Charlotte’s first-round pick from 2024, averaged 14 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

The 2025 summer league champs went an undefeated 6-0 in Vegas, with half their wins by 18 points or more (two of which were more than 25 points).

Most players on NBA summer league rosters will see very limited playing time during the regular season if they’re fortunate enough to earn a roster spot, but the last 10 days served as a good confidence boost for the young players who were able to show their skills against NBA talent. And for the veterans on the squad, they know the young talent behind them is capable of playing winning basketball.

Next up for the Hornets will be training camp, which is expected to start at the end of September.