Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets eye rising star from Duke for upcoming NBA draft | NBA News
While the NBA finals are coming closer, so are the dates for the NBA Draft. Though there are various players lined up for the draft, there’s one rising star from the Duke after whom both Charlotte Hornets and Utah Jazz are after. The Duke’s phenomenal shooting guard, Kon Knueppel will be in the draft, and both Hornets and Jazz want him on their team. Knueppel’s exceptional on-court shooting skills, offensive approach, and 6-foot-5 height are all coming in his favor as teams are starting to pick their players. Will Knueppel get drafted within the top five picks?
NBA draft insider reveals Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets looking forward to pick Kon Kneuppel in upcoming draft
As per NBA draft analyst Krysten Peek, both the Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets will not leave the chance to have Kon Kneuppel on their team. While the Hornets have the 4th pick option, the Utah Jazz are at 5th, which leaves them to hope that the Hornets won’t pick Kneuppel. Peek went on to give her statement on why Hornets and Jazz might be after the 19-year-old shooting guard from Duke. “Teams like the Utah Jazz (No. 5) and Charlotte Hornets (No. 4) are showing interest in the versatile guard and like his ability to seamlessly slide in alongside a star, ball-dominate player like Cooper Flagg and still find ways to positively impact the game.”
NBA Central tweet on how Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets are aiming for Kon Kneuppel for the draft (Image Source: NBA Central via X)
Besides, Kneuppel showed his skills at Duke and has been a team favorite from his freshman year. His ability of mixing up with players without any hassle and add value to the game has been impeccable. Besides, his accuracy percentiles are something that teams like Jazz and Hornets are counting on. Kneuppel portrayed a 40.6% beyond-the-arc accuracy during his freshman year, which in itself is a feat to achieve. Other than that, Kon had shown an accuracy of 55.6% in three-point shootings at the NCAA tournament. Besides, his skillset will be well appreciated in both the Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets but it depends who is going to pick him. With Utah having the record-worst of 17 victories this season, having good picks during the draft will help them build a strong team. If Kon enters the Utah Jazz, he would be able to strengthen their core, and help other star players, like Lauri Markkanen, have a strong on-court partner. However, it can only happen if Kneuppel doesn’t sign a deal with the Hornets.Also Read: Austin Ainge reunites with father Danny Ainge at Utah Jazz as team’s new President of basketball operations
