Kon Knueppel had the chance to further his case for the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year award in the Charlotte Hornets vs Miami Heat Play-In Game on Tuesday night.
The Play-In Tournament technically is not considered in NBA end-of-season award voting, but as the voters have to wait to finalize their ballots due to Luka Doncic‘s uncertain 65-game status, Knueppel had the chance to add another strong performance to his Rookie of the Year resume over Cooper Flagg in the Hornets’ win over the Heat.
However, Knueppel was benched late in the game and finished the night with an underwhelming performance. While Charlotte won the matchup to advance in the Play-In Tournament, his Rookie of the Year odds have taken a slight tumble after what could have been another stamp on an already strong first NBA season.
Kon Knueppel Gets Bad News On Rookie Of The Year Odds After Hornets Vs Heat Play-In Game
GettyCHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 03: (L-R) Kon Knueppel #7 of the Charlotte Hornets talks with Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks after their game at Spectrum Center on March 03, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Knueppel finished the night with six points, five rebounds, and one assist on 2/12 shooting from the field and 0/6 shooting from three. In the fourth quarter and overtime, he played a total of just six minutes and missed all three shots he took. The Hornets’ rookie ended the night with a minus-20 in the box score.
Again, the Play-In technically doesn’t count for what is a regular season award, but as voters still have more time to finalize their votes to Rookie of the Year and other end-of-season awards, Knueppel missed out on the chance to put together one more strong performance to get him over the hump against Flagg’s solid campaign for the award.
Major sportsbooks no longer have odds of the Rookie of the Year, but according to the prediction market Kalshi, Knueppel was the favorite for the award before the Hornets’ game on Tuesday. However, after his performance, he is now behind Flagg with the second-best chances to earn the distinction of the league’s best rookie this season.
It’s been a tight race for Rookie of the Year for most of the season, as the odds have shifted back and forth from Flagg as the favorite, then Knueppel, and now back to Flagg.
“The NBA delaying individual award ballots for voters is going to impact the results. It is a regular season only honor, but idk how anyone with a vote watching this isn’t going to be somewhat influenced by these performances. Kneuppel and Jaquez specifically,” Rob Perez wrote in a post on X.
However, based on the regular season alone, Knueppel had a historic year. With 273 made three-pointers, he became the first rookie in NBA history to lead the league in shots from deep. He finished the season averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists on 47.5/42.5/86.3 shooting splits, but his Play-In Game performance may have closed the door on him winning the Rookie of the Year.
Hornets Advance In The Play-In Tournament
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 12: LaMelo Ball #1 of the Charlotte Hornets looks on during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 12, 2026 in New York City.
While the Hornets vs Heat Play-In Game was perhaps one of the best the NBA has seen since it introduced the tournament a few years ago, it was also one marked by controversy.
Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball appeared to make contact with Miami’s Bam Adebayo after going to the ground, resulting in the Heat player leaving the game and not returning.
But while that was the storyline of the night, which continued well after the final whistle, Ball did make the go-ahead shot to give the Hornets a late lead and the eventual win.
It was Charlotte’s first non-regular season win in a decade, and they have now advanced in the Play-In Tournament, set to play the loser of the Philadelphia 76ers vs Orlando Magic game.
If the Hornets can win the next round of the Play-In, they will become the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and be matched up against the Detroit Pistons in the first round.
While Charlotte did get the win despite a disappointing Knueppel performance, they’ll need him to return to his mid-season form if they want to have any chance at giving the Pistons a run for their money in the first round.
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