Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets finished runner-up in the 2025-26 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year race after a narrow vote split with Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg. The final margin was 412 points to 386, with Flagg collecting 56 first-place votes and Knueppel earning 44.
Speaking after the award announcement, Kon Knueppel addressed the outcome directly and acknowledged his early-season expectations. “Obviously, I wanted to win it. If you would have told me at the beginning of the season that this is how my year would go, I would have taken it one hundred percent,” he said on Dale Ernhardt Jr.’s Dirty Mo Media, via HoopsHype.
Knueppel reflected on the timing of the decision and his mindset when the results became official. “I went into the morning when they announced it thinking, ‘I can’t do anything about it now. I did all I could.’ I would have felt worse if I felt like I had left something out there, but I felt like I did all I could.”
The Hornets forward pointed to late-season shooting form as one area he evaluated, while still standing by his overall production. “Maybe I wish I could have shot it better at the end of the season, but I was willing to live with the result. I felt like I had a really good season.”
Knueppel also placed his campaign in a broader historical context, while recognizing the level of competition in the race. “I felt like I was deserving. I would have won it in a lot of different years, and I thought Cooper was also very deserving.”
The award ultimately went to Flagg, who delivered a versatile rookie season that separated him slightly in one of the closest votes since the current format was introduced in 2002-03. His all-around production placed him at the center of Dallas’ two-way structure throughout the year.
Charlotte’s rookie season, however, was defined by consistent scoring efficiency and high-volume perimeter production. Knueppel played 81 games, averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from three-point range.
Within a Hornets rotation led by LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, Knueppel maintained a stable offensive role across multiple lineup combinations. His shot creation and spacing functioned as a complement to Charlotte’s primary creators throughout the regular season.
The voting result reflected how closely the race tracked across the league, with both finalists separated by just 26 total points. VJ Edgecombe of the Philadelphia 76ers finished third in the ballot but did not receive a first-place vote.
Knueppel’s campaign also stood out within a broader Hornets season that finished 44-38 and included a play-in qualification in the Eastern Conference structure. His role expanded steadily as the season progressed, particularly in late-game perimeter possessions.
