Hornets’ Kon Knueppel shares hilarious NBA draft lottery simulation story

The Charlotte Hornets ended up with the No. 14 pick in the NBA draft lottery on Sunday at McCormick Place in Chicago.

Even the presence of Kon Knueppel, who represented the Hornets, was not enough of a good luck charm.

The Washington Wizards, who had a 14% chance, got the No. 1 pick, beating the Brooklyn Nets and the Indiana Pacers, who had an equal chance for the much-coveted selection.

Knueppel had a funny story about his experience in the annual event.

“No surprise. I feel like the odds are pretty tough. I told McKayla (Hernandez) that I did like 50 simulations on the car ride down from Milwaukee, and we didn’t move up in any of them,” said Knueppel in a video posted on Reddit.

Kon Knueppel on the Hornets staying at #14: "No surprise. I feel like the odds are pretty tough… I did like 50 simulations on the car ride down from Milwaukee, and we didn't move up in any of them." pic.twitter.com/NNesFSK26A

— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) May 10, 2026

Hernandez is the Hornets’ senior manager of basketball communications and player engagement.

The 20-year-old Knueppel, however, expressed confidence that they can still get a valuable player with the No. 14 pick in a loaded class.

“Just bring in another stud who can help us. A guy who’s willing to compete,” added Knueppel, who was drafted by the Hornets as the fourth overall selection last year.

Charlotte has only won the No. 1 pick once, drafting Larry Johnson out of UNLV in 1991.

The Hornets are coming off a memorable campaign, tallying a 44-38 record. They were one game short of ending their nine-year drought in the playoffs, losing to the Orlando Magic in the Play-In Tournament.

Knueppel was a huge part of Charlotte’s turnaround, averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. He finished as a close runner-up to Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks for Rookie of the Year.

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