By July 21, 2025
Photo: Hornets
After two weeks in Vegas, the Charlotte Hornets didn’t come home empty-handed. By going 6-0, they secured the franchise’s first-ever Summer League championship.
Is this the beginning of the Hornets’ long-awaited redemption story — or just another false dawn? Let’s break it all down with the ten biggest takeaways from an enthralling summer of basketball.
🏆🏆🏆@hornets | #NBA2KSummerLeague pic.twitter.com/NzU4u0wQed
— NBA Summer League (@NBASummerLeague) July 21, 2025
Winning the Summer League Championship Isn’t Meaningless
The words “Charlotte Hornets” and “championship” don’t often appear in the same sentence, but for once — right in the middle of the NBA offseason — they do. It’s a refreshing moment for fans and a quiet vindication for the new Hornets ownership, where progress over the last 18 months hasn’t always been easy to spot.
By the time training camp rolls around, this moment will fade into a distant memory, and players and coaches will shift their focus toward the regular season. But don’t underestimate the impact of this run. For many, that winning feeling will linger — and perhaps embolden that quiet voice that says, “We can help turn this franchise around.”
Chris Jent Can Coach
Chris Jent gave everything to this group — including his voice, which was raspy and strained after two weeks of Summer League intensity. Game after game, Charlotte looked like the better-prepared, better-coached team. They mixed up defensive coverages to confuse opponents, baited poor shooters into bad shots, and executed out-of-timeouts with precision. They also closed games well — no small feat in this setting.
This was not a team built around one star. Its identity was unselfishness and defense. Players passed up good shots for great ones, took charges, fought for loose balls, and stepped up when injuries hit. No egos, no stat-chasing — just honest, winning basketball. It was a privilege to watch, and for Chris Jent, a privilege to coach
“This group brought a lot of enjoyment to everybody every day with their hard work, perseverance, togetherness — all the things that encompass a team,” Jent said postgame.
Kon Knueppel is More Than Just a Shooter
For every “Can he guard anyone or do anything besides shoot?” jab often aimed at less athletic white wings, Kon Knueppel had a resounding answer this summer: yes — he can pass, create, defend, and absorb contact. After a slow start, he found his rhythm and quietly took over games with winning plays. He played through injury, buried the championship-sealing three against the Kings, and impacted the game across the board — scoring, facilitating, drawing fouls, and scrapping for loose balls.
Hornets lottery picks don’t have a great track record at Summer League, but Knueppel looked as ready to contribute as any in recent memory. Calm, mature, and unfazed, he already carries himself like a vet. After being named Summer League Finals MVP, he insisted teammate KJ Simpson should’ve won instead. Jent described him as an old soul.
KON KNUEPPEL SHOWING OFF THE RING 💍 #NBA2KSummerLeague pic.twitter.com/pUSw25PXmE
— NBA (@NBA) July 21, 2025
The NBA regular season will present a different level of size, speed, and skill — but the early signs are very promising.
Liam McNeeley is Looking Like the Steal of the Draft
Limited to just two games due to right Achilles tendinopathy, McNeeley still managed to steal the spotlight. Averaging 18 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4 assists while shooting 43% from deep, he showcased high-level potential for the 29th pick.
He even went viral after respectfully addressing the refs as “Mr. Ref” while mic’d up.
“Hey Mr. Ref, that’s a big fella down there.”
Liam McNeeley making a great first impression on the mic 🤣🎙️ https://t.co/jH6I1cNkzD pic.twitter.com/QyE8LI8tlo
— NBA (@NBA) July 12, 2025
Despite a down shooting year at UConn (31.7%), McNeeley looked confident from beyond the arc, both off the dribble and the catch. At 6’8″, he adds value on the boards and showed promising playmaking flashes on the second side.
His challenge now is now putting more weight on his narrow frame and staying healthy to fight for a rotation role.
Tidjane Salaun’s Development is Back on the Right Track
The sixth overall pick in last year’s draft had a tough rookie season. This summer, despite only playing three games due to injury (Achilles soreness), Salaun showed the kind of growth Hornets fans hoped to see.
tidjane with the triple 👌 #NBASummer pic.twitter.com/bYRPmcagCi
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) July 14, 2025
Physically, he looked stronger and more coordinated. The raw athleticism is still there, but his balance and body control have clearly improved — something he said was a focus this offseason. Skill-wise, he looked more composed attacking closeouts, using euro-steps and controlled finishes through contact. The three-point shooting sample was small (5-of-15), and he’s still spotting up from too deep, but he knocked down two high-difficulty, clutch threes late to help seal the win against the Jazz.
Defensively, he communicated more effectively, rotated with better timing, and processed actions more quickly. You’d still like to see more disruption given his size, length, and motor — and his lack of impact on the offensive glass was noticeable — but overall, this was a clear step forward heading into his age-20 season.
KJ Simpson was the Hornets MVP
After missing last summer with injury, Simpson made up for lost time. He was the emotional leader of the team — organizing huddles, mentoring rookies, and playing with relentless energy on both ends. Defensively, he was a pest: fighting over screens, drawing charges, and flashing shades of Jose Alvarado.
Offensively, he averaged 16 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1 steal, and 2.7 turnovers, playing 28.6 minutes per game. He consistently jumpstarted Charlotte with fast starts to stretch out early leads and aggressively attacked downhill, forcing opposing defenses into rotation.
His efficiency dropped in the knockout rounds — partly due to over-dribbling and being asked to do too much late in possessions. But in the NBA, he won’t need to carry that burden. If he can hit threes, defend, and run the offense at a steady pace, he can carve out a role as a third guard.
“Shoot it. Shoot it… every time.”
KJ Simpson mic’d up supporting Charlotte’s No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/Fqt2lSr29N
— NBA (@NBA) July 19, 2025
His 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio was impressive in the chaotic Summer League environment, and while he may not be a high-level playmaker during the regular season, the foundation is solid. This was a confidence-building week for Simpson who will likely be named on the All-Summer League Team in the coming days.
Ryan Kalkbrenner’s Impact Doesn’t Always Show Up in the Box Score
Ryan Kalkbrenner’s stats (9.7 points, 3.7 defensive rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game) might not jump off the page, but despite his physical limitations — particularly his speed — he anchored the Hornets’ defense with smarts, communication, and length.
🎙️ Ryan Kalkbrenner: “We just got a bunch of guys who love winning, and they just want to do their part to win. We don’t care who’s scoring. We don’t care who’s making a play. We just want to win. That’s step #1 in making a winning team right there. We got that with this team.” pic.twitter.com/QMecFtea6B
— r/CharlotteHornets on Reddit (@HornetsReddit) July 21, 2025
He altered countless shots in the paint without fouling; at times guards simply turned around when they saw him. He did all the little things well — bumping cutters, boxing out, calling out defensive coverages. His true value showed up in the team’s defensive cohesion and will only be captured by the advanced stats, which unfortunately aren’t available for Summer League.
You can hear this bone crunching screen from Ryan Kalkbrenner to free up Kon Knueppel for the layup pic.twitter.com/tUk4ybjjl7
— James Plowright (@British_Buzz) July 21, 2025
Offensively, he set bone-crunching screens to free up Knueppel and Simpson, showing excellent hands and a huge catch radius on rolls. He kept his hands high and finished well in the paint. He went 2-of-7 from three to keep the faint belief he could shoot the deep ball at the NBA level. The bigger concern is his slow decision-making, adapting to the game speed, and lack of strength finishing through contact — something he discussed in our interview with CLTure.
Ryan Kalkbrenner and Kon Knueppel with back to back 3s (with a replay) pic.twitter.com/zNe9OYEYUj
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) July 21, 2025
Jeff Peterson’s Vision and Philosophy is Paying Off
Historically, Charlotte’s Summer League teams have been packed with “project” players trying to showcase skills honed in one-on-zero workouts. But over the past two years, under President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson, the Hornets have shifted focus — prioritizing tough, two-way competitors who play with a winning mentality and a gritty, ego-free edge. And it’s working.
Peterson also put trust in Charles Lee and his staff. The results spoke for themselves in Summer League. The Hornets played a consistent, sustainable brand of basketball — both offensively and defensively.
The Hornets Injury Bug Still Biting
The only thing that could’ve made this title run sweeter? More availability from the team’s core. Sion James (hip soreness), Liam McNeeley (Achilles), and Tidjane Salaun (Achilles) combined for just seven total games.
While local talents like Jaylen Sims, DJ Rodman, and MJ Walker had their moments, they’re more likely headed to Greensboro than Charlotte.
The Hornets did take steps to address their injury woes by hiring Patrick Chasse, former Celtics Head Athletic Trainer, as VP of Medical and Performance. Still, the team has had one of the league’s worst injury records the past two seasons.
NBATA Members reporting live from the White House 🏆
Patrick Chasse, Drew Moore and Nick Sang celebrating the @celtics banner 18 🍀 #greATness pic.twitter.com/MDW3rFOaWw
— NBATA (@NBATA) November 25, 2024
Who will secure Charlotte’s two-way contracts?
Currently, Charlotte has KJ Simpson, Damian Baugh, and Drew Peterson on two-way deals. But the roster is imbalanced. With Ball, Mann, Dinwiddie, and Sexton already in place, does the team really need two more guards?
Drew Peterson offers wing shooting, but his role overlaps with Knueppel and McNeeley — so his path to playing time looks narrow.
Damion Baugh helped the Hornets to an unbeaten @NBASummerLeague record and a spot in today’s final at 9 PM on ESPN.pic.twitter.com/q5czmHa45t
— TCU Men’s Basketball (@TCUBasketball) July 20, 2025
Just a week ago, it seemed likely Baugh would be waived in favor of a frontcourt option like PJ Hall. But then Baugh delivered a near triple-double off the bench in the semifinal (10-9-9), and Hall signed a two-way contract with Memphis before the final — much to the dismay of Hornets fans.
As it stands today, expect Charlotte to sign a frontcourt player and let go of either Baugh or Peterson heading into training camp.
With the 2025 Summer League now in the books, the countdown to the real season begins. The only question is whether this momentum lasts — or fades like a summer fling.
The Hornets’ 2025 preseason training camp is scheduled for late September, with practices planned at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. They’ll face the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder at North Charleston Coliseum on Sunday, October 5 at 5:00 p.m., and the Memphis Grizzlies at Greensboro’s First Horizon Coliseum on Wednesday, October 15 at 7:00 p.m.
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