Kon Knuepel drawing by Klay Thompson, comparisons by Devin Booker

While there are rumors surrounding the Charlotte Hornets and the LaMelo Ball tradeThe future of the team now seems to revolve around Kon Knuepel, who has had a fast start to the season. With that, some say Knuepel for the Hornets could be in consideration for the NBA Rookie of the Year awardthe comparisons it receives should excite any fan.

Kevin O’Connell, on his show of the same name, would turn on Tom Haberstroh and ask the analyst for the best comparisons for Knuepel, and he first said that current Dallas Mavericks star and former Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson. Haberstroh would look at how Knuppel plays in the pick-and-roll, how he is used as a ball-handler and guard, and emphasize how similar it is until when Thompson was in Golden State.

“But if you look at his two-point assist rate, on 60% of his twos, he gets an assist from Konueppel, his rookie season, exactly the same as Klay Thompson,” Haberstroh said. “And as far as a pure shooter, as far as footwork, you see that with Klay Thompson, just like this guy, his ceiling is probably next. Klay Thompson is one of the great shooters we’ve ever seen, but he can also do things with the ball.”

🎙 @tomhaberstroh in the competition of the best players for Kon Knuepel:

“…next up Klay Thompson, one of the greatest shooters we’ve ever seen, but he can also do things with the ball.”

“What about Devin Booker? I know that’s aggressive, but Thompson might not have a high enough ceiling.” 🤔 https://t.co/fVcLkuKkkC pic.twitter.com/jk4iScvkGG

— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) November 21, 2025

The Hornets’ Kon Knuepel compared to Devin Booker

As it was not rare to see Knuepel dropped a team-high 30 for the Hornets this season in the last nine contests he is averaging 22.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. Another comparison that Haberstroh would mention that some might see as a higher ceiling is Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker.

“What about (Booker)? Talk about a pure scorer or big guards can handle the pick-and-roll and a smooth player with great footwork,” Haberstroh said. “I know that’s aggressive, but we’re talking about maybe Klay Thompson’s ceiling isn’t high enough for this guy, or he’s a little more dynamic…But as a big guard who can just shoot with the best of them and work as a ball handler and get in the middle, great footwork, it sounds like (Booker).”

In any case, it remains to be seen how much talent Knuppel will show, but there is no doubt that the sky is the limit.