Charles Lee gives no timeline for Kon Knueppel and Coby White with the Hornets' opener three days away
WhyNBA Sports Desk · Oct 18, 2026
The story
Charlotte Hornets coach Charles Lee said on Sunday, October 18, that there is still no timeline for Kon Knueppel or Coby White to return, leaving both guards in doubt for Wednesday's season opener against the Brooklyn Nets.
The story
The news was not all bad. Lee told reporters that both players have steadily increased their workload in practice, including more physical work, according to Nick Carboni of WCNC. Neither has played in a game this preseason.
Two different injuries
Knueppel strained his left hamstring during on-court work in late September, and the team said at the time that he would sit out the exhibition schedule and be re-evaluated during the first week of the regular season.
Two different injuries
That window starts with the Brooklyn game, so Lee's comments line up with the original plan rather than signaling a setback.
Two different injuries
White's problem is his left calf, which he strained in training camp in early October. The club ruled him out of every preseason game and promised further updates later, and Sunday's remarks were the first real progress report since.
What Charlotte is missing
Knueppel is the bigger loss.
What Charlotte is missing
The fourth overall pick in 2025 averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists across 81 games as a rookie, made 273 threes to break Keegan Murray's rookie record, finished second in Rookie of the Year voting and earned a place on the All-Rookie First Team.
What Charlotte is missing
White arrived from the Chicago Bulls at last season's trade deadline and put up 15.6 points a night in 21 games with Charlotte, shooting 39.1 percent from three.
What Charlotte is missing
He signed a three-year, $74 million extension in the summer and had been expected to take on a bigger role in the backcourt.
What Charlotte is missing
Without them, the Hornets lean harder on Brandon Miller, veteran shooter Grayson Allen and rookie Christian Anderson Jr., the 18th pick in June, who have carried most of the perimeter minutes during the exhibition games.
What Charlotte is missing
The first official injury report of the season, due the day before the opener, should give a firmer answer on both guards. Every update is logged on our injuries page.
What comes next
The Hornets open at Barclays Center against the Nets on Wednesday, October 21, at 7:30 p.m. ET (Game Center), then host the Atlanta Hawks at Spectrum Center on Friday, October 23, at 7 p.m. ET (Game Center).
Photo credit
Kon Knueppel with the Charlotte Hornets. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC0). Cropped and resized.
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