Bridges discussed how White’s arrival brings something new to the Hornets, he said, per The Observer’s Rod Boone.

“Just a dynamic veteran guard off the bench. He’s doing a great job. He can score 20-30 [points] each night if he wanted to, but just to have him as a sixth man, that’s great for us,” Bridges said. “He’s playing in his hometown. So, it feels extra good for him and should be comfortable. We’re trying to make him comfortable here on his team, and we’re happy to have him.”

Miles Bridges says he feels the difference in how the Hornets fans have increased their support for the team this season.

“It’s a different vibe,” Bridges said. “We’ll go to away games, their team’s [crowd] be loud, cheering them on, and we didn’t have the same at home. Some people showed up. Now, it’s like everybody’s showing up, showing us love. But shoutout to the fans that’s been down with us before, and shoutout to the fans now.”

Asked Miles Bridges about the atmosphere surrounding #Hornets basketball in the city. He said "it's a different vibe."

He also gave praise to Coby White with how he's fitting in: pic.twitter.com/yvSHsafVJJ

— Rod Boone (@rodboone) February 28, 2026

The Hornets will host the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.

Coby White’s reaction to Bulls reunion after Hornets trade

Facing his former team for the first time since his trade, Hornets’ Coby White reacted to his recent Bulls reunion. Before his trade to the Hornets, White’s only team throughout his NBA career has been the Bulls.

You could imagine what it felt like for White to return to the Windy City for the first time as a member of the visiting team, he said, per CHSN.

“You don’t really know the impact you have on people. And the impact people have on me. I got the ovation and whatever, but so many people being here tonight, wearing my jersey, calling my name,” White said. “For me, it’s just trying to be in the moment. And just try to stay grounded. It’s very humbling to find out how many people you impact through this beautiful game that we play.”

"It's very humbling to find out how many people you impact through this beautiful game that we play."

Coby White on the support he felt in his return to Chicago tonight pic.twitter.com/WqZPPQyYXi

— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) February 25, 2026

The Hornets are now on a four-game winning streak.

The post Hornets’ Miles Bridges gives props to Coby White for bringing ‘different vibe’ off bench appeared first on ClutchPoints.

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Deni Avdija injury status vs. Hornets

After a rock-solid start to the 2025-2026 season, Avdija has been slowed by injuries over the last month. Avdija is currently being slowed by a back injury that forced him out in the first minute of the Blazers’ Sunday night game against the Phoenix Suns.

Avdija has yet to return to the court since then, missing Portland’s last two games. He is listed as doubtful on Saturday and expected to miss his third straight contest.

Interim head coach Tiago Splitter has turned to Kris Murray in Avdija’s absence. Murray enters Saturday’s game off consecutive double-digit efforts and is slated to receive his 14th start of the season against the Hornets. He will join Jrue Holiday, Toumani Camara, Jerami Grant and Donovan Clingan in the Blazers’ starting lineup.

Clingan is listed as questionable after missing the Blazers’ last game with an illness. If he misses another game, expect Scoot Henderson to remain in the opening lineup.

Holiday and Grant have picked up the scoring slack in Avdija’s absence, with Henderson absorbing additional minutes off the bench. Holiday is currently on his best stretch of the season, averaging 18.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in February.

With Avdija trending toward missing another game, expect the same Blazers team that just collected a 121-112 win over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday to face the Hornets.

Blazers injury report

Deni Avdija — Doubtful, Lower back injury management

Sidy Cissoko — Questionable, Illness

Donovan Clingan — Questionable, Illness

Damian Lillard — OUT, Left Achilles tendon management

Caleb Love — OUT, G League

Shaedon Sharpe — Left fibula stress reaction

Hornets injury report

Tosan Evbuomwan — OUT, G League

PJ Hall — OUT, G League

Liam McNeely — OUT, G League

Antonio Reeves — OUT, G League

Tidjane Salaun — OUT, G League

The post Is Deni Avdija playing today? Blazers vs. Hornets injury report appeared first on ClutchPoints.

However, Mavs head coach Jason Kidd suggested that Flagg won’t participate in that contest, according to Ron Harrod Jr. of DLLS Sports. If that is the case, then the 19-year-old rookie is likely to miss the team’s next three games at least.

“Probably not,” said Kidd when asked if Flagg would be available for the Mavericks’ game against the Hornets.

The Mavericks have been without Cooper Flagg for the past five games, with his sixth straight missed contest coming on Friday when Dallas faces off against the Memphis Grizzlies. He recently had a walking boot removed, which was a sign of progress on his left midfoot sprain. However, Flagg has remained out of the lineup.

When healthy, Flagg has been solid for the Mavericks in his rookie year. Through 49 games played, the former No. 1 overall pick is averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 48.2% from the floor and 30.2% from beyond the three-point line.

He is in direct competition for the Rookie of the Year Award with Kon Knueppel, as the Hornets’ star has become an immediate star for the club. Knueppel, who was Flagg’s teammate in college at Duke, is averaging 19.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per contest. He also owns a 49.1% field goal percentage and a 44.2% three-point percentage through 59 games played.

The post Mavericks HC Jason Kidd gets real on potential Cooper Flagg-Kon Knueppel showdown appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Since January 3rd, the Hornets have won the most games in the NBA at 18 and have been the fourth winningest team in the NBA with their 18-8 record, trailing only the Detroit Pistons (18-5), San Antonio Spurs (18-7), and Cleveland Cavaliers (17-7).

Since the start of January, LaMelo Ball (99), Kon Knueppel (92), and Brandon Miller (90) rank first, second, and third in total three-pointers made in the NBA, signifying just how dominant the three players have been for the Hornets.

The Charlotte Hornets are 17-2 this season with this starting 5 of…

– LaMelo Ball
– Kon Knueppel
– Brandon Miller
– Miles Bridges
– Moussa Diabate

In the 270 minutes these 5 have shared the floor this season, the Hornets have a 137.0 offensive rating and a 106.5 defensive… pic.twitter.com/L3u3u105SU

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) February 27, 2026

Additionally, the Charlotte Hornets are 17-2 this season with this starting five of LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and Moussa Diabate. In the 270 minutes these five players have shared the floor this season, the Hornets have a 137.0 offensive rating and a 106.5 defensive rating, meaning they’ve outscored opponents by 30.5 points per 100 possessions.

This includes wins over Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Denver Nuggets. Charlotte is also presently the last team to beat the Spurs, who went 11-0 in the month of February.

The Hornets’ only two losses with this starting five have come against the Detroit Pistons by six points and the LA Clippers by eight points.

Entering March, the Hornets have the 12th toughest remaining strength of schedule with an average opponent winning percentage of .502. Some of their most difficult games remaining include three games against the Boston Celtics, two games against the New York Knicks, one game against the Detroit Pistons, and one game against the San Antonio Spurs.

Brnadon Miller is the Hornets scoring leader, averaging 20.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from three.

Kon Knueppel is averaging 19.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists for Charlotte while shooting 49.1 percent from the field, 44.2 percent from three, and 89.8 percent from the free throw line.

LaMelo Ball is also averaging 19.4 points to go along with his 4.8 rebounds and team-high 73 assists per game while shooting 40.3 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from three.

The post Latest insane stat shows new Splash Brothers are in Charlotte appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Kneuppel had been one of the best rookies in the league this season, and came into Thursday night’s game with a chance to make NBA history. Knueppel entered the game against the Indiana Pacers with 201 three-pointers in his rookie season which was just five three-pointers away from tying Sacramento Kings rookie Keegan Murray for most three-pointers in a rookie season.

In the 2022-23 regular season, Murray recorded 206 made three-pointers in 80 games as a rookie for the Kings. This season, Kon Knueppel totaled 201 three-pointers in just 58 regular season games with the Hornets.

With his fifth three-pointer of the game, all of which came in the first half, Knueppel tied Keegan Murray’s rookie record for three-pointers in a season.

Kon Knueppel made his sixth three-pointer of the night with 1:05 remaining in the third quarter, giving him 207 three-pointers on the season.

Charlotte led Indiana after three quarters of play, 107-82. Kneuppel had 20 points and three rebounds through three quarters of play. Brandon Miller led all scorers through three with 33 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.

Most 3-pointers made by a rookie in a season in NBA history:

207 — KON KNUEPPEL (59 GP)
206 — Keegan Murray (80 GP)

Congrats to the Hornets rookie pic.twitter.com/7DaOXTapaP

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 27, 2026

Hornets' guard Kon Knueppel has passed Keegan Murray for most 3-pointers in a rookie season.

1. Kon Knueppel — 207 (59 games)
2. Keegan Murray — 206 (80 games)
3. Donovan Mitchell 187 (79 games) pic.twitter.com/lg7AeKs66A

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) February 27, 2026

In his first season in the NBA, Kon Knueppel is averaging 19.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists while shooting 48.9 percent from the field, 43.6 percent from three, and 89.3 percent from the free throw line. It’s the most efficient season by a rookie in NBA history for any player scoring over 15 point a night.

The Hornets were 12 games under .500 on January 2, 2026 at 11-23. Since that loss against the Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte has gone 17-8, one of the better records in the league. Now sitting at 28-31 after winning seven of their last 10 games, the Hornets have a very good chance at being one of the four play-in teams and an outside chance at climbing into the top six in the Eastern Conference.

The Hornets are currently just one game ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks for the 10th seed in the West and only 4.5 games back of the Philadelphia 76ers for the sixth seed.

The post Kon Knueppel makes NBA history, solidifies case for Rookie of the Year appeared first on ClutchPoints.

And well, there was plenty of reason to.

“Trying a three-pointer I think, like Kon Knueppel,” the commentator could be heard exclaiming during the official broadcast, per a post on X by the Charlotte Hornets.

Kon Knueppel reference on the Real Madrid vs Benfica Champions League broadcast!

"Kon Knueppel, I think… trying a three-pointer."pic.twitter.com/ruCcTjhzaP

— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) February 25, 2026

The incident was such that Brazilian footballer Vinicius Jr. initially pinged a ball towards the right wing, looking for Federico Valverde. The Uruguayan is known for a hammer of a right foot, but ended up messing it up this time around.

After getting the ball under his control somewhat flimsily, Valverde launched a tame effort from distance towards the goal, as the ball sailed over the goalkeeper and out. The attempt was nowhere close to the kind of three-pointers fans have grown accustomed to Kneuppel attempting, when it came to quality.

However, Knueppel has developed a knack for taking on the most unlikely of shots, something Valverde was also guilty of doing. However, unlike Knueppel, who is currently converting a whopping 43.6% of his attempts from beyond the arc, Valverde’s shot lacked accuracy and threat.

Of course, the Hornets’ Rookie of the year contender has already broken multiple major records, recently becoming the quickest NBA star to reach 200 three-pointers. Currently leading the league with a total of 201 three-pointers, Knueppel’s immediate rise has not just led to comparisons with Cooper Flagg, seen by many before the season as the most marquee rookie in the NBA this year.

It has also led to global acclaim, as even football commentators are evidently taking notice. Regardless, Real Madrid ended up winning the game 2-1 despite Valverde’s attempt, with the two goals coming from the likes of Aurélien Tchouaméni and Vini Jr.

The post Hornets’ Kon Knueppel somehow gets shout out during Real Madrid match appeared first on ClutchPoints.

But for former NBA guard Jeff Teague, it’s already been decided.

While watching Knueppel’s highlights in the Hornets’ 131-99 win on Tuesday against the Chicago Bulls on the road, Teague said that “if he’s [Knueppel] not Rookie of the Year, he got robbed. They [are] actually winning games, he [is] averaging 20 points.”

In that game against the Bulls, Knueppel fired 21 points on 7-for-12 shooting from the field with three 3-pointers, while hitting all four of his attempts from the free-throw line in 23 minutes of action.

Knueppel has certainly grabbed more attention of late among rookies with his play, and especially with Flagg sidelined with a foot injury that has prevented him from playing since the NBA All-Star break.

Cooper Flagg is not too shabby himself in his first season in the league, as the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft has been putting up big numbers for the Mavericks when he’s healthy. However, his former Duke Blue Devils teammate is seemingly giving him a serious run for his money in the ROY race.

In fact, Knueppel, the fourth-overall pick in 2025, is leading all rookies entering Wednesday with a 2.4 VORP (Value Over Replacement Player), while Flagg is second with a 1.4.

Knueppel also paces all first-year players in points and win shares. And for what it’s worth, he is 1-0 against Flagg this season, as the Hornets defeated Dallas on Jan. 29, in a game that is remembered for the incredible duel between the two former Duke teammates, with Knueppel putting up 34 points and Cooper Flagg erupting for 49.

Still, there is plenty of basketball left to play this season to make this compelling Rookie of the Year race even more interesting.

The post Cooper Flagg or Kon Knueppel for NBA Rookie of the Year? Jeff Teague makes his pick appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Although Cooper Flagg was the rookie captivating all the attention at the start of the year, Knueppel is the one who may just walk away with the NBA Rookie of the Year award.

Knueppel is not only tied for second in the league with LaMelo Ball and Donovan Mitchell for the most threes made per game this season (3.5), but he also leads ALL players, not just rookies, in total threes made after knocking down his 201st triple on Tuesday night against the Chicago Bulls.

The Hornets’ rookie has played 58 total games and has already made over 200 threes. He will not only be passing Keegan Murray’s rookie record of 206 made threes during the 2022-23 season, but Knueppel has a chance to possibly cross the 300 made threes plateau before the end of the year.

Only Stephen Curry (six times), James Harden, Anthony Edwards, Malik Beasley, and Klay Thompson have ever achieved such a feat, and Knueppel could do so in his first NBA season. Despite being only 58 games into his NBA career, Knueppel is already achieving things not even Curry did when he first entered the league.

Between his shooting and scoring numbers, as well as the Hornets’ clear success rising in the Eastern Conference standings to be a competitive organization, Knueppel has solidified himself at the top of the NBA rookie rankings with just about seven weeks left in the 2025-26 season.

At the start of the year, it was a given that Flagg would win the Rookie of the Year award and be the face of this year’s NBA rookie class. Well, with Flagg injured and the Dallas Mavericks in no position to compete for the rest of the year, this race is Knueppel’s to lose at this point.

1. Kon Knueppel – Charlotte Hornets

Previous Ranking: #1

Stats: 58 games, 19.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 48.9 FG%, 43.6 3P%

The Hornets have battled injuries and lineup changes all season. LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller both missed time due to injury, and plenty of others have been in and out of Charles Lee’s nightly rotations for a variety of reasons. But the one constant in Charlotte has been Knueppel, who has only missed one game this year and has been spectacular all season.

The 20-year-old sharpshooter looks like an aged veteran on the perimeter, and he has such a high understanding of how to move off the ball to open up the maximum amount of space for himself. Just like how Steph Curry is always moving and finding an open spot to get a 3-point attempt off, Knueppel is always doing the same and looks like the clear answer for who will be the best shooter in the NBA once Curry calls it quits.

No player has ever put together a shooting season quite like Knueppel in their first year, and he still has 23 games left on the schedule. As previously mentioned, there is an outside chance he could come close to reaching 300 made threes on the year, which would be a historic accomplishment for Knueppel.

At this point, it’s hard to envision anyone else winning the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award at this point unless Knueppel gets hurt.

2. Cooper Flagg – Dallas Mavericks

Previous Ranking: #2

Stats: 49 games, 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.2 steals, 48.2 FG%, 30.2 3P%

Cooper Flagg has missed four straight games dating back to before the All-Star break as a result of a left midfoot sprain that an MRI revealed. While the Mavericks are obviously not in a position to contend for a playoff spot, they won’t be shutting Flagg down for the remainder of the season and tanking.

As good as Flagg has been this season, his impact has not translated to wins in Dallas. The same cannot be said about Knueppel and the Hornets, as his contributions have directly tied to Charlotte winning games. That is why Knueppel finds himself in the top spot of these NBA rookie rankings late in the year.

What Flagg has done this season cannot be overlooked. Although he was the No. 1 pick and carried high expectations into his first season, with many stating he was the best American draft prospect since LeBron James, Flagg has lived up to the hype.

Flagg has recorded seven games scoring at least 30 points this season, and four of them have come since Jan. 29, when he scored a career-high 49 points on 20-of-29 shooting against Knueppel and the Hornets. The All-Star potential is there for the Mavs’ rookie, and he will be the face of the franchise alongside Kyrie Irving entering the 2026-27 season.

3. VJ Edgecombe – Philadelphia 76ers

Previous Ranking: #3

Stats: 54 games, 15.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 42.8 FG%, 36.4 3P%

When Joel Embiid doesn’t play due to rest or injury, VJ Edgecombe suddenly becomes the Philadelphia 76ers’ No. 2 option next to Tyrese Maxey. Edgecombe has thrived in his role this season, and that’s the main reason why he was a featured player during All-Star Weekend at the Rising Stars event.

Scoring 23 points during the showcase, Edgecombe went on to win the Rising Stars MVP. That is quite the accomplishment for the 76ers’ rookie, especially given that he’s in the shadow of Knueppel and Flagg right now.

No rookie in the league has played more minutes than Edgecombe this season, and he’s been on a hot streak, scoring at least 20 points in three of the team’s four games out of the All-Star break.

4. Derik Queen – New Orleans Pelicans

Previous Ranking: #4

Stats: 58 games, 12.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 49.0 FG%

Derik Queen has been one of the lone bright spots for the New Orleans Pelicans this season. Whether or not the Pelicans made the right decision trading away their 2026 first-round pick to land Queen is open for interpretation, but the organization has been very pleased with his production and rookie development.

Not only does Queen lead all rookies in rebounds (422), but because he also leads them in total assists (234). That goes to show the impact Queen can make outside of his flashy footwork in the low post and scoring instincts as a new-age big man.

5. Maxime Raynaud – Sacramento Kings

Previous Ranking: Not Ranked

Stats: 51 games, 10.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 55.0 FG%, 25.6 3P%

One of the more surprising rookies this season has been second-round pick Maxime Raynaud on the Sacramento Kings. As a result of various injuries, specifically to star big man Domantas Sabonis, the Kings were forced to throw Raynaud into an elevated role early in the season, and he has since become a focal point for them in the starting rotation.

Since the start of February, Raynaud has averaged 13.0 points and 9.4 rebounds per game while shooting 57.5 percent from the floor. Although his 3-point shooting is not where it was a year ago in college, Raynaud is making a difference with his double-double-like abilities.

He is most definitely an All-Rookie selection this year.

6. Cedric Coward – Memphis Grizzlies

Previous Ranking: #5

Stats: 48 games, 13.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 46.8 FG%, 34.0 3P%

Cedric Coward has slipped slightly in the NBA rookie rankings as a result of injuries keeping him on the sideline and the Memphis Grizzlies beginning to tank. He recently suffered a hyperextended knee, an injury that could wind up sidelining Coward for the rest of the year.

Nonetheless, Coward has proven to be one of the young pillars of the Grizzlies’ rebuild, and he’s one of the reasons why the organization decided to part ways with Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. Once Ja Morant is traded in the offseason, Coward will have a clear path to becoming the face of the Grizzlies with his two-way abilities on the wing.

7. Tre Johnson – Washington Wizards

Previous Ranking: #6

Stats: 44 games, 12.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 43.6 FG%, 37.0 3P%

The Washington Wizards are definitely happy with the rookie season Tre Johnson has put together. Aside from being a natural scorer anywhere on the court, Johnson has made a name for himself with NBA fans by ranking fifth among all rookies in 3-pointers made (87).

Although his minutes are down and being watched carefully since he is coming back from a hip flexor strain, Johnson has recorded at least 10 points in four of his last five games, with all four of his double-digit scoring performances resulting in him playing less than 20 minutes.

8. Dylan Harper – San Antonio Spurs

Previous Ranking: Not Ranked

Stats: 46 games, 10.9 points, 3.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 47.0 FG%, 25.4 3P%

Unlike Knueppel and Flagg, Dylan Harper’s path as a top draft pick has been different since he wasn’t immediately thrown into the spotlight. If you ask Harper, he is in the perfect position, not just because he’s on a championship-caliber, young team in the San Antonio Spurs, but he gets to learn from De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle in the backcourt.

There are clear areas of growth in Harper’s game since the start of the season, particularly as a scorer off the dribble and making the right reads as a playmaker. Since the start of February, Harper has averaged 12.3 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting a very efficient 55.6 percent from the floor.

9. Egor Demin – Brooklyn Nets

Previous Ranking: #9

Stats: 50 games, 10.5 points, 3.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 39.6 FG%, 38.5 3P%

Many draft experts said Egor Demin couldn’t shoot coming out of college and that his game wouldn’t translate to the NBA. Well, it seems like a lot of people got Demin mixed up with someone else, as he’s been everything the Brooklyn Nets had hoped for as a reliable 3-point shooting specialist.

Add Demin’s length and athleticism to the equation, and all of a sudden, the Nets have a young talent they can mold into an all-around impactful guard for years to come. Demin has knocked down 122 total triples this season, the second most among all rookies.

10. Ace Bailey – Utah Jazz

Previous Ranking: Not Ranked

Stats: 51 games, 11.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 44.5 FG%, 33.2 3P%

Ace Bailey did not have a good start to the season. He struggled to find his shot, and he went through early rookie learning phases with the Utah Jazz. Since the start of the new year, Bailey looks more confident, and he is cementing himself as a key talent in Utah’s system.

The Jazz rookie has played in 21 games since the calendar flipped to 2026, and he’s scored at least 10 points in 16 of those games, including five 20-plus-point games. Bailey has also increased his rebounding effort, averaging 6.4 rebounds per game in February.

The post NBA Rookie Power Rankings: Is ROTY race Kon Knueppel’s to lose with Cooper Flagg injured? appeared first on ClutchPoints.

White was traded to Charlotte before the deadline in a deal that brought Collin Sexton and a few second-round picks to Chicago. Because of a calf injury, White eased into his debut game with the Hornets. He scored 10 points on 4-for-9 shooting.

After Charlotte’s commanding victory against Chicago, White didn’t hesitate to catch up with his old teammates.

Coby White reunites with a few of his former Bulls teammates (those that remain). Hornets hand Bulls their 10th straight loss, and Chicago is still winless since the deadline. Their 99 points tonight is tied for their third fewest of the season. pic.twitter.com/jijnN7ZybX

— Joel Lorenzi (@JoelXLorenzi) February 25, 2026

In addition, the former Bulls guard was warmly received on the court. During a first-quarter timeout, the team played a tribute video for Coby White on the big screen. The montage traced his journey from being drafted out of North Carolina in 2019 to becoming one of the most beloved players among Chicago fans.

Reflecting on the warm welcome he received from the crowd, White spoke about how much the moment meant to him.

“You don’t really know the impact you have on people. And the impact people have on me. I got the ovation and whatever, but so many people being here tonight, wearing my jersey, calling my name. For me, it’s just trying to be in the moment. And just try to stay grounded. It’s very humbling to find out how many people you impact through this beautiful game that we play,” the 26-year-old said, via CHSN.

The Bulls came into Tuesday trying to halt a nine-game slide, but the Hornets pushed it to 10. Chicago fell to 24-35 and remains winless this month, while Charlotte moved to 28-31 with seven victories in its last 10 outings.

Before the game, White talked about the direction of Chicago’s season and his understanding of the team’s decision to trade him.

“The way the season was going, we weren’t stacking enough wins consistently,” White told the media. “Like I said from the jump, I support whatever they think is best for the team. This organization believed in me. They gave me a chance and opportunity to live out my dreams. So, I just want to see the organization succeed.”

Only time will tell how the Bulls’ decision to trade White will play out. The move gives Chicago a chance to reshape the roster, but whether it leads to better results in the long run remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, the Hornets will aim to keep their momentum going with Coby White now back in the lineup following his return from injury. Charlotte will take on the Indiana Pacers in their next game on Thursday.

The post Hornets’ Coby White shares heartfelt postgame moment with ex-Bulls teammates appeared first on ClutchPoints.

White made his debut for the Hornets on Tuesday night against a familiar foe, and he put up 10 points on 4-9 shooting from the field against his former team. The Hornets were able to ease him into action, which was important considering that the calf injury he was dealing with was serious enough for the Bulls to get one fewer second-round pick in the trade.

This was certainly an emotional night for White considering that he had spent the first six and a half seasons of his career with the Bulls. Bulls fans also acknowledged his contributions for the team during his time in the Windy City, and White appreciated the warm reception he received.

“You don’t really know the impact you have on people. And the impact people have on me. I got the ovation and whatever, but so many people being here tonight, wearing my jersey, calling my name. For me, it’s just trying to be in the moment. And just try to stay grounded. It’s very humbling to find out how many people you impact through this beautiful game that we play,” White said, via CHSN.

"It's very humbling to find out how many people you impact through this beautiful game that we play."

Coby White on the support he felt in his return to Chicago tonight pic.twitter.com/WqZPPQyYXi

— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) February 25, 2026

Coby White joins nascent Hornets core

The Bulls had run their course, paving the way for White to join the upstart Hornets. With LaMelo Ball having a checkered injury history, White figures to play a huge role for one of the league’s hottest teams.

White is only 26 years of age and he can be one of the most explosive scorers in the association. He also studied in Chapel Hill, which means that he’s already beloved in Charlotte.

The post Hornets’ Coby White has heartwarming reaction to fan reception in Chicago return appeared first on ClutchPoints.

On Tuesday night, in a comfortable win over the floundering Chicago Bulls, Knueppel had another routine solid game, putting in 21 points on an efficient 7-12 from the field and 3-6 from beyond the arc as the Hornets built a lead that stretched over 30 points.

Knueppel entered the night just two three-pointers shy of the 200 mark for his career; in nailing the triples, he needed just 58 games to cross that mark, which is the fastest anyone has ever done in NBA history, as mentioned by the official ClutchPoints account on X (formerly Twitter).

The Hornets sharpshooter is on the fast track to being one of the most prolific outside marksmen in the history of the league, and considering how important of a skill shooting is especially in today’s NBA, Knueppel is well on his way to being one of the best players in the league.

Kon Knueppel is the jewel of the Hornets rebuild

It’s becoming a no-brainer that Knueppel truly is the crown jewel of the Hornets rebuild. LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller are incredible players in their own right, but Knueppel’s unstoppable scoring ability and efficient volume production from beyond the arc has quickly made him one of the most valuable players in the association, especially considering that he’s only 20 years of age.

On the season, Knueppel is averaging 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game on 49/44/89 shooting splits.

The post Hornets’ Kon Knueppel makes NBA history with 200th 3-pointer appeared first on ClutchPoints.

During a timeout in the first quarter, the Bulls flashed on the Jumbotron screen a video tribute to White. It highlighted his journey from North Carolina in 2019 to becoming a fan favorite in Chicago.

The Bulls pay tribute to Coby White in his first game back in Chicago as part of Charlotte @ClutchPoints pic.twitter.com/5HLxIaEllp

— Zachary Draves (@DravesZachary) February 25, 2026

As expected, the fans at the United Center gave White loud applause, per @M4VERICK_CARTER on X, formerly Twitter. 

Bulls in-game tribute to Coby White pic.twitter.com/MKCsv4IBZY

— M4VERICK (@M4VERICK_CARTER) February 25, 2026

Additionally, players on both sides clapped for him as he waved to the fans. Going into Tuesday, the Bulls are trying to break a nine-game losing streak. They are 24-34 and haven’t won a game throughout the month. Meanwhile, the Hornets are 27-31 and have won 7 of their last 10 games.

Before Tuesday, there were questions about whether White would play, considering he was coming off a calf injury. He hadn’t played a game with the Hornets until Chicago.

In 29 games with the Bulls, White averaged 18.6 points and 4.7 assists per game. White was in the last year of his three-year $36 million contract he signed with Chicago back in 2023.

Altogether, White built a reputation as an effective scorer and playmaker in Chicago. During his rookie season, White made the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. He also became the fastest player in franchise history to score 500 career 3-pointers in 237 games.

In March 2025, he was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month. That same month, White won two Player of the Week honors. Overall, White scored 6,945 points with Chicago.

The post Coby White gets emotional tribute video in return to Chicago appeared first on ClutchPoints.

During warmups, White took time to reflect on the moment he felt his career in Chicago was over, per Will Gottlieb of CHGO Bulls. His last game with the Bulls came on Feb. 3 against the Milwaukee Bucks. In that game, White scored 21 points and played 30 minutes.

Ultimately, White had a gut instinct that it would happen.

“I had a feeling it was…You can read between the lines. It ain’t hard in this league and this business to see what’s going on.”

"I had a feeling it was…You can read between the lines. It ain't hard in this league and this business to see what's going on."

Coby White on playing his last game with Bulls

(: @Will_Gottlieb ) pic.twitter.com/fFTcUV26XL

— CHGO Bulls (@CHGO_Bulls) February 24, 2026

Meanwhile, White’s former Bulls teammate Tre Jones is looking forward to the occasion, per Tina Nguyen of Fox 32. During practice, Jones said he fully expected White to do whatever it took to suit up even while recovering from a calf injury.

“We felt like he was gonna push to come back this game, for sure,” Jones said. “It’s a quick turnaround to play your former team. We know what he brings to the table. He can space the floor really well & score at a high level.”

#Bulls Tre Jones on Coby White: "We felt like he was gonna push to come back this game, for sure. It's a quick turnaround to play your former team."

Jones also added, "we know what he brings to the table. He can space the floor really well & score at a high level." #NBA pic.twitter.com/b9LhSLGHXG

— Tina Nguyen (@ttinanguyen) February 24, 2026

White still hasn’t played a game for the Hornets. Meanwhile, he was averaging 18.6 points and 4.7 assists in 29 games with the Bulls.

Also, the Hornets are knocking on the door of the play-in game with a 27-31 record. Charlotte has won seven out of their last ten games. Meanwhile, the Bulls are experiencing their first nine-game losing streak in seven years.

The post Coby White’s Bulls trade revelation before returning to United Center with Hornets appeared first on ClutchPoints.

White used to play for the Bulls, so this will be a bit of a revenge game for the veteran guard. This season, White is averaging 18.6 points per game. He was dealt to the Hornets earlier in February, after spending several years in Chicago.

Charlotte holds a 27-31 record on the season. The club has lost two of their last three contests.

Coby White is ready to make his Hornets debut

White played his college basketball in North Carolina, so he will be playing in front of a lot of fans in Charlotte. The talented guard has averaged double-figures in scoring in nearly every NBA season he has played.

White says he wasn’t entirely too surprised to be traded.

“Every other time in my career I was kind of like, I don’t think [it] was [going to] really happen,” White said, per the Associated Press. “But now just with the circumstances, you know, there’s a lot of us that are coming into free agency this summer. And the team had to kind of go in a direction, a certain direction. So, I really wasn’t surprised or anything like that.”

This season with the Bulls, White started 26 games while appearing in 29 contests. He last played in a game on February 3 between the Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks. He scored 21 points in that game.

White is shooting close to 44 percent from the field this season. His shooting stats have been down from last season, when he averaged more than 20 points per game.

Charlotte and Chicago play Tuesday at 8:00 ET. Chicago has a 24-34 record this season.

The post Coby White set to make Hornets debut for Bulls revenge game appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Per SportCLT’s Dylan Jackson, the Hornets were interested in acquiring Reed Sheppard in the 2024 draft, but ended up moving for Knueppel a year later, instead. The decision was at least partly influenced by an “AI draft strategy” a company called Invisible Technologies provided them with.

“The commercial impact was almost immediate, says Patrick Harrel, VP of Basketball Insights & Analysis at the Charlotte Hornets. ‘Within weeks, Invisible provided us with an AI draft strategy that gifted us Kon Knueppel, the #4 overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2025 NBA draft,” Jackson wrote.

The early validation came during Summer League, where Knueppel scored 21 points in the championship game and earned Final MVP honors while leading Charlotte to its first Summer League title with a victory over the Sacramento Kings. Of course, Knueppel’s rookie campaign has reinforced the promise.

The 20-year-old guard is averaging 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while shooting an efficient 48.7% from the field, 43.5% from three-point range, and 89.1% from the free-throw line. He currently leads the NBA with 198 made three-pointers, having already emerged as Flagg’s biggest rival for the Rookie of the Year award, with many claiming that it is the Hornets man who should be seen as the favorite.

Regardless, fans will instead be hopeful of a potential postseason, with the Hornets currently 10th in the East with a 27-31 record. That is already a stark improvement on the 19-63 record they finished with last season, even if playoff qualification is still dicy.

The post The secret behind the Hornets nailing Kon Knueppel draft pick was AI, per exec appeared first on ClutchPoints.

At one point in the game, Ball hit four consecutive threes in the span of 99 seconds, and on the next Hornets possession, team announcer Eric Collins was openly pining on the air for the star point guard to launch another one.

However, Ball ended up passing the ball to teammate Brandon Miller, who swung it to Josh Green for an open three from the corner, which found the bottom of the net.

LaMelo Ball hits four consecutive 3s in just 99 seconds (with replays)

The Hornets' announcer, Eric Collins, bags him to take another 3 but he does not.

LAMELO-LOCO

I guess the world is a better place when LaMelo isn't driving

Bub Carrington also got injured and went to the… pic.twitter.com/SNWspQOi0n

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) February 23, 2026

Collins has long been known for his enthusiasm on the air, which has drawn mixed reactions from fans around the league. However, there’s no denying his passion for Hornets basketball, and his sentiment of wanting Ball to launch a fifth straight three sure seemed to be shared by everyone else in the arena.

Meanwhile, the Hornets now sit at 27-31 on the season, inching back closer to the .500 mark after a couple of tough home losses over the last week or so.

While his driving skills leave much to be desired, Ball has been playing some of the best basketball of his career over the last month for the Hornets, which saw the team put together a recent nine-game win streak and claw their way back into postseason position in the Eastern Conference.

Of course, there is still a lot left to be sorted out down the stretch of the season, and the Hornets’ schedule will see an uptick in strength over the rest of the campaign.

However, for now, Charlotte fans have to be ecstatic at what they’re seeing from their upstart young team.

The Hornets will next take the floor on Tuesday evening vs the Chicago Bulls.

The post Hornets’ LaMelo Ball had Eric Collins literally begging for heat check after absurd 99-second stretch appeared first on ClutchPoints.

View this post on Instagram

Since the crash happened on Thursday, after which he did suit up for the Hornets in their matchup against the Houston Rockets, Ball was seen driving much more carefully in Charlotte, with a range of social media users responding to recent events by pointing out that his poor driving was a regular occurrence, per a post on Instagram by sportsculture.

View this post on Instagram

As can be seen in the comments, a range of users talked about multiple incidents where Ball was seen driving in a reckless manner, with some claiming that he has come close to crashing into other vehicles and even people on multiple occasions. While it is not clear whether the social media users were joking, where there is smoke, there is generally fire.

Hence, Ball being a poor driver appears to be a general sentiment amongst residents of Charlotte, with too many people claiming that they have been privy to incidents where he was seen driving in a wild manner.

Of course, the initial crash does suggest something similar, with Ball’s Hummer seemingly running into another car which had the right of way. However, the post-accident clip, in which LaMelo was seen driving his red Rolls-Royce Cullinan, shows stark difference.

This time, Ball was seen cautiously navigating a turn and looked intent on making sure that he would not run into another vehicle. That will come as huge relief to fans, who are well aware of Ball’s importance as far as the Hornets are concerned.

The post Hornets’ LaMelo Ball spotted not driving like a madman for once after car crash appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Knueppel is halfway through his rookie year in the NBA with the Hornets. He has made remarkable strides as one of the best performing rookies from the 2025 draft class, making a case for Rookie of the Year.

The star rookie proved himself with another excellent display against Cleveland. In 37 minutes of action, Knueppel delivered a stat line of 33 points, six rebounds, two assists, and one steal. He shot 11-of-20 from the field, including 7-of-15 from beyond the arc, and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line.

Kon Knueppel in the Hornets' loss tonight to the Cavs

33 points 11-of-20 FG
6 rebounds 7-of-15 3PT
0 turnovers pic.twitter.com/hhvqBDhVu3

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 21, 2026

It didn’t take long for fans to react to his performance, showing amazement towards the rookie’s star talent. Here are some of their reactions.

“Kon Knueppel kid gonna be a problem. a very good one ,” one fan said.

“That’s a BIG night for Kon Knueppel 33 points on 11/20 shooting and 7/15 from three is elite efficiency — especially in 37 minutes. That kind of perimeter shooting shows confidence and serious shot-making ability,” another remarked.

“Kon Knueppel dropping 33 points with 7 of 15 from three on the same night Donovan Mitchell goes for 32 is the Cavs showing they have multiple ways to beat you. Knueppel is not a rookie anymore, he is a weapon,” one commented.

“33 in 37 minutes… that’s real production ,” one replied.

“Since day 1 btw no need for “adjustments”.It would be a huge travesty if he ain’t roty,” a fan said.

How Kon Knueppel, Hornets played against Cavaliers

Despite Kon Knueppel’s remarkable efforts, it wasn’t enough as the Hornets fell 118-113 to the Cavaliers.

Five players scored in double-digits for Charlotte in the loss, including Knueppel. LaMelo Ball came next with 18 points and six assists, Brandon Miller had 18 points and four assists, Ryan Kalkbrenner put up 12 points and 13 rebounds, while Josh Green provided 11 points and two assists.

Charlotte fell to a 26-31 record on the season, holding the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They are above the Milwaukee Bucks and the Chicago Bulls while trailing the Atlanta Hawks and the Miami Heat.

The Hornets will look to bounce back in their next matchup, being on the road. They face the Washington Wizards as tip-off will take place on Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. ET.

The post Hornets fans celebrate Kon Knueppel for monster game vs. Cavs appeared first on ClutchPoints.

All of a sudden, the Hornets have gone from being at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings over the last three seasons to being in the mix for a play-in tournament spot, as they’ve been one of the hottest teams in the NBA. Knueppel has his fingerprints all over Charlotte’s success this year, and he’s on the verge of making history.

Aside from inching closer to Keegan Murray’s record of 206 made threes as a rookie, as Knueppel currently sits at 186 triples this season, the Hornets’ rookie will also be joining two legendary Boston Celtics players should his averages hold up. Larry Bird and Paul Pierce are the only players to average at least 15 points and five rebounds per game while shooting over 40 percent from 3-point range.

Kon Knueppel dancing through the defense for the bucket pic.twitter.com/irgIh7ozpp

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 20, 2026

Knueppel is currently averaging 18.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 43.1 percent from 3-point range, which would put his name next to that of Bird’s and Pierce’s. This would be quite ironic, especially considering that Knueppel has drawn inspiration from the way Bird played and spoke about the game during his playing and coaching days.

“There was a quote from Larry Bird. My dad has these sheets of all like NBA players in quotes and good body language, bad body language,” Knueppel recently told Danielle Stein of WCNC in Charlotte. “And one of them was, ‘A guy watching a ball go out of bounds without diving for it makes me sick.’ That was one of them. I think of that all the time.”

As good as he is shooting and scoring for the Hornets, Knueppel has really made a name for himself as a rookie with his hustle and determination to make winning plays in Charlotte.

Between diving on the ground for 50-50 balls or making the unselfish decisions, Knueppel always seems to be involved in the Hornets’ most successful plays. Of course, he is also the one always putting his body on the line and giving maximum effort because of the inspiration he drew from Bird’s quote.

After all, as Knueppel told Stein, “If you’re going to compete, you might as well give it all you have and put your body on the line a little bit.”

Although it may be a little too early to begin the comparisons of Knueppel to Bird, the Hornets’ youngster does share a lot of similar qualities with the Celtics’ legend. Between this and following in Bird’s footsteps through his own words, Knueppel is certainly on the path to becoming one of the best players in the NBA.

The post How Hornets’ Kon Knueppel uses Larry Bird’s ‘makes me sick’ quote as inspiration appeared first on ClutchPoints.

“Unfortunate, {but} everybody is cool, so good blessings,” Ball told the media, per the Charlotte Observer’s Rod Boone. “God is great.”

The 24-year-old, who was driving a custom-made hummer through an intersection, collided with another vehicle in downtown Charlotte. Footage of the scene appears to show Ball swerving out of his lane and into the other car. It is still not completely clear what exactly caused the accident, however. One of the hummer’s wheels rolled away after impact, but it is hard to tell when it started coming loose.

LaMelo's postgame press conference: reaction to crash, his play tonight and more. pic.twitter.com/1CfT3J9jPh

— Rod Boone (@rodboone) February 20, 2026

Thankfully, as the former Rookie of the Year said, nobody suffered serious injuries. The other person in the crash walked out of their vehicle promptly after the accident. After police had already arrived on the scene, Ball left in a Lamborghini that came to pick him up. A reporter asked him why he departed the wreck, but the 2022 All-Star did not answer the question. “Nah, you gotta check in on that,” he replied.

LaMelo Ball was obviously unable to drive the hummer, so it makes sense that he would call for a ride. One would assume he provided the necessary information to the police and other driver before leaving the scene. Though, because of his history on the road, people are going to be extra inquisitive regarding the accident.

One can find video compilations that show him driving recklessly. In 2024, a woman filed a lawsuit against the Hornets playmaker for running over her son’s foot. The child and others were hovering around Ball’s vehicle before he drove away from the arena. He denies responsibility, claiming that the boy put himself in harm’s way.

The No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft is clearly looking to put this latest incident behind him right away. One day after the crash, he posted 11 points on 5-of-14 shooting to go with seven assists and seven rebounds.

The post Hornets’ LaMelo Ball shares brief reaction to car accident during All-Star break appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Miller’s ability to score from almost anywhere on the court, paired with his length and athleticism, prompted the Hornets to draft Miller second overall in the 2023 NBA Draft.

On Thursday night, he made Hornets history, draining his 54th consecutive free throw. That surpassed the mark previously set by Kemba Walker, who was in attendance to watch it happen. Walker is seen applauding the 23-year-old.

And, of course, Miller missed the very next shot from the charity stripe.

Brandon Miller passed@Kemba Walker for the Charlotte Hornets’ record with 54 consecutive free throws…

Then, misses the very next one

The usual NBA jinx! pic.twitter.com/3kogP4GOQL

— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) February 20, 2026

The streak may be snapped, but Miller’s ascendence has not.

This season, he is averaging 20.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, while knocking down a career-best 89 percent of his free throw attempts. He’s also posting personal bests on the defensive end, with 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.

Unfortunately for Miller and the Hornets, they dropped Thursday’s game against the Houston Rockets, 105-101.

In the loss, Miller scored 17 points, but struggled mightily to find the range. He finished just 5-for-22 from the field, including a woeful 1-for-12 from beyond the arc. He did, however, chip in with seven assists and four rebounds.

As a team, Charlotte had 16 turnovers, which proved costly. The Rockets scored 23 points off those turnovers. Kevin Durant turned the clock back a bit, leading all scorers with 35 points on 14-for-20 shooting.

Despite the loss, the Hornets still hold the final spot for the play-in tournament. They’ll look to get back on track Friday night at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The post Hornets’ Brandon Miller hit by ultimate jinx after breaking Kemba Walker’s record appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Lee addressed Ball’s car accident during his pregame media availability.

“The first thing when you hear about any type of accident is you hope all parties involved are okay, they’re healthy and safe,” Lee said. “So, he was able to come in today feeling good, ready to go, and he’ll be ready to play tonight.”

"The first thing when you hear about any type of accident is you hope all parties involved are okay, they're healthy and safe."

Hornets head coach Charles Lee on LaMelo Ball's car accident.

(via @DaShawnWSOC9)pic.twitter.com/HFKVh6VFoU https://t.co/n8JgD68DL9

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 20, 2026

Video of the car accident surfaced on social media on Wednesday. LaMelo Ball is expected to start for Charles Lee and the Hornets in Thursday’s game.

New video of Hornets guard LaMelo Ball’s car accident

After the initial footage, a new video of Hornets guard LaMelo Ball’s car accident showed him crashing into another vehicle heading in the opposite direction, from a different angle. Ball swerves slightly towards his left into the opposing lane when he side swipes another car.

The new video offers a closer look at the impact of Ball crashing into oncoming traffic in downtown Charlotte.

Lamelo Ball SWERVED into oncoming traffic pic.twitter.com/iGl9rsEu92

— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) February 19, 2026

Ball and the Hornets entered the All-Star break winning nine of their last 10 games to improve to 26-29, which is the ninth-best record in the Eastern Conference standings. Ball has scored 20+ points in four of his last five appearances, including a 24-point performance in the Hornets’ 110-107 win against the Hawks, which snapped a nine-game win streak.

The post Hornets’ Charles Lee reacts to LaMelo Ball’s recent car accident appeared first on ClutchPoints.

In the clip that was originally shared on Instagram, you can see the driver’s side tire of Ball’s car pop right off after making impact with the other vehicle. It’s not entirely clear whose fault it was, but it looks like the 24-year-old guard was trying to turn, while the other driver rolled into the middle of the lane.

Another angle of LaMelo’s car accident pic.twitter.com/O7Q8CfSQAv

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 19, 2026

Ball has a little bit of a history of bad driving. So much so that a compilation clip of his driving skills went viral back in 2024. He has a history of running red lights and turning onto the street in the middle of traffic. Although the accident that occurred on Wednesday may not have been his fault, the six-year NBA veteran is a notoriously bad driver.

Someone compiled clips of LaMelo Ball’s reckless and dangerous driving out of the Charlotte Hornets arena pic.twitter.com/6C48PDc6E6

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 22, 2024

LaMelo Ball did not sustain any injuries, nor did anyone else involved in the accident that took place in Uptown Charlotte. That means Ball is expected to play for the Hornets on Thursday when the team takes on the Houston Rockets. It will be the club’s first game since the All-Star Break.

The star point guard has played in 45 games so far this season. However, Ball is having a little bit of a setback in comparison to the rest of his career. He enters Thursday’s contest averaging 19.3 points, 4.8 rebounds (career-low), 7.4 assists (tied career-low), and 1.1 steals (tied career-low) per game. He’s also shooting 40.1% from the field (career-low) and 36.3% from beyond the three-point line.

The post New video surfaces of LaMelo Ball’s car accident appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Hornets also have Coby White around this time, but he hasn’t played since being traded from the Chicago Bulls. White is dealing with a left calf strain, and he’s still listed on the injury report with the ailment.

Here is his status for tonight’s game.

*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)*

Coby White’s injury status vs. Rockets

White is listed as out against the Rockets, and the Hornets will have to wait a little longer for his debut. Acquiring White was big for the Hornets, as they have a guard who can come off the bench and score in bunches, and that will be important for them as they try to continue to climb the standings for the next two months of the season.

The Hornets have started to figure things out on both sides of the floor after a slow start to the season. Some were questioning head coach Charles Lee and his decisions, but it looks like the things that he was doing are paying off.

LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel have become a great backcourt duo, and the frontcourt of Bridges and Brandon Miller has played well.

It will be interesting to see how things go for the team when White is able to finally play, and it should only make things better. For now, they’ll have to continue to ride out the season without him.

The post Is Hornets’ Coby White finally making Charlotte debut vs. Rockets after Bulls trade? appeared first on ClutchPoints.

They’re currently dealing with things such as suspensions to Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate, and the most recent incident was LaMelo Ball getting into a car accident. Nobody involved had any life-threatening injuries, but many want to know if Ball will be available to play against the Rockets.

Here’s his injury status for the game.

*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)*

LaMelo Ball’s injury status vs. Rockets

Ball is not listed on the injury report, which means that he should be available to play. That’s good for Ball, especially since he didn’t suffer any injuries, but it’s also good for the Hornets as they’ll have one of their key players on the court.

As for the accident, video footage showed Ball’s Hummer hitting a sedan as both were driving through an intersection. The sedan Ball hit immediately stopped, the driver got out, and walked over to Ball to see if he was okay.

Witnesses who saw the accident told local news that the sedan was traveling east on Trade Street, while Ball was traveling west. He tried to take a left on the one-way, and that’s how the collision happened. Witnesses claimed that when Ball got out of the Hummer, he got into a Lamorghini.

Ball has been criticized before for his driving, and there is video of him driving faster than a normal person. Ball may end up making a statement after the game about the accident, or he may just keep quiet about it.

The post Is Hornets’ LaMelo Ball playing vs. Rockets after car accident? appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Footage of LaMelo’s car accident

(h/t @TheHoopsAlerts ) pic.twitter.com/C1L2Oq4lUT

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 18, 2026

It’s not certain who was at fault for the accident, but it looks like both parties are safe.

Witnesses told local news that the sedan was traveling east on Trade Street, while Ball was traveling west. He tried to take a left on the one-way, which is how the collision happened. Witnesses also claimed that when Ball got out of the Hummer, he got into a Lamorghini. Both the Hummer and the sedan were towed away.

Ball has received criticism over the past few years for his driving. There have been several videos posted of him leaving the Spectrum Center and driving fast.

The Hornets are set to play the Houston Rockets on Thursday at home, and as of now, it doesn’t seem like Ball will be on the injury report because of anything due to the accident.

Over the past few weeks, the Hornets have been one of the hottest teams in the league and have climbed the Eastern Conference standings after sitting outside the Play-In at one point. They are now the ninth seed, and they have enough time to make up ground in the standings if they continue to play how they have.

The post Hornets’ LaMelo Ball involved in Charlotte car accident on Wednesday appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Knueppel is the only rookie in the 2026 shootout and represented himself well in the first round. The 20-year-old put up 27 points in his first-ever 3-Point competition to take an early lead and punch his ticket to the final round.

Kon Knueppel kicked off the 3-PT Contest 1st round with a strong 27 points pic.twitter.com/iftC0I2uU7 https://t.co/g8xEWy35Ww

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 14, 2026

Knueppel’s 27 points were only bested by Devin Booker, who took the lead in the first round with 30 points. Damian Lillard also posted 27 points to join the final trio. Lillard went on to win the contest with a 29-point championship round.

Knueppel entered the All-Star break hitting 43.1 percent of his three-point attempts. He has been consistent from deep all season long, connecting on over 40 percent of his long-distance shots in all but one month this season.

Knueppel’s 183 three-pointers made before the All-Star break are second in the league, two behind Donovan Mitchell. The rookie was off to a scorching hot start to February before the break, averaging 4.6 triples per game in his last five outings.

Had Knueppel won the contest, he would have been the first rookie to do so in NBA history. Stephen Curry, Kyle Kover, Dennis Scott and Lillard all participated as rookies, but none claimed the victory.

Despite the rookie curse, Knueppel was the odds-on favorite to win the contest. Even with a strong second-round performance, he likely would have still fallen to Lillard, who clinched his third 3-Point Contest crown.

The post Hornets’ Kon Knueppel dazzles with 27 point 1st round of 3-point contest appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Knueppel will be one of the eight players taking part in the entertaining event. The rookie has shined as one of the best 3-point shooters in the league, even helping Charlotte be in the playoff race. He is competing with the likes of Damian Lillard, Devin Booker, Tyrese Maxey, Jamal Murray, Donovan Mitchell, Bobby Portis, and Norman Powell.

Any of these players have a shot at winning the 3-point contest. However, NBA legend Reggie Miller provided his take on the upcoming event as he favors Knueppel as the favorite to win it, per reporter Duane Rankin.

“Reggie Miller is predicting rookie Kon Knueppel to win 3-point competition over Devin Booker and Damian Lillard on NBC Sports media conference call,” Rankin wrote.

What lies ahead for Kon Knueppel, Hornets

Kon Knueppel has showcased incredible talent as one of the best rookies from the 2025 NBA Draft class. While the 3-point contest isn’t major, the fact that Reggie Miller endorses him as the probable winner is a testament to the Hornets forward’s elite shooting ability.

Knueppel is averaging 18.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game throughout 54 appearances. He is shooting 48.4% from the field, including 43.1% from beyond the arc, and 90.2% from the free-throw line. Knueppel has scored 20 or more points 20 times and 30 or more points four times. He is doing this while making 3.4 3-pointers per game on 7.9 attempts.

Charlotte has a 26-29 record on the season, holding the ninth spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They are above the Atlanta Hawks by 0.5 games and the Chicago Bulls by two games while trailing the Miami Heat by 2.5 games and the Orlando Magic by three games.

The Hornets are on break due to All-Star Weekend but will resume play next week. They will be at home when they host the Houston Rockets on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. ET.

The post Reggie Miller makes bold Kon Knueppel 3-point contest prediction appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Speaking on the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show, the Golden State Warriors veteran questioned Diabate’s actions during the sequence that led to multiple suspensions.

“He got mushed and then proceeded to act like he wanted to go at Jalen Duren, but when he went at Jalen Duren, people was kind of holding him back, but not really holding him back,” Green said. “So, if he wanted to get at Jalen Duren, he could have got at Jalen Duren. He didn’t really try to get there. That was along the baseline. As it spilled up the sideline, he continued to try to go at Jalen Duren. And he didn’t necessarily want to get there, but he acted like he was trying to get there. And it’ll be interesting to see because he’s going to get probably suspended for at least a game when quite honestly he didn’t do much.”

The incident occurred during Monday night’s matchup between Charlotte and Detroit, when tensions escalated following a physical exchange between Diabate and Duren. After being shoved in the face, Diabate appeared to respond as players from both teams converged near the baseline.

An overhead broadcast angle later showed Diabate throwing at least one punch toward Duren and attempting another before being restrained. The scuffle expanded as Hornets forward Miles Bridges entered the fray and struck Duren, prompting Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart to leave the bench area and confront Bridges.

Draymond Green reacts to Moussa Diabate, Miles Bridges suspensions

Green also referenced Diabate’s Michigan basketball background while noting that Bridges, a Michigan State product, stepped in to defend his Hornets teammate during the altercation.

The NBA subsequently issued suspensions to all four players involved. Diabate and Bridges each received four-game suspensions. Duren was suspended for two games, and Stewart was handed a seven-game suspension for leaving the bench and escalating the confrontation.

Despite the controversy, Diabate has been a key contributor to Charlotte’s recent surge. The 24-year-old center has helped guide the Hornets to a 15-9 record in games he has started this season. Across 50 appearances, he is averaging a career-high 8.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 63.2% from the field in 25.2 minutes per contest.

Charlotte (25-29) currently sits 10th in the Eastern Conference standings as it looks to regain momentum following the end of its nine-game winning streak. The Hornets are scheduled to face the Atlanta Hawks (26-29) on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. ET before the league breaks for 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

Green’s comments add another layer to an incident that has already drawn league discipline, while Charlotte attempts to move forward during a pivotal stretch of the season.

The post Warriors’ Draymond Green insinuates Hornets forward Moussa Diabate did not want Jalen Duren fight appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Diabate shared a statement on Instagram addressing the organization and its supporters after the incident, which resulted in multiple suspensions.

“To the Hornets coaches, staff, front office, teammates, and best fans in the NBA

As a player, I pride myself on passion and my commitment to giving everything on the court during every possession. However, in the heat of a highly competitive and physical matchup, I allowed my emotions to get the better of me, and for that, I am truly sorry.

I understand the responsibility I carry as a professional athlete and as a role model. I view this as a learning experience and am fully committed to growing from it both as a player And a person.

The Charlotte fan base has been incredibly supportive since I joined the team, and it is my goal to continue to making a positive impact on the Hornets organization and the Charlotte community as we continue to ascend.

I look forward to many more nights where the Moose Gets Loose, just not that loose!

Thank you for your understanding and continued support

Moose”

Hornets big man Moussa Diabate’s statement on his 4-game suspension:

“I am truly sorry. … I look forward to many more nights where the Moose Gets Loose, just not that loose!”

(via @MoussaDiabate_/ IG) pic.twitter.com/eIQXTG6oQL

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 11, 2026

The altercation began during a physical exchange between Diabate and Pistons center Jalen Duren. After a foul, tensions escalated as Diabate headbutted Duren, who responded by shoving him in the face. Players from both teams quickly converged, and officials struggled to restore order.

NBA suspends Moussa Diabate, Miles Bridges after brawl as Hornets look to regroup

The situation intensified when Hornets forward Miles Bridges entered the fray and struck Duren from behind. Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart then came off the bench and confronted Bridges, further escalating the confrontation.

The NBA handed down suspensions to all four players involved. Diabate and Bridges each received four-game suspensions, Duren was suspended for two games, and Stewart was issued a seven-game suspension for leaving the bench area and engaging in the altercation.

The incident overshadowed what had been a strong stretch for Charlotte. The 24-year-old Diabate has played a significant role in the team’s recent surge, helping guide the Hornets to a 15-9 record in games he has started this season. Across 50 appearances, he is averaging a career-high 8.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 block per game while shooting 63.2% from the field in 25.2 minutes per contest.

Charlotte (25-29) currently sits 10th in the Eastern Conference standings as it looks to maintain momentum despite the suspensions. The Hornets are set to host the Atlanta Hawks (26-29) on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. ET in a matchup with postseason implications before the league shifts focus to 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

Diabate’s apology signals an effort to move forward as Charlotte attempts to regain its footing and continue its climb in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

The post Hornets’ Moussa Diabate apologizes for role in brawl vs. Pistons appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Additionally, Hornets forwards Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate have each been suspended for four games for their roles in escalating the chaos, while Pistons center Jalen Duren faces a two-game ban for initiating the conflict.

The brawl, which saw four total ejections, occurred during the Pistons’ 110-104 victory and has quickly become a defining moment in the season for both Eastern Conference teams.

Reflecting on the incident in a report from The Charlotte Observer, Moussa Diabate identified the exact moment he lost his composure.

“So, I fouled him, we get into each other’s face, which is fine. It’s basketball. When he put his hand on my face, obviously it’s unfortunate, but at that point I lost control of my emotions,” Diabate admitted.

He emphasized that the outburst was not a reflection of his character but rather a reaction to being touched in the face, which he considered a major line to cross.

Miles Bridges echoed this sentiment, describing Duren’s actions as the “most disrespectful thing you can do.”

Bridges noted how he’s always going to protect his teammates, but also had a little Monday Morning quarterbacking about his own involvement in the ordeal: “I should have just went to Moussa and made sure he was good,” Bridges said.

“It’s a learning experience.”

Diabate also noted that the team is “moving differently” now, using the intensity of the fight to set a new tone for their pursuit of a postseason berth.

This perspective contrasts with Jalen Duren’s level-headed postgame comments, where he attributed the flare-up to an overly competitive environment and high-stakes trash talk.

As both teams move forward without key contributors, the fallout from this brawl will undoubtedly linger until their final regular-season meeting in April.

The post Hornets’ Moussa Diabate blames Jalen Duren ‘putting hands on my face’ for outbreak of fight appeared first on ClutchPoints.

“Detroit Pistons forward-center Isaiah Stewart has been suspended seven games for leaving the bench area, aggressively entering an on-court altercation, and fighting, it was announced today by James Jones, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations,” the statement read. “The length of Stewart’s suspension is based in part on his repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts.

“Additionally, Charlotte Hornets forwards Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabaté have each been suspended four games for fighting and escalating the altercation, and Pistons center Jalen Duren has been suspended two games for initiating the altercation and fighting.”

It all started with Duren and Diabate, as a foul caused the two to get heated. Diabate headbutted Duren, and Duren mushed Diabate in the face. Tempers really started to flare then, and players had to be held back. That’s when Miles Bridges came up and sneak attacked Duren, and Isaiah Stewart came from the Pistons’ bench and started going at Bridges.

All four players were ejected from the game. Following the game, Duren shared his thoughts about the fight.

“As the year’s been going on, teams like to try to get in our head,” Duren said. “This ain’t the first time people have tried to be, you know, extra aggressive with us, talk to us, whatever the case may be. I think as a group, we’ve done an OK job handling that energy and intensity, but at the end of the day, emotions got high, everybody being competitive — we’re all men, so things happen.”

Bridges went on social media and took a dig at Stewart.

“They enforcer was grabbing hair he wasn’t trynna box fr,” Bridges said on an Instagram post.

The post Isaiah Stewart, Jalen Duren, Miles Bridges, Moussa Diabate suspended for Pistons-Hornets fight appeared first on ClutchPoints.

“Just an overly competitive game, emotions flaring,” Duren told reporters postgame. “At the end of the day, we would love to keep it basketball, but things happen. Everybody’s just playing hard.”

Duren, when asked if the fight, which came almost midway through the third quarter, was a result of back-and-forth bickering in the first half, seemed to indicate that the trash talk played a factor.

“As the year’s been going on, teams like to try to get in our head,” Duren said. “This ain’t the first time people have tried to be, you know, extra aggressive with us, talk to us, whatever the case may be. I think as a group, we’ve done an OK job handling that energy and intensity, but at the end of the day, emotions got high, everybody being competitive — we’re all men, so things happen.”

Jalen Duren on tonight’s altercation:

“Just an overly competitive game, emotions flaring. At the end of the day we would love to keep it basketball, but things happen.” pic.twitter.com/4eq7jsdtcT

— Hunter Patterson (@HunterPatterson) February 10, 2026

The officials ejected Duren, along with the Hornets’ Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges, as well as teammate Isaiah Stewart, the latter of whom sprinted off the bench to confront Bridges. Stewart responded to a Bridges punch attempt toward Duren, eventually grabbing hold of Bridges and throwing several punches before they separated. The fight itself began between Duren and Diabate, as a foul by Diabate on Duren led to the two going forehead-to-forehead. Duren then pushed Diabate in the face, which prompted Bridges to shove Duren, and Diabate took a few swings at Duren.

The NBA has yet to announce the punishments for the players involved in the brawl, although it is highly suspected that Stewart will receive the harshest penalty. Stewart, who has the third-most technical fouls in the league this season, has been suspended four times previously; three involved fights, including one less than a year ago against the Minnesota Timberwolves. His first NBA suspension was notably over a 2021 incident involving the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James, who drew blood from Stewart when he struck him in the face. Stewart barreled through multiple people in several attempts to get to James, which earned him a two-game ban.

Detroit, the Eastern Conference’s top team, continues its road trip tomorrow for a game in Toronto against the Raptors. The Pistons and Hornets are set to meet for the final time this season on April 10 in Charlotte.

The post What Pistons’ Jalen Duren said in locker room after wild Hornets brawl appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Detroit center Jalen Duren shoved Charlotte big man Moussa Diabate in the face after a hard foul in the third quarter. Both players exchanged swings while being separated by coaches and teammates. Hornets forward Miles Bridges got involved in punching Duren during the brawl, which prompted Pistons center Isaiah Stewart to get involved in the fight as well.

Detroit’s head coach went to bat for his guys during his postgame media session, defending how the confrontation was escalated.

“We don’t want to see it get to that point. But when you go back and watch the film, they ran multiple guys at J.D. (Jalen Duren). JD and Stew (Isaiah Stewart) consider themselves to be brothers. If you run two guys at one guy and you’ve already crossed the line, human instinct tells him to protect his little brother,” Bickerstaff explained. “I hate to see it again, but that’s the nature of what happened. I hate it for Stew because of the things that are going to follow. But we weren’t the ones who crossed the line and initiated this.”

Duren, Stewart, Diabate, and Bridges were all ejected for their part in the brawl. Duren walked out of the arena flexing his jersey, pointing to “Detroit” while talking to the crowd. Stewart was spotted walking to the locker room, talking to the cameras, stating, “Did y’all expect me to just stay on the bench?”

Each player involved is likely to be suspended due to the altercation. The NBA is strict against fighting, especially when it involves a player leaving the bench. Duren even weighed in with the media on what he believed led to the brewing fight after the game.

“Teams like to try and get into our heads. This isn’t the first time teams have tried to be extra aggressive with us, talk to us, or whatever the case may be. As a group, we’ve done an ok job at handling that energy and intensity. At the end of the day, emotions got high. Everybody was being competitive; we’re all men so things happen,” Duren explained.

Pistons snap Hornets’ winning streak

The brawl took a lot of attention off of a heated game between two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte was riding a nine-game winning streak coming into Monday night’s matchup. Detroit walked away as the victor with their second straight victory and snapped Charlotte’s streak.

The Pistons led by as many as 16 points on the road against the Hornets. Detroit managed to survive a hot-shooting night from the Hornets, as they connected on 19-of-47 3-point attempts. The Pistons stuck with their gameplan and identity by playing defense and executing offensively where they normally thrive.

The interior was controlled by the Pistons as they scored 60 points in the paint. Their defensive energy was on point as well as they managed to pull off 12 steals and forced the Hornets into 21 turnovers.

All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham led all scorers with 33 points. He also corralled nine rebounds and helped his teammates by dishing seven assists.

Guard Duncan Robinson put up 18 points in 24 minutes for the Pistons. Duren contributed 15 points before his ejection. Backup center Paul Reed was a key X-factor scoring 12 points, grabbing two steals, and pulling off one block.

The 39-13 Pistons are back in action against the Raptors in Toronto on Wednesday night.

The post Pistons’ J.B. Bickerstaff defends Isaiah Stewart coming to ‘protect’ Jalen Duren in Hornets fight appeared first on ClutchPoints.

“What was it like? It was fun. Next question,” Miller said postgame to reporters.

The Pistons ended up winning the game, 110-104. Things got heated though when Pistons star Jalen Duren got involved in a hard contact situation with Hornets big man Moussa Diabate. This happened in the third quarter. Duren was fouled, and the two soon got into each other’s faces.

Things quickly escalated. Pushing and shoving began and other players soon got involved. It took several people to get the fight calmed down.

Four players in total were ejected from the game. Diabate and Duren were tossed, as well as two other players. It was a tough situation, and later in the game Hornets head coach Charles Lee was also ejected.

“Emotions were flaring,” Duren said, per the Associated Press. “At the end of the day, we would love to keep it basketball, but things happen. Everybody was just playing hard.”

The loss snapped Charlotte’s nine-game winning streak.

Pistons were able to defeat the Hornets despite the brawl

Tempers were definitely high for the rest of the game, after that brawl. Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff addressed the situation postgame.

“Our guys deal with a lot, but they’re not the ones that initiated, they’re not the ones who crossed the line tonight,” Bickerstaff said. “It was clear, through frustration, because of what J.D. [Duren] was doing, that they crossed the line. I hate that it got as ugly as it got.

“That’s not something that you ever want to see, but if a guy throws a punch at you, you have a responsibility to protect yourself. That’s what happened tonight. If you go back and watch the film, they’re the ones who initiated crossing the line, and our guy had to defend himself.”

The Hornets are now 25-29 on the season following the loss.

The post Hornets’ Brandon Miller was in no mood to talk about ‘fun’ Pistons fight appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Bridges’ involvement in the brawl irked Isaiah Stewart, who is notorious for being the Pistons’ primary enforcer. Stewart broke a few rules in the process of confronting the Hornets forward as the two got tangled up, with the Pistons enforcer putting the Hornets forward on a headlock as he landed a few blows.

The four aforementioned players were ejected, and the Pistons won the game in the end despite the Hornets’ comeback efforts, 108-104. One would think that the drama would end there. However, after the game, Bridges had something more to say about his exchange with Stewart.

“They enforcer was grabbing hair he wasn’t trynna box fr,” Bridges commented on an Instagram post.

“They enforcer was grabbing hair he wasn’t tryna box fr.”

Miles Bridges on Instagram following his altercation with Isaiah Stewart

(via @famouslos32/ IG) https://t.co/Stj70I50iw pic.twitter.com/cVlDbadsZY

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 10, 2026

Hornets’ Miles Bridges faces potential lengthy suspension after brawl 

One would think that Bridges is in line for a lengthy suspension considering that he has a history of violent acts off the court. The Hornets forward, as one would recall, missed the entirety of the 2022-23 campaign after his involvement in an alleged domestic violence case involving his former partner.

Bridges is also not showing much remorse for his actions, which the NBA may not take too kindly in the end. The Hornets forward is on track to miss a few games, and as much as he’s taken a backseat to his nascent teammates, he’s a part of the Charlotte lineup that’s been dominating the opposition over the past few weeks.

The post Hornets’ Miles Bridges takes shot at Isaiah Stewart on IG after altercation appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Amid all that mess, Kon Knueppel was simply trying his best, as he’s done all season long, to try and shoot the Hornets to victory. He finished with 20 points on the night on 6-13 shooting from the field (5-11 from beyond the arc), and he continues to flourish as one of the best pure shooters in the NBA, even though he’s just a rookie, a sign of how much more dangerous he’d be once he rounds out his game even further.

With the Hornets mounting a furious comeback in the fourth quarter, Knueppel hit some timely shots to cut the Pistons’ lead. One such shot came with around 5:31 left in the final frame, as he nailed a three in semi-transition off a pass from Brandon Miller. In need of just 17 points on the night to cross the 1,000 mark for his career, this was the triple that saw the rookie hit a personal milestone, becoming the first in his draft class to hit that mark.

1K FOR KON

Knueppel becomes the first rookie this season to reach 1,000 points!pic.twitter.com/QtUqz2g0dv

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 10, 2026

Hornets have a budding young nucleus

Knueppel has been so incredible already that it’s hard to forget that he’s only a rookie who’s only going to get better. He’s already averaging nearly 19 points a night on bonkers 48.6/42.8/89.7 shooting splits, emerging as a marksman who may approach Stephen Curry/Klay Thompson levels really soon.

The Hornets have something brewing, and they might be on track to make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 if their recent level of play holds.

The post Hornets’ Kon Knueppel hits personal milestone amid chaos vs. Pistons appeared first on ClutchPoints.

James is halfway through the rookie campaign of his NBA career with the Hornets. He has been productive with his perimeter shooting and playmaking, being a solid contributor off the bench for Charlotte.

The young guard put his shooting ability to the test in Charlotte’s clash with Detroit. His highlight took place in the final seconds of the first quarter as James fired the shot from halfcourt and knocked it down in convincing fashion.

SION JAMES SOMEHOW HIT THIS BUZZER BEATER FROM HALFCOURT

What a way to end the 1st quarter for the Hornets!pic.twitter.com/pFc04eAxxn

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 10, 2026

How Sion James, Hornets played against Pistons

Despite Sion James’ incredible halfcourt shot, the Hornets were unable to achieve a 10th straight win, falling 110-104 to the Pistons.

It was a valiant effort for the hosts, who were rolling with a nine-game win streak. However, Detroit got the better of them, outscoring Charlotte by 14 points throughout the second and third quarters, making the biggest impact on the matchup.

Stocks (steals and blocks) and inside scoring made the differences in this clash. The Pistons prevailed in both categories after recording 16 stocks and scoring 60 points inside the paint. It wasn’t the same for the Hornets as they only made seven stocks and produced 26 points inside the paint.

Four players scored in double-digits for Charlotte in the loss. Brandon Miller led the team with a stat line of 24 points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block. He shot 8-of-18 from the field, including 4-of-10 from beyond the arc, and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. LaMelo Ball came next with 20 points and four assists, Kon Knueppel had 20 points and five rebounds, while Grant Williams provided 12 points and five assists.

Charlotte fell to a 25-29 record on the season, holding the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They are above the Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks while trailing the Atlanta Hawks and the Miami Heat.

The Hornets will look to bounce back in their next home matchup. They host the Hawks as tip-off will take place on Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. ET.

The post Hornets’ Sion James hit wild halfcourt shot at the buzzer despite tight defense appeared first on ClutchPoints.

In a game that already featured a full-scale brawl and four player ejections, Charles Lee found himself headed to the locker room early after a heated exchange with official John Goble. The ejection put a cap on a chaotic evening at the Spectrum Center, where the Hornets saw their impressive nine-game winning streak snapped in a 110-104 loss.

The drama reached a secondary peak with just under six minutes left in the fourth quarter. Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams was whistled for an offensive foul after colliding with Detroit Pistons big man Paul Reed. Charles Lee, who was recently named the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for January, absolutely lost it.

Hornets Head Coach Charles Lee has been ejected.

pic.twitter.com/DcL97d9v5n

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 10, 2026

He had to be physically restrained by LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and even Grant Williams himself as he voiced his displeasure. The outburst earned him two quick technicals and his first career ejection as a head coach.

It was the final straw in a game that felt like a throwback to the 90s. Earlier in the second half, a massive fight broke out after Jalen Duren fouled Moussa Diabate.

The ensuing scuffle resulted in the ejections of Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges for Charlotte, while Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart were tossed for Detroit. The short-handed Hornets tried to rally behind the hot shooting of Kon Knueppel, but the Detroit Pistons defense was too much to overcome in the closing minutes.

While the loss hurts, the focus remains on the fire Charles Lee showed. It is rare to see a coach have to be held back by his own players, but it clearly resonated with a Charlotte squad that refused to back down from the top seed in the East. The Hornets will look to start a new streak on Wednesday, hopefully with their coach on the sidelines for the full 48 minutes.

The post Hornets’ Charles Lee ejected after arguing foul call vs. Pistons appeared first on ClutchPoints.

With 7:09 left in the third quarter and the Pistons leading 70-62, Jalen Duren was fouled on a drive to the basket by Moussa Diabate.

Duren and Diabate got face to face after the foul, and Duren shoved Diabate with an open palm. Diabate then responded by aggressively pursuing him, even attempting to swing at him with a closed fist multiple times.

Miles Bridges then attempted to go at Duren, which saw Isaiah Stewart run off the Pistons bench to engage with him.

Multiple Pistons and Hornets just went at it after Moussa Diabate and Jalen Duren get face-to-face.pic.twitter.com/FUoPo360p9

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) February 10, 2026

After reviewing the incident, officials have ejected both Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges from the Charlotte Hornets, in addition to Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart from the Detroit Pistons.

Jalen Duren finished the game with 15 points, five rebounds, and two assists in 20 minutes of play. Isaiah Stewart had two points in 11 minutes of play.

For the Hornets, Miles Bridges finished with six points, four rebounds, and one assist in 20 minutes while Moussa Diabate added six rebounds in 19 minutes.

The post Jalen Duren, Miles Bridges among 4 players ejected from Hornets-Pistons after fight appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Then, the Cleveland Cavaliers traded for Ball in the offseason. It was a somewhat shocking move at the time, and hindsight has proved it was a mistake. Ball has put up career lows across the board this year, and it culminated in him being traded to the Utah Jazz at the NBA trade deadline. Utah immediately waived Ball, and despite his struggles this year, he is still one of the top players available on the open market. So, what are the best destinations for Ball?

Denver Nuggets

ClutchPoints’ very own Brett Siegel reported that the top two suitors for Ball are the Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors. After converting Spencer Jones to a standard contract, the Nuggets still have one open roster spot. The team came into the season with point guard as arguably their biggest need.

Jamal Murray and Jalen Pickett were the only two lead guards on the roster. Murray has had his best season to date and earned his first All-Star nod, and Pickett has been a solid contributor, even starting 18 games for the team so far. While point guard isn’t as big of a concern as it was previously, adding a player like Ball would still be smart.

The Nuggets have been ravaged by injuries this year. They’ve done well in surviving extended absences from Nikola Jokic, Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, Jonas Valanciunas, and Peyton Watson, but the newfound depth they created in the offseason has certainly been tested. Adding another body makes sense, but especially a player that has the size to play multiple positions and fill in wherever help is needed.

While Ball is a point guard by trade, he is a jumbo facilitator who can guard twos and threes, too. Denver’s bench unit has been much improved this year, but the non-Jokic minutes have typically been a disaster. Ball’s playmaking could ensure Denver’s bench doesn’t return to old habits.

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors’ trade deadline plans and championship aspirations were likely thwarted when Jimmy Butler went down with a season-ending injury. Even so, the Warriors made a trade deadline move that brings balance to their roster. The team traded Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield for Kristaps Porzingis.

Kuminga had one foot out the door for quite some time, and Hield was expendable because Golden State already had plenty of guard shooting in the form of Stephen Curry. Porzingis fills a hole for the Warriors because the team was desperate for a center. There was a dire need for an interior presence on both ends of the floor. Rim protection, in particular, was a huge need. Porzingis provides enough shooting to fit the Warriors’ offensive schemes, too.

Still, a gritty player is needed because of Butler’s injury. Ball isn’t the defender or glue guy he once was because of various lower-body injuries throughout his career. At his best, though, he could do a lot of the things that Butler provided the Warriors.

There are a couple of solid players who were waived or are on the buyout market, but teams rarely get true game changers in free agency after the trade deadline. The Warriors only have so many years of contention left, though, and Ball could certainly help them try to make a surprise run this season.

Charlotte Hornets

LaVar Ball’s dream scenario might be closer to reality than ever before. The Charlotte Hornets are led by LaMelo Ball, and he could very well team up with older brother Lonzo now that he is on the open market. The patriarch of the Ball family and Big Baller Brand’s founder has long wanted his sons to play together.

LiAngelo Ball’s window for life in the NBA has closed, but ensuring LaMelo is happy by pairing him up with one of his former Chino Hills teammates makes sense. It wasn’t that long ago that LaMelo heard his name in trade rumors. The Hornets have played great ever since, and Ball is now cemented as one of their long-term franchise players, but bringing in Lonzo would prove Charlotte’s loyalty to their former number three pick.

Both Ball brothers have somewhat similar skill sets, so Lonzo could back his brother up quite well and allow the Hornets to run the same offense even when the reserves are in. They are both tall guards who are best when creating for their teammates. They also both have unorthodox, but sometimes effective shooting forms, although both players can be streaky. Lonzo’s presence would also help LaMelo to be his best self because he loves competing against his brothers.

Lonzo’s athleticism has regressed, and with it has come poorer perimeter defense and less offensive creation ability. His 3-point shot has also been ineffective this year. Still, Lonzo has a high basketball IQ and makes too much sense on the Hornets.

The post 3 best Lonzo Ball destinations after Cavs dump him to Jazz to be waived appeared first on ClutchPoints.

You never know which teams will kick things into a higher gear coming out of the NBA All-Star break, but both the Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets are surging and drawing the attention of the entire league.

The last time the Hornets won 10 straight games, Allen Iverson was leading the league in scoring, and LaMelo Ball wasn’t even two years old yet. Charlotte can possibly accomplish this feat with a win on Monday against the Detroit Pistons, which would put them on a list with the Pistons and the Oklahoma City Thunder as the only teams in the NBA this season to win at least 10 straight games.

Over their last nine games, the Hornets rank second in offensive rating and third in defensive rating, and they have outscored their opponents by an average of 12.7 points per game. It is not hard to say that Charles Lee’s team has completely flipped the script on their season and become one of the most dangerous teams in the Eastern Conference.

Maybe the Hornets aren’t real title contenders like others, but nobody, including the Pistons, New York Knicks, and Boston Celtics at the top of the East standings, will want to see this young, emerging group in a seven-game playoff series.

The Philadelphia 76ers have also been kicking things into a higher gear right before the All-Star break, as they’ve won six of their last seven games and now find themselves inside the top 10 of the NBA power rankings.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of this run for the Sixers is that star big man Joel Embiid has only missed one game during this stretch. Embiid is the key to the 76ers’ success and postseason aspirations, which is why it’s certainly good news to see him playing at an MVP-like level with a full week’s worth of rest approaching.

However, can Embiid continue this level of play for the next two months, especially regarding his overall knee health? This will be the biggest question in Philadelphia that their fans will continue to ignore and simply focus on the success they see on the court.

But overall, there is no denying that the 76ers are right behind the hierarchy of the East and certainly have a chance to make a run for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs during the stretch run of the season. As for the Hornets, this team is playing playoff-quality basketball right now and is only three games back from the 7-seed in the East.

That is why these are the two featured teams making the biggest jump in the latest NBA power rankings.

Previous 2025-26 NBA Power Rankings: Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1 | Week 0 (Preseason) | Offseason

1. San Antonio Spurs (+2)

2025-26 Record: 36-16 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. OKC (W10), at DAL (W12), vs. DAL (W13)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: at LAL (2/10), at GSW (2/11)

With the Thunder struggling and losing for the fourth time this season to them, the San Antonio Spurs have jumped back into the pole position in the NBA power rankings. Between their physicality on defense and steady play on offense, the Spurs have cemented themselves as true title contenders in the Western Conference.

As good as Victor Wembanyama is, especially when he steals the show with his dazzling dunks or monstrous blocks, Stephon Castle has been the biggest difference for the Spurs this season. Recently, the second-year guard recorded a 40-12-12 game, becoming the youngest player to produce such a game in NBA history.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (-1)

2025-26 Record: 40-13 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. ORL (W36), at SAS (L10), vs. HOU (L6)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: at LAL (2/9), at PHX (2/11), vs. MIL (2/12)

Amid several injuries, notably to Jalen Williams, the Thunder have dropped five of their last eight games. Now, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is out through the All-Star break with an abdominal injury, which opens the door in the West.

Earlier this season, it seemed like the defending champions were far better than the rest of the league. That is something nobody is discussing now, as the Thunder’s lead for the best record in the NBA is seriously in jeopardy, especially with the Spurs just 3.5 games back of them. This is danger time for Oklahoma City before the All-Star break, as they are very vulnerable right now.

3. Detroit Pistons (-1)

2025-26 Record: 38-13 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. DEN (W3), vs. WAS (L9), vs. NYK (W38)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: at CHA (2/9), at TOR (2/11)

After a shocking loss to the Washington Wizards right after the trade deadline, the Pistons responded in a huge way with a 38-point win against the New York Knicks. This team has not dropped back-to-back games in 2026, and the Pistons have ranked among the best in the league offensively since the start of the new year.

Daniss Jenkins, who has been a breakout performer for the Pistons on a two-way contract this season, recently had his deal converted to a two-year, $8 million contract, the highest single-season conversion amount for a two-way player in league history.

4. New York Knicks (+1)

2025-26 Record: 34-19 | Last Week’s Schedule: at WAS (W31), vs. DEN (W7/2OT), at DET (L38), at BOS (W22)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: vs. IND (2/10), at PHI (2/11)

Ever since their skid at the end of December and start of January, the Knicks have been one of the hottest teams in the league. If it weren’t for their blowout loss in Detroit, this team would find itself on a 10-game winning streak right now.

Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges have all been playing exceptionally well on offense during this stretch of success, and the Knicks have only allowed over 100 points four times in their last 10 games. If New York plays with this type of intensity on defense, it will win the Eastern Conference.

5. Denver Nuggets (-1)

2025-26 Record: 34-19 | Last Week’s Schedule: at DET (L3), at NYK (L7/2OT), at CHI (W16)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: vs. CLE (2/9), vs. MEM (2/11)

Nikola Jokic is back for the Denver Nuggets, which is good news given how many injuries this team has dealt with all season. However, Jokic’s return has only led to someone else hitting the injury report, and this time it’s Peyton Watson.

Watson suffered a hamstring injury in the team’s double-overtime loss to the Knicks last week, and he will now miss at least a month with a hamstring strain. This is a major blow to the breakout wing and the Nuggets as a whole, especially since they are still without Aaron Gordon and Cam Johnson.

6. Boston Celtics (+3)

2025-26 Record: 34-19 | Last Week’s Schedule: at DAL (W10), at HOU (W21), vs. MIA (W2), vs. NYK (L22)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: vs. CHI (2/11)

Will Jayson Tatum actually return to the court this season? It seems like such a decision would be rushed, even if he is cleared by medical personnel by the end of the regular season, but Tatum has been working hard and is progressing in his rehab.

The Boston Celtics’ star still doesn’t have a timetable for his eventual return, yet ESPN reported on Sunday that Tatum has started controlled 5-on-5 scrimmaging with coaches. Without Tatum, Jaylen Brown continues to play at an All-Star level, as he has scored at least 20 points in 15 straight games, including five double-doubles and a triple-double during this stretch.

7. Houston Rockets (-1)

2025-26 Record: 32-19 | Last Week’s Schedule: at IND (W4), vs. BOS (L21), vs. CHA (L10), at OKC (W6)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: vs. LAC (2/10), vs. LAC (2/11)

Back-to-back double-digit losses to Boston and Charlotte were leading the Houston Rockets down a dark path. However, Kevin Durant and his team got back on track with a six-point win on the road against the Thunder, becoming just the fifth team this year to beat Oklahoma City on their home floor.

The Rockets have struggled over the last few weeks on offense, as they surprisingly rank 26th in offensive rating over their last eight games. On the other side of the court, Houston ranks ninth in defensive rating during this stretch.

8. Cleveland Cavaliers (+2)

2025-26 Record: 32-21 | Last Week’s Schedule: at LAC (W33), at SAC (W6)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: at DEN (2/9), vs. WAS (2/11)

James Harden is the newest member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, forming a strong-looking one-two punch with Donovan Mitchell in the backcourt. Even before Harden arrived, the Cavs have been one of the hottest teams in the league, as they have now won 15 of their last 20 games and have just one loss in their last nine games.

Mitchell has been sensational this season, and he’s scored over 25 points in six of his last eight games. Cleveland is just two games back of Boston for the 3-seed in the East.

9. Los Angeles Lakers (+3)

2025-26 Record: 32-19 | Last Week’s Schedule: at BKN (W16), vs. PHI (W4), vs. GSW (W6)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: vs. OKC (2/9), vs. SAS (2/10), vs. DAL (2/12)

Luka Doncic will miss his second straight game on Monday night against Oklahoma City due to a left hamstring injury, which will mark his 10th absence of the season. In order to qualify for end-of-season honors, the Los Angeles Lakers star must miss no more than 17 games.

The Lakers have been finding their groove on offense lately, averaging 116.9 points per game over their last eight games. Doncic and LeBron James have obviously contributed to this success, but as a team, Los Angeles is shooting 51.9 percent from the floor during this stretch, the best shooting percentage in the NBA.

10. Philadelphia 76ers (+3)

2025-26 Record: 30-22 | Last Week’s Schedule: at LAC (W15), at GSW (W19), at LAL (L4), at PHX (W6)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: at POR (2/9), vs. NYK (2/11)

Since a rough stretch where they went 3-6, the 76ers have won six of their last seven games and are just 1.5 games back of the Cavs for the 4-seed in the Eastern Conference. As long as they remain healthy, the Sixers can contend not just for a top-4 spot in the East standings, but potentially a spot in the Eastern Conference championship.

However, health remains a concern for this group, as Paul George’s suspension leaves little room for error. Embiid is essential to this team’s success, and they will need him available for almost every game down the stretch to have a shot at claiming home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs.

11. Phoenix Suns (-3)

2025-26 Record: 31-22 | Last Week’s Schedule: at POR (W5), vs. GSW (L4), vs. PHI (L6)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: vs. DAL (2/10), vs. OKC (2/11)

Both Jalen Green and Devin Booker have missed some games lately due to injury, leaving the Phoenix Suns without their two best dynamic scorers. Even so, Dillon Brooks and Collin Gillespie have stepped up in a big way to prove that the Suns are more than just their standout guards.

Phoenix ranks inside the top 10 defensively this season, and head coach Jordan Ott has really set the tone for Suns basketball. This team is gritty, physical, and wear down their opponents for 48 minutes every night. No team will want to face the Suns come playoff time.

12. Minnesota Timberwolves (-5)

2025-26 Record: 32-22 | Last Week’s Schedule: at MEM (L9), at TOR (W2), vs. NOP (L4), vs. LAC (L19)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: vs. ATL (2/9), vs. POR (2/11)

One week, the Minnesota Timberwolves go on a hot streak. and they rise into the top 10 of the NBA power rankings. The next week, as was illustrated in their last few games, the Wolves look like a completely different team that gives no effort and drops three games to those with a losing record.

That is why it’s really hard to view Minnesota as a legit title contender this year, and this team’s lack of effort some nights is concerning. It seems like this frustration has reached the locker room too, as Rudy Gobert recently called out some of his teammates by stating head coach Chris Finch needs to bench those not giving an effort.

13. Toronto Raptors (-2)

2025-26 Record: 32-22 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. MIN (L2), vs. CHI (W16), vs. IND (W18)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: vs. DET (2/11)

Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram continue to pave the way to success for this growing Toronto Raptors organization, as they have now won seven of their last 10 games to move a half-game behind the Cavs for the 4-seed in the East.

The Raptors are beginning to find their form on offense, scoring at least 120 points in four of their last five games. A win over the Pistons before the All-Star break would build a lot of confidence for this group, which currently finds itself 10 games over .500 on the season.

14. Golden State Warriors (-)

2025-26 Record: 28-25 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. PHI (L19), at PHX (W4), at LAL (L6)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: vs. MEM (2/9), vs. SAS (2/11)

Stephen Curry has missed three straight games as a result of right knee soreness, and the Golden State Warriors’ offense has been abysmal without him. However, the Warriors were able to steal a game on the road in Phoenix as a result of their defense and fast-paced transition play.

Without Curry, Golden State has no chance to win any games or be a real threat in the postseason. That is why the Warriors are making sure he is 100 percent ready to go before returning this season, and they will take a similar approach with newly acquired Kristaps Porzingis. Even with all of their ailments, the Warriors are a team nobody will want to see fully healthy in the postseason.

15. Charlotte Hornets (+2)

2025-26 Record: 25-28 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. NOP (W7), at HOU (W10), at ATL (W7)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: vs. DET (2/9), vs. ATL (2/11)

How good are the Hornets? This team currently owns the league’s longest active win streak at nine games, and all of a sudden, Charlotte is in the play-in discussion. Gives Charles Lee a ton of credit for what he’s done with this young group, as the Hornets are one of the most exciting teams to watch in the NBA.

During their current nine-game win streak, the Hornets rank second in offensive rating and third in defensive rating. It’s not like the Hornets are beating up bad teams either, as wins over San Antonio, Philadelphia, and Houston stand out. If Charlotte can keep this momentum going in Detroit on Monday night, then look out!

16. Miami Heat (-)

2025-26 Record: 28-26 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. ATL (L12), at BOS (L2), at WAS (W31)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: vs. UTA (2/9), at NOP (2/11)

The Miami Heat did not make a move for Giannis Antetokounmpo at the trade deadline, nor did they strike a deal for Ja Morant. In fact, this team didn’t make any moves whatsoever, and it seems like the Heat are content being a play-in tournament team yet again.

Without Tyler Herro, who continues to deal with injuries this year, Norman Powell has been Miami’s only consistent source of scoring. He alone is not enough to make the Heat a real threat, which is why this franchise is stuck in a purgatory-like state in the NBA power rankings.

17. Los Angeles Clippers (-2)

2025-26 Record: 25-27 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. PHI (L15), vs. CLE (L33), at SAC (W3), at MIN (W19)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: at HOU (2/10), at HOU (2/11)

It is quite remarkable to look at the LA Clippers being just two games below .500 this year when they were 6-21 before the holidays in December. Tyronn Lue and Kawhi Leonard deserve a lot of credit for turning things around, and now the Clippers seem to have a new direction.

After trading Harden and Ivica Zubac at the deadline, the Clippers are entering a new era, one highlighted by young, dynamic talents like Darius Garland, Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, and others. Although many think this team will take a step back for the remainder of the year, the Clippers may actually be better with more depth and speed to push the pace in transition.

18. Atlanta Hawks (+1)

2025-26 Record: 26-28 | Last Week’s Schedule: at MIA (W12), vs. UTA (W2), vs. CHA (L7)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: at MIN (2/9), at CHA (2/11)

As good as Jalen Johnson has been, this has been a disappointing year for the Atlanta Hawks. Dyson Daniels has not really built off his Most Improved Player campaign, and Zaccharie Risacher has yet to really emerge either. These two must be focal points alongside Johnson for the Hawks to take that next step as a franchise.

Now that Jonathan Kuminga is entering the mix, it should be interesting to see what this team looks like at full strength. Kuminga has a lot of potential and explosiveness, but is he the right fit for this team? We will soon find out after the All-Star break.

19. Orlando Magic (+1)

2025-26 Record: 27-24 | Last Week’s Schedule: at OKC (L36), vs. BKN (W20), vs. UTA (W3)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: vs. MIL (2/9), vs. MIL (2/11)

Unfortunately, the Orlando Magic have yet to prove they are anything threatening because they haven’t been whole this entire season. When Paolo Banchero is healthy, Franz Wagner is not. When Wagner has been healthy, Jalen Suggs has not. And the cycle goes on and on and on.

Finally, Wagner is back, and the Magic’s injury report is clean, so hopefully this is the case for the remainder of the regular season. At full strength, Orlando can be a sneaky threat in the East.

20. Portland Trail Blazers (+1)

2025-26 Record: 25-28 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. PHX (L5), vs. MEM (W20), vs. MEM (W7)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: vs. PHI (2/9), at MIN (2/11), at UTA (2/12)

The Portland Trail Blazers snapped their recent six-game losing streak, and they picked up back-to-back wins over the Memphis Grizzlies. Still, Portland seems like a lock to be one of the final teams in the West’s play-in tournament this season, and that is likely its ceiling.

However, the Blazers have proven to grow in a lot of ways this season outside of just Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe. One example is second-year center Donovan Clingan, who ranks second in rebounding this season and is averaging 14.0 rebounds per game over his last 12 games, the most in the league during this span.

21. Milwaukee Bucks (+4)

2025-26 Record: 21-29 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. CHI (W16), vs. NOP (W4/OT), vs. IND (W6)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: at ORL (2/9), at ORL (2/11)

Giannis is still with the Bucks past the trade deadline, which adds more drama to all the questions about his future in Milwaukee. The Bucks are in a weird spot because while they could punt this season and try to lose games, Giannis will want to come back and play, as he isn’t one to sit out games when healthy and available.

What the next few months look like in Milwaukee entering the summer is the biggest mystery in the NBA, as GM Jon Horst and his staff will need to be very creative to persuade Antetokounmpo not to leave.

22. Chicago Bulls (-4)

2025-26 Record: 24-29 | Last Week’s Schedule: at MIL (L16), at TOR (L16), vs. DEN (L16)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: at BKN (2/9), at BOS (2/11)

What are the Chicago Bulls doing? Not only did this organization trade away Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Kevin Huerter, but they got like six or seven guards for these guys and no first-round picks.

At this point, we might as well expect to see the Bulls near the bottom of the NBA power rankings moving forward. This franchise has no sense of direction, and they have been trapped in a rebuild since Michael Jordan retired in 1998.

23. Memphis Grizzlies (-)

2025-26 Record: 20-31 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. MIN (W9), at SAC (W4), at POR (L20), at POR (L7)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: at GSW (2/9), at DEN (2/11)

Now that Ja Morant will finish the 2025-26 season with the Memphis Grizzlies, will they shut him down for the remainder of the season? The Grizzlies are clearly entering a rebuild, and they will focus on developing their young talents for the remainder of the season.

Do not expect to see many wins from here on out, as the Grizzlies would love to land a high lottery pick and escalate their rebuild, one that is likely to result in Morant being traded in the summer.

24. Dallas Mavericks (-2)

2025-26 Record: 19-33 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. BOS (L10), vs. SAS (L12), at SAS (L13)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: at PHX (2/10), at LAL (2/12)

The Dallas Mavericks have now lost seven straight games, their longest losing streak of the season. Many more losses are coming for the Mavs, as they have hit the reset button after their failed Anthony Davis experiment.

Cooper Flagg is the future of this organization, and the Mavs now have plenty of cap space to sort through their mess in the summer.

25. Utah Jazz (+4)

2025-26 Record: 16-37 | Last Week’s Schedule: at IND (W9), at ATL (L2), at ORL (L3)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: at MIA (2/9), vs. SAC (2/11)

Keep an eye on the Utah Jazz. Although they are clearly tanking and will throw games to keep their draft pick this year, the Jazz have a really strong-looking core after adding Jaren Jackson Jr. next to Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George.

In his debut against the Magic, before he was benched so the Jazz could throw the game, Jackson had 22 points, three rebounds, and three steals in 25 minutes. Jackson will fit in just fine in Will Hardy’s system.

26. New Orleans Pelicans (-)

2025-26 Record: 14-40 | Last Week’s Schedule: at CHA (L7), at MIL (L4/OT), at MIN (W4)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: vs. SAC (2/9), vs. MIA (2/11)

Trey Murphy III is a rising star for the New Orleans Pelicans, and he proved this on Wednesday night when he had 44 points with 12 made threes in a 141-137 overtime loss to the Bucks.

Before Murphy, there had only been 13 times in league history that a player had made at least 12 threes. Stephen Curry has done so five different times, and the Pelicans’ forward added his name to this illustrious list.

27. Indiana Pacers (-3)

2025-26 Record: 13-40 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. HOU (L4), vs. UTA (L9), at MIL (L6), at TOR (L18)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: at NYK (2/10), at BKN (2/11)

The Indiana Pacers aren’t “bad” this season. Well, they kind of are, but the fact of the matter is that the Pacers have dealt with a lot of injuries, and without Tyrese Haliburton, they have lost a lot of games late in the fourth quarter.

Looking ahead, there is a lot to like about the Pacers’ chances of regaining relevance during the 2026-27 season, especially now that they have their long-term center in Ivica Zubac. He will fit in perfectly as a double-double machine who can elevate the Pacers’ defense.

28. Brooklyn Nets (-)

2025-26 Record: 14-37 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. LAL (L16), at ORL (L20), vs. WAS (W14)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: vs. CHI (2/9), vs. IND (2/11)

Now that Cam Thomas is gone, the Brooklyn Nets will continue to let Michael Porter Jr. perform at his All-Star level, while also giving elevated opportunities to breakout rookie guard Egor Demin.

It is clear that the little spurt of success the Nets had in December was simply a glimpse into the future of this franchise. For the remainder of the 2025-26 season, Jordi Fernandez’s job is keep developing his youthful talents while also only winning a few more games to maintain draft position.

29. Washington Wizards (-2)

2025-26 Record: 14-38 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. NYK (L31), at DET (W9), at BKN (L14), vs. MIA (L31)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: at CLE (2/11)

Trading for Trae Young and Anthony Davis were two fantastic moves by the Washington Wizards, simply because they gave up nothing of value. With these two stars and plenty of young, athletic talents on their roster, it’s not hard to believe that the Wizards can become threats in the East next season.

As far as this season goes, the Wizards have been very competitive as of late, winning four of their last eight games, with wins over Detroit and Portland in this stretch.

30. Sacramento Kings (-2)

2025-26 Record: 12-42 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. MEM (L4), vs. LAC (L3), vs. CLE (L6)

Upcoming Week’s Schedule: at NOP (2/9), at UTA (2/11)

The Sacramento Kings are what their record says: bad.

At this point, the Kings need to shut down Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis for the rest of the season, as this organization literally has no incentive to win any more games.

Doing so would simply cost this franchise draft lottery odds, which is something they cannot afford since the Kings need a lot of good luck to avoid a four-to-five-year rebuild.

The post ClutchPoints’ 2025-26 NBA Power Rankings Week 16: 76ers, Hornets becoming real threats in East appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Since Connaughton cleared waivers, he was able to ink a new contract with Charlotte. The Hornets are paying the 2021 champion $9.4 million this season regardless, so they probably want to maximize his value. He will continue to log a limited role, especially after trade acquisition Coby White makes his team debut, but Connaughton appears to be great for morale. He has also been efficient when on the floor.

The former Notre Dame star is scoring 2.9 points in 7.0 minutes per game while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from 3-point range. He accepts his role on the team, which is probably easier to do at his salary, and he is also not afraid to embarrass himself. Following a last-place finish in the Hornets’ fantasy football league, Connaughton dyed his hair bleach blonde as a punishment.

More than a decade into his NBA career, the former second-round draft pick still seems to be fitting in seamlessly on one of the younger squads in the league. Charlotte is taking advantage of all the knowledge he has gleaned over the years.

Pat Connaughton was a key role player during the Milwaukee Bucks’ title run, playing reliable defense and shooting nearly 39 percent from downtown in 23 playoff games. Although those days are long gone, he is nevertheless a member of this promising era of Hornets basketball.

Fans hope to see him cheering Charlotte (25-28) on during Monday’s clash with the first-place Detroit Pistons (38-13).

The post Hornets reunite with 11-year veteran just days after releasing him appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Days later, the Hornets made a decision on Branham, according to Brett Siegel of Clutch Points.

“The Hornets are waiving Malaki Branham,” Siegel wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Branham averaged 8.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 17.8 minutes per game between the San Antonio Spurs and Wizards. He was selected by the Spurs with the 20th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and played with the team for three seasons before being traded to the Wizards.

It’s uncertain if a team will pick him up from waivers, but if not, he’ll be a free agent, and then he can decide where he wants to go.

The Hornets already have enough guards on the team, so it’s no surprise they waived Branham, especially if he wasn’t going to get any playing time. One of the reasons for their success over the past few weeks has been their guard play, as LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel have played well off of each other. Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges have also been holding it down in the frontcourt.

Now with Coby White coming off the bench, they’ll have somebody who can score from anywhere on the court, and it’ll only make them better.

The Hornets have found themselves in the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference, and there’s a chance that they can make up even more ground in the standings if they continue their winning streak.

The post Hornets waives former 1st-round pick after Wizards trade appeared first on ClutchPoints.

White’s time with the Bulls, who selected him seventh overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, came to an end after seven seasons. Chicago sent him and Mike Conley to Charlotte for Ousmane Dieng and Collin Sexton.

Even though White is dealing with a calf injury, the Hornets still went through with the trade. However, that isn’t to say they didn’t make adjustments after knowing about the injury, per league insider Brett Siegel.

“The Hornets still wanted this trade to be completed and do not see this being a major injury, which is why it’s not rescinded. But CHA is given the right to change the terms of the trade after not being aware of this calf injury before the physical, sources told @ClutchPoints,” Siegel wrote.

“Originally, the Hornets agreed to trade the following second-round picks to the Bulls: 2029 DEN/CHA (least favorable), 2031 NYK, 2031 DEN. The two 2031 picks will still go to Chicago in this deal. The Hornets will retain the 2029 pick.”

What’s next for Coby White, Hornets

Coby White will look forward to his journey with the Hornets after making a full recovery from the calf injury. In the meantime, Charlotte will look to continue its incredible momentum after a remarkable stretch of games.

The Hornets haven’t made the playoffs since 2016, having only appeared in the play-in tournament twice in 2021 and 2022. After three consecutive seasons of going in the lottery, Charlotte seems to have created serious potential with its core of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel.

Charlotte has a 24-28 record on the season, holding the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They are above the Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks while trailing the Atlanta Hawks and the Miami Heat.

Rolling with eight consecutive wins, the Hornets will look forward to their next matchup. They are on the road when they face the Hawks on Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The post Coby White trade compensation altered after Hornets’ physical reveals calf injury appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Hornets notched their eighth straight win after stinging the Houston Rockets, 109-99, at Toyota Center on Thursday.

According to ESPN, Charlotte is on an eight-game winning streak for the first time since the 2000-2001 season. It is tied for the team’s longest winning streak since getting nine in a row in the 1988-1999 season.

Charlotte is on an 8-game win streak for the first time since 2000-01

The Hornets were the only team in the NBA to not win eight straight games in that span. pic.twitter.com/T6sywh0XG7

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) February 6, 2026

Kon Knueppel led the charge against the Rockets with 24 points on 8-of-13 shooting. LaMelo Ball added 20 points, including five three-pointers, six rebounds, and four assists, while Miles Bridges chipped in 18 points and the same number of rebounds and assists.

Charlotte led by as much as 22 points and shot 40% from beyond the arc.

The Hornets were hammering the Rockets so badly that coach Ime Udoka decided to pull out his starters with still eight minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Not many gave Charlotte a chance before the season. After all, the squad has not made it to the playoffs for the last nine years, the longest active drought in the NBA. But with Ball staying relatively healthy, Knueppel being an instant revelation, and Bridges and Brandon Miller providing consistent support, the Hornets have become an unexpected threat in the Eastern Conference.

They added even more offensive firepower after acquiring Coby White from the Chicago Bulls at the trade deadline.

The Hornets will face the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.

The post Hornets’ winning streak hits heights not seen in 25 years with win over Rockets appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Now, more information is coming to light about White’s injury status moving forward the rest of the season.

“Jeff Peterson said Coby White is battling some calf issues and sounds like #Hornets will hold him out until after All-Star break to be cautious,” reported Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer on X, formerly Twitter.

White has been dealing with injury issues all year, having missed the opening chunk of the season for the Bulls. However, when he’s on the court, White is a talented scorer, now playing in the same state where he played his college basketball for North Carolina.

As previously mentioned, the Hornets have been on a tear recently, with rookie Kon Knueppel continuing to impress and LaMelo Ball finding ways to stay on the floor despite injury troubles of his own.

White gives the Hornets another ball handler for when Ball is off the floor as well as a secondary shot creator when he’s on it, and although he likely won’t do much to solve Charlotte’s defensive issues, he should bring a steady veteran presence to help stabilize the offense and create his own offense.

He also still is theoretically just entering the prime years of his career at 25 years of age, making him a good fit for the young Hornets’ timeline moving forward.

Unfortunately, Hornets fans will just have to wait a little bit before they can see him in action.

In any case, the Hornets are next slated to take the floor on Thursday night for a road game against the Houston Rockets.

The post Hornets’ Coby White gets calf injury update after Bulls trade appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Since 2019, White has been a fan favorite, and his void will be hard to fill. One of those who recognizes that reality is Patrick Williams.

On Thursday, Williams sent out well wishes to his now former teammate, per K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Sports Network.

“I’m excited for him to get a new opportunity in Charlotte, obviously, him being from North Carolina,” Williams said. “I know he’ll make the most of it. It’s a team that can use him and what he can do on the ball and challenge him to grow into a new role that he deserves.”

Furthermore, Williams is still coming to grips with how things will look and feel different.

“It’s always tough. You never get used to it,” Williams said to Johnson. “My rookie year, we made a lot of trades. This kind of feels like that. It’s a completely new dynamic. You’re always going to have the memories of the guys who were here.”

Williams has been with the Bulls since 2020. This year, he has played in 47 games and is averaging 6.7 points per game. Meanwhile, Chicago is 24-27 and will play the Toronto Raptors on the road on Thursday.

It will be their first game since the trades. On Saturday, they will head back home to play the Denver Nuggets.

In 2024, he signed a five-year, $90 million contract.

The post Why Patrick Williams is bummed but ‘excited’ for Coby White trade to Hornets appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Connaughton has played in only 22 games for the Hornets this season, averaging just seven minutes per game — his fewest since his rookie campaign back in the 2015-16 season. Now 33 years of age, it’s not quite clear how much Connaughton has left in the tank, and he ends up being a casualty for the Hornets after they brought in a slew of guards.

The Hornets recently acquired Coby White and Mike Conley for a package of Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng, and three second-round picks, and then they doubled down even further on point guards, acquiring Tyus Jones and two second-round picks in a salary dump from the Orlando Magic.

The Hornets now employ the following guards on their roster: LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, White, Conley, Jones, Tre Mann, Sion James, and Josh Green. This leaves no room for Connaughton on the roster, and the Hornets had to act to make their trade for Jones official.

Considering the glut of guards the Hornets have on the roster, one would think that they aren’t done making moves quite yet.

Hornets need to clear out backcourt logjam

The Hornets are expected to use White in the role they’ve been utilizing Sexton in, so that is a like for like swap in the rotation. Off the bench, they’ve relied on James and Green to back up Knueppel and Miller, which means that there’s not much room for both Conley and Jones on the roster.

If the Hornets were to keep one, it most likely would be Jones. Conley’s a respected veteran around the association, and he may prefer to sign with a contender instead of the upstart Hornets. There is even a chance that Conley links back up with the Minnesota Timberwolves, as technically speaking, that no longer is his former employer.

The post Hornets waive Pat Connaughton after Tyus Jones trade appeared first on ClutchPoints.

On Wednesday night, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that the Hornets have acquired Jones and two second-round picks from the Orlando Magic for cash considerations. This is nothing more than a salary dump trade for the Magic as they continue to navigate and maneuver around their clogged player payroll, while Charlotte is receiving extra draft assets to make use of the vacant space on their cap sheet.

It’s not quite clear if Jones will stick around for the Hornets, as it’s likely that he won’t be in the rotation for Charlotte since he’ll be behind both LaMelo Ball and White on the depth chart. Tre Mann and Sion James are also more than capable of providing backup guard minutes for the Hornets.

Perhaps the Hornets will give Jones the Conley treatment as well, buying his contract out to give him the freedom to sign with any team he chooses.

The Hornets make brilliant moves prior to trade deadline

White may be an impending free agent, but he’s a much better scorer and ballhandler than Sexton is. He fits this young core as well, and he’s a year younger than the man he’s replacing.

The Hornets also made good use of their cap space, getting assets such as Dieng and a second-round pick for Mason Plumlee, whom the Oklahoma City Thunder waived. They then re-routed Dieng to the Bulls in the White trade, and overall, they made up for the three second-round picks they dealt for White in the other deals they made (they got one from OKC, they got two from the Magic).

These are moves that may not move the needle, but they are solid moves nonetheless for a team that’s on an upward trajectory.

The post Hornets add backcourt experience with trade for Magic’s Tyus Jones appeared first on ClutchPoints.

As a result, Coby White and Mike Conley Jr. are heading to Charlotte. Meanwhile, Collin Sexton and Ousmane Dieng are making their way to Chicago, as well as three second-round draft picks.

White is returning home to North Carolina and playing for his hometown team. Currently, White is averaging 18.6 points and 4.7 assists per game. Altogether, he played in 29 games with the Bulls. White’s last game with Chicago was on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Bucks.

He finished with a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds as the Bulls lost 131-115. In the end, White completed seven seasons with the Bulls. He was drafted in 2019 out of the University of North Carolina.

Conley Jr. was traded to the Bulls as part of a trifecta deal with the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. A deal that brought Jaden Ivey to Chicago and sent Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric to the Pistons.

However, the buzz was that the Bulls would ultimately trade Conley. Conely is an 18-year NBA veteran with strong veteran leadership and a good standing at the point guard position.

Sexton is arriving in Chicago from Charlotte. He is averaging 13.9 points per game and shooting 48.8% from the field. Dieng is coming from the Thunder and is shooting 41.8% from the field.

Given the uncertainty about what this means for two young teams, here is the grading as seen fit.

Bulls trade grade

In terms of scoring, the Bulls get two young, consistent players. Each is shooting nearly 50% from the field.

Sexton adds greater depth to the backcourt. Dieng is a strong perimeter player as a center/forward.

But from a financial standpoint, both are playing on expiring deals, which adds flexibility. Plus, the Bulls are now up to 10 second-round draft picks.

If anything, the additions of Sexton and Dieng are all about creating more cap space. While they are more affordable than White, they aren’t the total package White is. Plus, they don’t have the cache White has with the fans.

Furthermore, this calls into question what the real motivations are in Chicago? What is Arturas Karnisovas looking to build? Is there any real intention to build a winning team or create a feeder system for contending teams?

Given how conservative the Bulls are, this seems like the same old same old. And any hope at the play-in tournament is uncertain, and the playoffs are totally out of the question, objectively speaking.

Bulls trade grade: D+

Hornets trade grade

White people, in particular, are free from the never-ending cycle of underperformance in Chicago. A dynamic playmaker and scorer, he is in a prime position to elevate his game.

Clearly, the signing of Josh Giddey to a four-year, $100 million deal showed who Chicago wanted to build their team around. And after White declined an extension, the writing was on the wall all along.

In Charlotte, he will likely come off the bench. But he can provide three-point shooting, depth to the backcourt, and playmaking to a team that could make a run for the playoffs.

His style can naturally complement a solid core in LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, and Brandon Miller.

Conley brings that veteran leadership and postseason experience. He played in over 100 playoff games during his career. Plus, he is affordable playing out the final year of his $10.8 million contract.

Hornets trade grade: B

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“Just in: The Chicago Bulls are trading Coby White and Mike Conley Jr. to the Charlotte Hornets for Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng and three second-round picks, sources tell ESPN,” Charania wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Ousmane Dieng was a part of the trade that sent Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and NBA insider Jake Fischer was the first to report that there was momentum on a deal to send him to the Hornets.

The Bulls have been in trade rumors for the past few weeks surrounding Vucevic and White, and they were able to offload both of them before the deadline. It’s obvious that they’re trying to create financial flexibility for the future, while also allowing Vucevic and White to compete elsewhere. They were also able to land a young player in Jaden Ivey, who should be a good player for the Bulls.

For White, he joins a Hornets team that is the hottest in the league right now, as they’re riding a seven-game winning streak. They’re starting to figure things out at the right time, and adding a scorer like White will do nothing but improve their unit.

It’s uncertain if Conley will stay with the Hornets, and Fischer also reported that since he was traded to a second team, that could leave the door open for him to return to the Minnesota Timberwolves following a buyout.

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After the finalization of the three-team trade between the Hornets, Thunder and Bulls, the Thunder intend to waive Plumlee to clear a roster spot, before proceeding with an agreed upon deal with the Philadelphia 76ers to acquire Jared McCain.

On the Hornets side of the trade though, they add a relatively young guard in White to what’s been a surprising turnaround this season. The Hornets are currently on a seven-game win streak and making a climb up the Eastern Conference standings to a potnetial spot in the play-in. It’s not yet clear what the team’s current plans are for Conley.

The No. 7 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, White has been one of the starting guards for the Bulls for the past couple of seasons, and had seen his name come up in trade rumors in recent weeks. He’s appeared in 29 games this season, including 26 starts, at a little over 29 minutes per game.

White has been averaging 18.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists with splits of 43.8 percent shooting from the field, 34.6 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 80.5 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

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The All-Star Weekend staple usually includes a star-studded crop of participants, unlike the slam dunk contest, so it is quite notable to see the Hornets wing gain entry in his first NBA season. Fans will get a better idea of who the favorite is when the field fills out, but Knueppel should be a contender. He is scoring 18.7 points per contest while shooting 42.5 percent from 3-point range, ranking third in 3-poiinters made and 19th in 3-point shooting percentage.

What Kon Knueppel is doing for the Hornets

Top-five draft picks do not exactly sneak up on people, but Knueppel is smashing expectations through 50 games. Most importantly, his excellent marksmanship is driving Charlotte closer to the light at the end of the tunnel. Following a seemingly never-ending rebuild, the red-hot Hornets (23-28) are showing new life after winning seven in a row. They are just one game behind the Chicago Bulls for the final slot in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

Kon Knueppel joins LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller in forming one of the most exciting young cores in the Eastern Conference. The rookie’s meteoric rise may force people to reconsider how they perceive one of the least successful organizations in American professional sports. He cannot get ahead of himself, though.

Knueppel obviously wants to help end Charlotte’s arduous reconstruction project, but he must also make sure to enjoy all of these milestone-moments. Firing up shots in Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome during NBA All-Star Saturday is the kind of surreal experience one should cherish.

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It is safe to say that the Kentucky product is safe from being traded. Not only does Gilgeous-Alexander’s production and talent level speak for itself, but the Thunder aren’t in a position where they’d even have to consider trading him. The Thunder clearly have a championship core, but they are loaded with young prospects and future first-round picks, too. They can keep surrounding their MVP with players on rookie contracts, and they can be major buyers who can trade their premium draft capital whenever they so desire.

Sam Presti is clearly one of the greatest general managers ever, and if he were to ever consider a Gilgeous-Alexander trade, fans would have to assume that he knew what he was doing. Here are three unrealistic trades involving Gilgeous-Alexander that won’t happen, because he is truly untradeable, but trades that are fun to think about nonetheless.

Charlotte Hornets

Hornets receive: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Thunder receive: LaMelo Ball, four first-round picks

Gilgeous-Alexander is 6-foot-6, qualifying him as a jumbo guard. He can get downhill and score at the rim at an elite level, and his ability to draw contact is unmatched. Gilgeous-Alexander even has an elite mid-range shot and tons of point-of-attack defense. LaMelo Ball would be a downgrade for the Thunder in comparison to Gilgeous-Alexander, but the team wouldn’t have to change up how they conduct business too much if the two swapped places.

Ball is similarly tall for the lead guard spot. The 6-foot-7 playmaker finds creative ways to get his teammates involved, and he can do plenty of scoring in his own right. Even so, Ball has found his name in trade rumors ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline. The Charlotte Hornets are looking to become a winning team, so they’d love to get their hands on the reigning NBA Finals MVP.

The Thunder, meanwhile, would have to see the value behind swapping Gilgeous-Alexander for Ball if it meant adding four more future first-round picks. The Thunder wouldn’t do this, but they built their team off trading proven stars for young players with potential and a surplus of picks.

Brooklyn Nets

Nets receive: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Thunder receive: Michael Porter Jr., Ben Saraf, four first-round picks

The Brooklyn Nets have stockpiled draft picks, and they appear to be ready to make a big move. That is why the team has already been linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo. A trade for Gilgeous-Alexander would be even better, though. Based off their 2025 NBA Draft results, where three of their five first-round picks were used on downhill playmaking guards, it is clear that the Nets have a style of play that they want to implement going forward.

Nobody fits that style better than Gilgeous-Alexander. This trade would cost the Nets a lot. Four first-round picks, one of the aforementioned rookies, and a new and improved Michael Porter Jr. is quite the pretty penny to give up in a trade. It would be more than worth it for the Nets, though.

They need a leader who can show the young guys how to win. Porter has found success in Brooklyn because he has been given the ultimate green light. There is no telling the kind of numbers the MVP could put up with similar freedom. Again, there is no chance the Thunder would do this trade. They have enough picks as is, and although they will continue to make moves on the margins to add to their collection of picks, there is just no way they’d give up their best player at this point in time.

Memphis Grizzlies

Grizzlies receive: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Thunder receive: Ja Morant, Zach Edey, five first-round picks

Gilgeous-Alexander is clearly one of the faces of the NBA. It wasn’t long ago that Ja Morant was viewed in a similar light. Suspensions, injuries, and regressing play have resulted in Morant falling from grace and becoming a trade candidate of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Even so, the former All-Star is just 26 years old and could return to form as one of the best young stars in the NBA after a change of scenery. The Grizzlies also have draft picks to spare after picking up four first-rounders in their trade of Desmond Bane. The team just sent Jaren Jackson Jr. away for even more capital, too. Plus, Zach Edey’s size and interior dominance has to be intriguing for anybody.

Again, the Thunder wouldn’t actually do this trade. This is a massive offer, but there are too many uncertainties with the Grizzlies trade package. Morant might not have a winning style of play and may continue to struggle with off-the-court decisions, Edey has already had injury issues, which is worrisome for a player of his size, and draft picks don’t always pan out. Gilgeous-Alexander is the MVP, so he isn’t going anywhere.

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NBA insider Marc Stein reported on the latest episode of the ALL NBA Podcast that the Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets and Utah Jazz are among the teams actively exploring minor trades as the deadline nears. According to Stein, the focus for these franchises is roster flexibility rather than pursuing major names.

“Charlotte, Brooklyn, and Utah. Those are three teams that are all very willing to take up and do the kinds of trades that you suggested,” Stein said. “The Nuggets have to make a move like that. If the Raptors don’t make a big move they still have to shed some salary to get under the tax. You’ve got a variety of teams that want to create roster room so they can convert two way players to standard contracts.”

Stein added that he expects activity from the Hornets, Nets and Jazz before the deadline, though none of the moves are projected to significantly alter the broader trade market. With uncertainty surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks continuing to stall potential blockbuster deals, these teams are viewed as operating independently of the league’s biggest decisions.

Hornets surge while Nets, Jazz weigh trade deadline flexibility

Charlotte enters the week riding one of the league’s hottest stretches. The Hornets improved to 23-28 after a 102-95 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night, extending their winning streak to seven games. Charlotte is 9-3 over its last 12 contests and currently sits 11th in the Eastern Conference standings. The Hornets begin a two-game road trip Thursday night against the Houston Rockets at 8 p.m. ET.

Brooklyn, meanwhile, remains in a rebuilding phase. The Nets are 13-35 and 13th in the East as they prepare to host the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Brooklyn has lost 16 of its last 20 games, including a 130-77 defeat to the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.

Utah is facing similar struggles in the Western Conference. The Jazz are 15-35, have dropped six straight games and sit 13th in the standings. Utah continues a five-game road trip Tuesday night against the Indiana Pacers at 7 p.m. ET and is 4-16 over its last 20 games.

While none of the three teams are expected to headline deadline coverage, Stein’s report suggests they could still shape the margins of the market with calculated, low-risk moves.

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Recently, former Cleveland Cavaliers guard and NBA champion Iman Shumpert made a bold comparison for Ball’s game to another star NBA point guard on FanDuel’s “Run It Back” show.

“I don’t see the difference in how LaMelo Ball plays and how SGA plays… He’s got all the physical gifts that [Shai] has,” said Shumpert, per Run It Back on X, formerly Twitter.

Indeed, both Ball and Gilgeous-Alexander are taller point guards who are lightning quick and can generally get to their spots with ease. Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning league MVP for the Oklahoma City Thunder, certainly has a lot more physicality to his game than Ball, using his frame to get to his spots and torture opponents from the midrange, drawing plenty of fouls in the process.

On the other hand, Ball’s game is more about finesse, mesmerizing crowds with his flashy passing ability and effortless shooting touch from well beyond the three-point line. While few would agree that Ball is playing at a comparable level to what SGA is providing for the Thunder, there are some similarities between their games when one takes a step back.

Hornets fans are likely more than happy with the way Ball is playing these days, helping out the development of young players like Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller and giving Charlotte its first real buzz in quite some time.

The Hornets will look to make it eight straight wins when they next hit the floor on Thursday against the Houston Rockets on the road.

The post Ex NBA player ‘doesn’t see difference’ in Hornets’ LaMelo Ball, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s style of play appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Hornets took down the Pelicans by a score of 102–95 at home, extending their winning streak to seven games. Late in the third quarter, cameras captured an unusual scene on the Hornets bench when a veteran guard revealed a dramatic change in appearance.

Connaughton, in his first season with Charlotte following a summer trade, removed his beanie to unveil bleached blond hair. The reveal quickly spread across social media as broadcasters suggested the look stemmed from a lost bet rather than a fashion choice.

Additional clarity emerged after the game through reporting from ESPN’s Anthony Gharib, who detailed the origin of the punishment after speaking with teammates.

“After the game, Hornets guard Kon Knueppel revealed that Connaughton’s bleached blond hair was the result of finishing last in the team’s fantasy football league.”

The moment underscored a relaxed atmosphere surrounding a team playing its best basketball in nearly a decade. Charlotte has now held opponents under 100 points 11 times this season, tying for the league lead, while pairing defensive focus with visible camaraderie.

The Hornets later leaned into the moment themselves. The team’s official Instagram account shared a graphic of Connaughton to acknowledge the superstition surrounding the win.

“1-0 with blonde Pat.”

View this post on Instagram

The lighthearted punishment arrived during a stretch where results matter. The Hornets have not won seven straight games since the 2015–16 season, and veterans like Connaughton have embraced supporting roles while contributing to the team’s culture.

For the organization, the story went beyond hair color. It reflected chemistry, accountability, and confidence. In a season defined by growth, moments like these often signal a group enjoying success together while remaining locked in on winning.

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Hornets HC Charles Lee runs into LaMelo Ball on a loose ball and now LaMelo is headed to the locker roompic.twitter.com/xhzB26a6Qk

— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) February 2, 2026

It wasn’t exactly clear what Lee was doing, as the ball looked like it had a chance to remain in play with Ball getting to it before it bounced out of bounds. He tried to prevent it from ricocheting towards the advertisement board, but that did not seem necessary at all. And after the game, the Hornets head coach called himself out for getting in the way of what would have been a good play from his star point guard.

“Melo just continuing to compete. I took a play off. … Credit to him,” Lee said with a laugh, via Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “I apologized obviously.”

“Stupid a** coach.”

Charles Lee walked into the interview room and joked to keep it short because he had a headache.

"Stupid ass coach," he said.

Asked him what happened. He said it was his fault and credited LaMelo with trying to keep the ball in play: pic.twitter.com/F4oewlmQr4

— Rod Boone (@rodboone) February 2, 2026

All’s well that ends well; Ball did not suffer any lingering effects of his head-on clash with his head coach, and he ended up playing 30 minutes on the night, finishing with 24 points, five rebounds, and eight assists.

Hornets continue their buzzing ascent

The Hornets’ 23-28 record does not indicate at all just how well they’ve been playing as of late. The offense did not flow as well on Monday as it has been over the past few weeks, but they locked in on the defensive end when it mattered — holding the Pelicans to just 13 points in the fourth to finish off the comeback.

They are building a winning culture over there in Charlotte, and Lee deserves plenty of credit for maximizing the talent he has at his disposal.

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Knueppel is halfway through his first year in the NBA with the Hornets. He has shined with spectacular performances, standing out as an elite shooter from beyond the arc.

In 36 minutes of action, Knueppel continued rolling with the 3-ball. He finished with a stat line of 17 points, nine rebounds and two assists. He shot 4-of-12 from beyond the arc and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line.

This means that Knueppel has made 165 triples in his rookie season so far. As a result, he tied Curry’s number for made 3-pointers as a rookie, per theScore.

“Kon Knueppel has tied Steph Curry for made threes in a rookie season in 30 less games. He’s 41 shy of breaking Keegan Murray’s record of 206,” the post read.

How Kon Knueppel, Hornets played against Pelicans

Kon Knueppel continues to enjoy an incredible rookie campaign, helping the Hornets take down the Pelicans to keep their win streak going.

New Orleans controlled the momentum at first, leading 64-49 at halftime. Despite this, Charlotte locked in on both sides of the ball by outscoring its opponents 53-31 in the last 24 minutes of regulation.

Five players scored in double-digits for Charlotte in the win, including Knueppel. LaMelo Ball led the team with a stat line of 24 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals. He shot 8-of-20 overall, including 3-of-14 from downtown, and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. Brandon Miller came next with 16 points and eight rebounds, Grant Williams had 16 points and nine rebounds, while Ryan Kalkbrenner provided 10 points and seven rebounds.

Charlotte improved to a 23-28 record on the season, holding the 11th spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They are above the Milwaukee Bucks by three games and the Brooklyn Nets by 8.5 games while trailing the Atlanta Hawks by one game and the Chicago Bulls by 1.5 games.

Rolling with seven consecutive wins, the Hornets will look forward to their next matchup. They are on the road when they face the Houston Rockets on Feb. 5 at 8 p.m. ET.

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During a recent episode of Green’s podcast, ‘The Draymond Green show,’ the Warriors vet laid out a scenario in which Kon Knueppel leads the Hornets to the play-in, and how that would elevate him in the ROY race over Flagg.

“I think the Rookie of the Year comes down to these two guys. I think with the way Kon is playing and how vital he’s been. The other night, Cooper Flagg had 49 on 29 [shots]. Kon Knueppel had 34 on 8-of-12 from three,” Green said. “The way he’s playing, and that team getting to the play-in game, that has to solidify Kon as Rookie of the Year.”

“I think this battle is going down to the wire. It’s being fought over these last 30 games to end the season,” Green continued. “I still stand by my prediction from before, I still think Kon comes home with it, but it was good to see that battle between two young college teammates. . .to see them battle like that in the NBA in their rookie year, definitely a sign of things to come for those two guys as they move forward in their careers.”

The former Duke teammates squared off against each other last Thursday, with Knueppel’s Hornets edging out Flagg’s Mavericks, 123-121. Flagg dropped a career-high 49 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and one blocked shot. Knueppel had 34 points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal.

As of right now, Flagg leads all rookies in scoring at 19.8 points. Knueppel is right behind him at 18.8. To Green’s point, the Hornets are one and half games back of the No. 10 spot in the Eastern Conference, and play-in berth having won six straight games. The Mavericks have lost four consecutive games and are slipping further from a play-in spot.

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“I didn’t get a good enough look at it to probably give an advanced or a super deep explanation or thought on that,” Johndson said. “But, that was one of the options on the play; him coming off the screen, whether he wanted to take the three or curl it and try to get something at the rim.”

“There was a couple of options on the play…
that was one…; him coming off the screen, whether he wanted to take the three or curl in, try to get something at the rim”

-M Johnson on Wemby 3-pt attempt w/plenty on shot clock & :27 left in a game #Spurs trailed by 3
Full answer pic.twitter.com/yAV0k0ZDXJ

— Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) January 31, 2026

The Spurs didn’t get a great performance from their generational star. Wembanyama scored 16 points, didn’t record a block, registered an assist and tallied eight boards on an afternoon in which his team was out-rebounded by 15.

“It was disappointing for sure,” Johnson said. “I think, Charlotte’s playing really well, but we won three out of the four quarters, so that means there were some things that we were doing well as well. We just need to do it for more than 48.”

Spurs fall to sub-500 against the Hornets

The win moved the Hornets to 22-28 for the season. They’re on the outside looking in of the Eastern play-in picture, sitting 11th in the conference. Asked what went wrong during a second quarter that saw his team outscored 35-17, Johnson didn’t hesitate.

“A little bit of everything” Johnson said of Brandon Miller, who put up a game-high 26 points.

“I thought our discipline of how we wanted to guard multiple actions was not up to standard. We fell asleep a couple times in terms of not staying connected to him, got lost in transition.”

The Spurs first-year head coach then reiterated a reality that plagued his now 32-16 squad.

“The offense took some tough shots; turnovers,” Johnson noted. “You win three quarters out of four and still lose the game, that means you had a quarter that obviously had multiple things not going well.”

Mitch Johnson says the Spurs’ early start time didn’t matter

Though San Antonio hadn’t been playing their best ball since a big victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Christmas Day, the loss dropped them below second place in the Western Conference for the first time since December.

This latest loss took a unique turn before it started as both the Spurs and Hornets took the court three hours earlier that originally scheduled. Because of severe weather expected through Charlotte and the region, the game started at noon, or 11 am by San Antonio standards. It’s the first game the Spurs have played this season that started before noon Central Standard Time.

“I don’t think it had much effect to do with the game,” Johnson said afterward.

Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News reports the Spurs, who are scheduled to host the Orlando Magic the next day, are being forced to spend the night in Charlotte, unable to return to the Alamo City because of snow storms.

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In jubilation with the Hornets players, coach Lee did a cartwheel in the locker room.

movin DIFFERENT#HiveMentality | @Waste_Pro_USA pic.twitter.com/Vm8RsJlkp6

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) January 31, 2026

Brandon Miller’s 26 points led six Hornets players in double figures, including Colin Sexton’s 21 points, including a perfect 5-for-5 from deep, LaMelo Ball (16 points), and Miles Bridges (14 points). Charlotte is now only six games under .500, improving to a 22-28 record in the regular season.

Miller warned everyone about the Hornets’ current rise. For Miller, a healthy roster was critical to the Hornets’ success, including the ability to play alongside Ball and Bridges, he said, per Hornets Reddit’s X (formerly Twitter).

“I’ve been saying it for a long time now… when he’s healthy, it could be a dangerous season for any team that steps on the floor with us. Him being our leader—the head of the snake—it goes a long way for us and the young core,” Miller said.

Brandon Miller on LaMelo Ball's impact:

"I've been saying it for a long time now… when he's healthy, it could be a dangerous season for any team that steps on the floor with us. Him being our leader—the head of the snake—it goes a long way for us and the young core." pic.twitter.com/cUebNGAk9P

— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) January 27, 2026

The Hornets will look to extend their winning streak to seven when they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.

Brandon Miller’s recent surge leads Hornets win streak

Hornets’ Brandon Miller has taken his game to new heights amid a six-game winning streak, which was topped by a five-point win against the Spurs on Saturday.

He’s averaging 24.3 points, 6,0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists across the Hornets’ six-game winning streak. Miller said his confidence is at an all-time high, according to Hornets Reddit.

“I feel great, my confidence level is high. I take my hat off to my teammates every night, because without them I wouldn’t have games like this, without their trust,” Miller said. “So as long as I keep trusting them, we’re gonna keep pushing these wins to the city of Charlotte.”

Brandon Miller: "I feel great. Confidence level is high."

"I take my hat off to my teammates every night, because I wouldn't have games like this without their trust. So long as I just keep trusting them, we're gonna keep pushing these wins to the city of Charlotte." pic.twitter.com/F9FjOyiHx6

— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) January 26, 2026

While Miller is in his second consecutive season averaging 20+ points per game, his 37.7% 3-point shooting and 0.9 blocks per game this season are career bests.

The post Hornets’ Charles Lee hits wild cartwheel after 6th-straight win appeared first on ClutchPoints.

This was followed by a hilarious moment between Knueppel and none other than Dirk Nowitzki, who had a simple question for the 20-year-old rookie.

“Do you even know what your last name Knueppel means in German?” Nowitzki initially wanted to know, per a clip posted on X by Oh No He Didn’t.

“I don’t,” the Hornets star replied, before Nowitzki himself explained.

Kon learns from Dirk what his last name means pic.twitter.com/ktF67gcPiR

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) January 31, 2026

“Ohh, okay, it’s bat. So you can hit someone with a knueppel over their head. So, you got plenty knueppeling going on. Well, congrats,” he said.

Knueppel’s imprint on the game extended well beyond his scoring total. Already among the league leaders in made three-pointers as a rookie, the 20-year-old wasted no time asserting himself, drilling four first-quarter threes and forcing Dallas to adjust defensively from the opening minutes.

His eight triples on the night kept Charlotte afloat during Flagg’s historic scoring bursts and eventually got them the win. With the score tied in the closing seconds, he made the calculated decision to double-team Flagg, anticipating the pass and deflecting it himself. Knueppel then sprinted ahead in transition, absorbed contact from Flagg, and calmly converted two free throws with 4.1 seconds remaining, a sequence that eventually got them the win.

Selected fourth overall, Knueppel is not only validating the Hornets’ draft-night confidence but positioning himself as a franchise pillar alongside the league’s brightest young talent. Regardless, the 20-year-old now finally knows what his name means in German, and he has a Mavericks legend to thank for it, despite being the chief reason behind the victory.

The Hornets have since won against the San Antonio Spurs as well, with Knueppel putting up 13 points and six rebounds.

The post Watch Dirk Nowitzki tell Hornets’ Kon Knueppel what his last name means in German appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Knueppel addressed what it was like to face his former college teammate in the NBA for the first time, amidst their Rookie of the Year race, per NBA on Prime.

“That was really fun, obviously. He’s playing at a really high level, and he played a heck of a game against us. But it’s always good to compete against him,” Knueppel said. “It kind of brought me back to practice at Duke a little bit, and it was really great to see him.”

Did Knueppel talk to Flagg about their current ROY race?

“Not really,” Knueppel replied. “We talked a little bit before the game. We were talking about maybe catching up over the All-Star break. I’ll catch him out there for Rising Stars. Maybe head over to Duke for a game. So, not really a whole lot of banter about it. We didn’t get to really talk after the game, really disappointing.”

Kon Knueppel on what it's like battling fellow rookie and former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg in the ROTY race pic.twitter.com/VnV1ZXMkOa

— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) January 31, 2026

While Cooper Flagg has held a steady lead for this year’s Rookie of the Year award, Knueppel has emerged as one of the NBA’s leading 3-point shooters, trailing Golden State Warriors All-Star Stephen Curry (175) and Cleveland Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell (172) with 162 threes on the season. He’s averaging 18.8 points on 48.6% shooting, including 42.7% from deep on 7.7 attempts, and 5.4 rebounds this season.

The two Duke products will both participate in the Rising Stars competition at this year’s All-Star weekend in February.

Kon Knueppel’s historic rookie mark in Hornets win

While LaMelo Ball crossed the 2,000 career assists threshold, rookie Kon Knueppel’s eight threes made Hornets franchise history. Knueppel’s eight threes set a franchise record, per Hornets PR’s X, formerly Twitter.

“With 8 3PM so far in tonight’s game at DAL, Kon Knueppel has set a franchise record for 3PM in a single game, breaking the previous record set by five different players, including himself on No. 23, 2025. Knueppel has entered the top-10 for most 3PM in a rookie season,” Hornets PR reported.

The post Hornets’ Kon Knueppel shares his take on Rookie of the Year race with Cooper Flagg appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Miller has been on a tear lately, leading his Hornets team through their six-game winning streak.

Brandon Miller has been SENSATIONAL during the Hornets 6-game winning streak

26 PTS – 8 REBS – 2 ASTS
23 PTS – 6 REBS – 2 ASTS
26 PTS – 1 REB – 3 ASTS
30 PTS – 8 REBS – 2 ASTS
21 PTS – 11 REBS – 7 ASTS
20 PTS – 2 REBS – 4 ASTS pic.twitter.com/O6UvIumZwL

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 31, 2026

Miller is averaging 24.3 points, 6,0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists across the Hornets’ six-game winning streak. While Miller is in his second consecutive season of averaging 20+ points per game, his 37.7% shooting clip from behind the 3-point arc, and 0.9 blocks per game this season are career-bests.

Miller talked about how his confidence is at an all-time high, per Hornets Reddit.

“I feel great, my confidence level is high. I take my hat off to my teammates every night, because without them I wouldn’t have games like this, without their trust,” Miller said. “So as long as I keep trusting them, we’re gonna keep pushing these wins to the city of Charlotte.”

Brandon Miller: "I feel great. Confidence level is high."

"I take my hat off to my teammates every night, because I wouldn't have games like this without their trust. So long as I just keep trusting them, we're gonna keep pushing these wins to the city of Charlotte." pic.twitter.com/F9FjOyiHx6

— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) January 26, 2026

With a well-balanced attack, Miller, LaMelo Ball (16 points), and Miles Bridges (14 points) combined for 56 points, including six threes against the Spurs. Colin Sexton led the bench with 21 points, including a perfect 5-for-5 from behind the 3-point arc. The Hornets improved to 22-28.

Brandon Miller on Hornets’ duo alongside LaMelo Ball

Amidst the his team’s recent success, Hornets’ Brandon Miller talked about playing alongside LaMelo Ball, and the impact he knew the two would have with a healthy squad. Miller reminded everyone of what he said at the start of the 2025-26 season.

“I’ve been saying it for a long time now… when he’s healthy, it could be a dangerous season for any team that steps on the floor with us. Him being our leader—the head of the snake—it goes a long way for us and the young core,” Miller said.

Brandon Miller on LaMelo Ball's impact:

"I've been saying it for a long time now… when he's healthy, it could be a dangerous season for any team that steps on the floor with us. Him being our leader—the head of the snake—it goes a long way for us and the young core." pic.twitter.com/cUebNGAk9P

— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) January 27, 2026

The Hornets will look to extend their winning streak to seven when they host the Pelicans on Monday.

The post Brandon Miller’s recent surge powers Hornets to upset over Spurs appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Reported by Dan Murphy of ESPN, Bailey is vying to be the first player to find his way to playing college basketball after actually being in NBA games, where he had been in 10 his rookie season.

“Former UCLA standout Amari Bailey said he is attempting to become the first basketball player to return to college after playing in NBA games,” Murphy wrote. “Bailey, 21, has hired an agent and a lawyer to prepare to fight for NCAA eligibility with hopes to join a college team and play one more season.”

“He said he started to explore a return to college earnestly in 2025 but has wondered whether there was a way back to the NCAA since the day he was drafted in 2023,” Murphy continued.

Amari Bailey’s situation could be compared to Charles Bediako’s

The one story that has some similarities is Charles Bediako returning to play for the Alabama Crimson Tide, though, while he was on a two-way contract with a team and played G League games, he never played in an actual NBA game. This makes Bailey’s case more fascinating, saying how this is a “serious” pursuit and not a “stunt.”

“Right now I’d be a senior in college,” Bailey said, via ESPN. “I’m not trying to be 27 years old playing college athletics. No shade to the guys that do; that’s their journey. But I went to go play professionally and learned a lot, went through a lot. So, like, why not me?”

“It’s not a stunt. I’m really serious about going back. I just want to improve my game, change the perception of me, and just show that I can win,” Bailey continued.

It remains to be seen if Bailey is granted the college eligibility that he is chasing.

The post Amari Bailey ‘serious’ about returning to college after 10 games with Hornets appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Knueppel also played well, however. He finished the game with 34 points. Following the contest, Flagg shared his thoughts on competing against his former Duke basketball teammate for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.

Cooper Flagg on competing for the Rookie of the Year against Kon Knueppel and whether or not there was any trash talk between the two pic.twitter.com/Qnqwt6aURg

— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) January 30, 2026

“It’s incredible,” Flagg told reporters. “I wouldn’t want to be in any other position… We will both be looking back on this night, this whole year in general the rest of our lives. We will be talking about it and stuff like that. It’s just so special to have this opportunity in general. You know, I have three former teammates that play for the Hornets, so just to have that type of stuff, it’s so special to me.”

So, has there been any light-hearted trash-talk between Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel?

“We didn’t send each other any texts before the game, but out there, of course, you know, talking a little bit,” Flagg said. “Chirping back and forth… Just having fun, you know?”

Cooper Flagg gives Kon Knueppel his flowers

While Flagg admitted there was some light-hearted trash talk, he is still a fan of his friend’s game. Flagg gave Knueppel his flowers while speaking to reporters on Thursday night.

Cooper Flagg on Kon Knueppel: “I think it’s pretty well known that was my roommate last year… That’s my brother for life. I got really high praise for him and what he can do.” pic.twitter.com/OVE76lNcmJ

— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) January 30, 2026

“I think it’s pretty well known that was my roommate last year,” Flagg said. “Just to have a night like this with him, I know how special he is and how hard he works. It’s just funny, you know, I think 10-plus years down the road, I think we will both be looking back at this as a pretty special thing. I know we will both be in this league for a long time, so it’s pretty special.

“That’s my brother for life. I got really high praise for him and what he can do.”

Flagg was selected first overall by the Mavericks in the 2025 NBA Draft. Knueppel was selected just a few picks later at No. 4 overall by the Hornets.

Flagg was expected by many to be the favorite in the Rookie of the Year conversation. While that has indeed come to fruition, there were not many who expected Knueppel to be his primary competition for the award. Yet, that is the case at the moment.

Following his 49-point masterclass on Thursday night, Flagg is now averaging 19.5 points on 48.2 percent field goal shooting. He is also recording per game averages of 6.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.3 steals per outing. As for Knueppel, he is averaging 18.9 points on 48.6 percent field goal and 42.9 percent three-point shooting to go along with 5.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per contest.

The NBA Rookie of the Year race is far from decided. It is up for grabs at the moment.

The former Duke roommates and now good friends clearly have respect for one another, but they are also both extremely competitive. Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel are focused on wins and losses above all else, but they would probably both love to win the Rookie of the Year as well.

The post Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg gets brutally honest on competing with Kon Knueppel for Rookie of the Year appeared first on ClutchPoints.

“With 8 3PM so far in tonight’s game at DAL, Kon Knueppel has set a franchise record for 3PM in a single game, breaking the previous record set by five different players, including himself on No. 23, 2025. Knueppel has entered the top-10 for most 3PM in a rookie season,” Charlotte Hornets PR wrote on X.

Knueppel led the Hornets with a career-high 34 points, shooting 10 of 16 from the floor, including 8 of 12 from the three-point line. Additionally, he had four rebounds and three assists. On the other end, Flagg went off for a career-high 49 points, which helped the Mavs keep it close. The Hornets won despite Flagg’s achievement, and it was a testament to staying the course.

Knueppel has been turning heads all season in his rookie season. Currently, he is third on the team in scoring, averaging 18.9 points per game. Knueppel is also shooting 48.6% from the floor, including 42.6% from the three-point line. He has been a big reason for the Hornets’ five-game winning streak that started with a 124-97 blowout win over the Orlando Magic.

As his rookie season progresses, Knueppel will likely have more games like this, while also being compared to Flagg. This was their first head-to-head game in the NBA, and it did not disappoint. The Hornets’ next game will be on Saturday against the San Antonio Spurs. Likewise, their next showdown with the Mavs will be on March 3.

The post Hornets’ Kon Knueppel crosses another historic rookie mark in epic battle vs. Cooper Flagg, Mavericks appeared first on ClutchPoints.

On Thursday night, the Hornets outlasted a slugfest against the Cooper Flagg-led Dallas Mavericks, taking a 123-121 win in the end thanks to some late-game heroics from Kon Knueppel. Ball did his part in setting the table for his team, recording nine dimes, and in so doing, he crossed the 2,000 assists threshold for his career — booking his inclusion in an exclusive stat-sheet stuffing club.

As pointed out by the official Hornets account on X (formerly Twitter), Ball became just the fifth player in NBA history to tally 5,000 points, 1,500 rebounds, and 2,000 assists within their first 300 career games, joining the likes of Luka Doncic, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, and Walt Frazier as the only players to do so.

Hornets keep on buzzing

The Hornets have won their past five games, and this time, they managed to do so despite it being a close game. They’ve made it a habit to win games by huge margins, but Flagg’s 49-point night meant that the Mavericks were not going to go away at any point in the ballgame.

All five Hornets starters scored in double figures led by Knueppel, who tallied a career-high of his own with 34 points. Ball had 22 points to go with his nine assists, and Brandon Miller added 23 of his own, including a late triple that gave the Hornets a three-point lead.

Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate, for good measure, added 17 and 10 points, respectively, to fuel the charge for the buzzing Hornets.

The post Hornets’ LaMelo Ball joins historic Luka Doncic club amid Mavericks game appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Here’s everything we know about Miller’s injury and his playing status against the Mavericks. Tip-off is set for Jan. 29 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)*

Brandon Miller’s injury status vs. Mavericks

Given LeBron James is probable on the injury report, the assumption is he will be suiting up against the Mavericks. He would be the only player on the report to be active if he takes part in the matchup.

Miller is going through the third season of his NBA career with the Hornets. After an injury-riddled sophomore campaign, the young forward has made significant strides in helping the team win games.

Miller has been active for the last 11 games and 25 of the last 26 contests. His presence in the starting lineup has helped Charlotte improve in the win column, rolling with four consecutive wins. He is averaging 20.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game throughout 31 appearances this season. He is shooting 43.6% from the field, including 37.6% from beyond the arc, and 86.3% from the free-throw line.

However, he landed on the latest injury report for Charlotte’s matchup against Dallas. He is probable despite dealing with pain in the left ankle.

So, when it comes to the question of if Brandon Miller is playing tonight against the Mavericks, the answer is probably.

Hornets injury report

PJ Hall – Out – GLeague-Two-Way

Brandon Miller – Probable – Injury/Illness-Left Ankle; Impingement

Mason Plumlee – Out – Injury/Illness-Right Groin; Surgery

Antonio Reeves – Out – GLeague-Two-Way

KJ Simpson – Out – GLeague-Two-Way

Grant Williams – Out – Injury/Illness-Right Knee; Injury Management

Mavericks injury report

Moussa Cisse – Questionable – GLeague-Two-Way

Anthony Davis – Out – Injury/Illness-Left Finger; Sprain

Dante Exum – Out – Injury/Illness-Right Knee; Surgery

Kyrie Irving – Out – Injury/Illness-Left Knee; Surgery

Miles Kelly – Questionable – GLeague-Two-Way

Dereck Lively II – Out – Injury/Illness-Right Foot; Surgery

Naji Marshall – Out – Rest

Ryan Nembhard – Probable – GLeague-Two-Way

Klay Thompon – Probable – Injury/Illness-Left Knee; Soreness

Brandon Williams – Questionable – Injury/Illness-Right Ankle; Sprain

The post Is Brandon Miller playing tonight? Hornets vs. Mavericks injury report appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Barkley is adamant that the Hornets will make the 2026 NBA Playoffs, as he noted on Inside the NBA.

“Change it, the Hornets are gonna be in the playoffs,” Barkley said via per r/CharlotteHornets on X, formerly Twitter. Previously, he had Charlotte as a lock for the play-in tournament.

Charles Barkley: "Change it… the Hornets are gonna be in the PLAYOFFS!" https://t.co/YWsmZPMbDK pic.twitter.com/RxDR0qXwJ3

— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) January 29, 2026

With their record, Charlotte is ranked 11th in the Eastern Conference, trailing the Atlanta Hawks (23-25) and the Chicago Bulls (23-23). The coveted 10th spot is necessary to qualify for the play-in tournament.

In addition to Ball, Charlotte has a considerable number of assets working in its favor. Brandon Miller is having a standout year, averaging 20.5 points per game. Ball is averaging 19.1 points and 7.6 assists per game.

Additionally, Charlotte has a stellar rookie in Kon Knueppel, who was recently selected to the NBA Rising Stars game during All-Star weekend. He is averaging 18.8 points per game. Also, veteran guard Collin Sexton is averaging 13.7 points per game and shooting nearly 40% from the 3-point line.

Overall, Charlotte is emerging as an effective, defensive-minded team, especially by limiting opponents’ 3-point attempts.

Furthermore, they have the 10th-best defense in the league since Nov. 28, per Jason Jones of The Athletic. Prior to Monday, Charlotte was ranked third in offensive efficiency at 118.2 points per 100 possessions.

If their young developing core holds strong, Charlotte could be in the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

The post Charles Barkley bullish on 2026 Charlotte playoff berth appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Both Flagg and Knueppel went in as the top two draft picks, per the NBA. Flagg was the No. 1 pick chosen by head coach Carmelo Anthony, whereas Knueppel was the No. 2 pick by Tracy McGrady.

Team T-Mac selects Kon Knueppel with the 2nd pick in the Castrol Rising Stars Draft! https://t.co/2FgfQaWCcv pic.twitter.com/Kctu21Pq03

— NBA (@NBA) January 28, 2026

In addition to Anthony and McGrady, Vince Carter is also serving as an honorary coach for the Rising Stars game.

Both Flagg and Knueppel were standout talents at Duke. Flagg played for one season from 2024 to 2025. Altogether, he averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Flagg won the AP National Player of the Year award, as well as leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four.

Afterward, Flagg was the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. This year, he is averaging 18.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Both are the top leading rookie scorers in the league.

Meanwhile, Knueppel also played one season at Duke alongside Flagg. He earned a spot on the ACC All-Rookie Team and was named the ACC Tournament MVP. Following his college season, he was selected as the 4th pick in the NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets.

Presently, Knueppel is averaging 18.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. The Mavericks are 19-27, whereas the Hornets are 19-28.

As of 2025, 116 Duke players had played in the NBA. Among those players are Grant Hill, Shane Battier, Chris Duhon, Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, Zion Williamson, and countless others.

The NBA All-Star Weekend is scheduled for Feb.13 to Feb. 15 in Los Angeles.

The post Former Duke players Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel go 1-2 in NBA Rising Stars Draft appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Check our Sneakers news for more upcoming releases and breaking content!

LaMelo Ball first signed to PUMA Basketball in 2020 prior to his first NBA season where earned ‘Rookie of the Year’ honors. The multi-year endorsement deal was reported around $100 million and included the promise of a signature sneaker line to promote the “blockbuster” talent of Ball.

Six years later and the LaMelo Ball x Puma line has grown to five signature name-bearing sneakers, the most recent PUMA MB.05 released in August 2025. Ball has also grown his own subset LaFrance lifestyle line, featuring a number of non-basketball sneaker silhouettes and apparel.

Partnering with the likes of “Rick and Morty” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” PUMA and LaMelo Ball are prepared to release another multi-shoe collection in collaboration with the popular move franchise “Fast & Furious.”

LaMelo Ball x PUMA x Fast & Furious

Get ready to hit the gas.

PUMA x Fast & Furious coming soon. pic.twitter.com/3s2zG3CGSA

— PUMA Basketball (@PUMAHoops) January 26, 2026

LaMelo Ball and PUMA unveil its upcoming collaboration with Fast & Furious dropping February 12 pic.twitter.com/dpqBBL9dJx

— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) January 26, 2026

The four-shoe collection will include two colorways of LaMelo’s signature PUMA MB.05, along with two editions of the LaFrance and LaFrance RNR silhouettes. The colorways, appearing in orange, pink, blue, and black, are all inspired by the paint jobs of the cars featured throughout the franchise. The collection will release simultaneously with the MB.05 models priced at $135 with both LaFrance models retailing around $115.

The sneakers are expected to release February 11, 2026 during NBA All-Star Weekend. The release will also celebrate 25 years of the “Fast & Furious” franchise tying themselves to a generational player in the process.

PUMA Basketball will also be hosting an immersive pop-up experience at All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles where fans will have a chance to purchase the Fast & Furious collection during its initial drop. In-person quantities should be limited, but expect a wider release through PUMA and select PUMA retailers.

The post LaMelo Ball’s new ‘Fast & Furious’ PUMA collection releasing All-Star Weekend appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Flagg and Knueppel are very close and familiar with one another after making it all the way to the 2025 Final Four at Duke. These two former Blue Devils have simply added to the lineage of high-level talents to enter the NBA, and each has made a very compelling case for this season’s Rookie of the Year award past the halfway point in the 2025-26 season.

As a result of Kyrie Irving rehabbing his ACL injury and Anthony Davis constantly dealing with injuries, Flagg has been the focal point of the Mavs’ offense. Not only does the recent first-overall pick lead all rookies in scoring this season, but he’s proven that he can be Dallas’ leading scorer, looking ahead to the future of the franchise.

Although expectations weren’t high for Knueppel and the Charlotte Hornets, the team has been on a heater as of late due to the rookie’s contributions. Unlike Flagg, who has a clear pathway to getting any shot attempts he wants as the top option for the Mavs, Knueppel is playing alongside LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Miles Bridges.

Originally, it was expected that Knueppel would be the fourth option on this team and gradually grow into a reliable offensive weapon. Well, Knueppel has arguably been Charlotte’s best player this year, and he trails only Stephen Curry and Donovan Mitchell for the most made threes this season.

This is a very close race right now between Flagg and Knueppel. After leading Flagg in the previous NBA rookie rankings on ClutchPoints, Knueppel continues to hold a small lead over his former collegiate teammate, inching closer to the All-Star break.

1. Kon Knueppel – Charlotte Hornets

Previous Ranking: #1

Stats: 46 games, 18.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 48.2 FG%, 42.2 3P%

While many will tend to back Flagg as this season’s Rookie of the Year, Knueppel certainly has a leg up on him right now in this race. Aside from essentially being tied in scoring with Flagg, Knueppel’s 3-point shooting abilities and the Hornets’ overall growth as a team are the two main reasons why he leads the Mavs’ rookie right now in these rankings.

As far as his 3-point shooting goes, Knueppel has made 151 total threes through 46 games. Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray holds the rookie record with 206 made threes during the 2022-23 season, and Knueppel is certainly on pace to set a new mark. Should the Hornets’ rookie accomplish this, he will certainly have yet another milestone to compare against Flagg in the race for the end-of-season award.

Knueppel has clearly impacted winning in Charlotte more than Flagg has in Dallas, which is why he finds himself holding onto the No. 1 spot in these rookie rankings.

2. Cooper Flagg – Dallas Mavericks

Previous Ranking: #2

Stats: 43 games, 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.3 steals, 47.3 FG%, 28.0 3P%

Although he is already viewed as the heavy favorite for Rookie of the Year, Flagg’s namesake seems to be carrying a lot of the weight in his Rookie of the Year resume. There is no doubt that Flagg has lived up to the hype and certainly has All-Star potential, but what has he done to separate himself from Knueppel other than a 42-point performance on Dec. 15, a game the Mavs lost 140-133 in OT to the Utah Jazz?

One could certainly argue that Flagg’s defensive approach is superior to the rest of the rookie class, which could very well aid him in winning the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year award. However, the numbers don’t lie, and Knueppel’s are slightly better than the first-overall pick’s right now.

After a stellar month of December, averaging over 20 points per game and shooting over 50 percent from the floor, Flagg has slowed down to begin 2026. Through 10 games in January, Flagg is averaging just 16.7 points per game and shooting 43.0 percent from the floor.

3. VJ Edgecombe – Philadelphia 76ers

Previous Ranking: #3

Stats: 41 games, 15.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals, 42.6 FG%, 36.4 3P%

A lot of the reason why VJ Edgecombe has emerged as a key weapon for the Philadelphia 76ers this season is because he’s been thrust into a No. 2 role constantly next to Tyrese Maxey with Joel Embiid and Paul George injured. Edgecombe has made the most of his opportunities, and he’s grown considerably on offense compared to where he was a year ago at Baylor.

The Sixers’ rookie is tied with George for third on the team in scoring this season, and he trails only Maxey for the team lead in perimeter shots. As a result of his production, the 76ers find themselves as a top-six team in the Eastern Conference standings.

4. Derik Queen – New Orleans Pelicans

Previous Ranking: #5

Stats: 47 games, 12.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 48.7 FG%

It did not take long for Derik Queen to take over the starting center role for the New Orleans Pelicans, and he has proven to be an exceptional talent who can do a little bit of everything. Not only is Queen effective as a pick-and-roll big man, but he can also help facilitate an offense from the top of the arc.

Queen currently leads all rookies in double-doubles (10), and he is one of 18 players in the entire league averaging at least seven rebounds and four assists per game.

Although he is not in the same tier as Knueppel, Flagg, and Edgecombe regarding the rookie rankings, Queen has established himself as an All-Rookie First Team performer this season.

5. Cedric Coward – Memphis Grizzlies

Previous Ranking: #4

Stats: 41 games, 13.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 46.6 FG%, 34.4 3P%

Regardless of what happens with the Memphis Grizzlies at the trade deadline, it will only help Cedric Coward. He is an emerging scorer for the Memphis Grizzlies who is comfortable playing with or without the ball in his hands. That is why Coward can be a special player in Memphis, much like Desmond Bane was.

As the season has progressed, Coward has looked a lot more confident shooting from the perimeter, and he has been one of the Grizzlies’ most impactful rebounders on the wing this season. The advanced metrics and plus-minus back Coward being one of the top rookies in the NBA this year.

6. Tre Johnson – Washington Wizards

Previous Ranking: #9

Stats: 37 games, 12.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 44.4 FG%, 39.3 3P%

Since returning from his left hip flexor strain in December, Johnson has been rapidly proving to be a go-to scoring option for the Washington Wizards. He has scored at least 10 points in 17 of his last 19 games, including a career-high 26 points with six made threes on Jan. 24 in a 119-115 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

Johnson is a proven 3-point scorer, and he figures to be a long-term offensive weapon for the Wizards alongside All-Star guard Trae Young.

7. Caleb Love – Portland Trail Blazers

Previous Ranking: Unranked

Stats: 39 games, 11.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 39.3 FG%, 32.8 3P%

One rookie nobody is talking about this year is Portland Trail Blazers guard Caleb Love. With Scoot Henderson and Jrue Holiday sidelined with injuries, Love has been thrust into the rotation for Portland, and he has delivered despite going undrafted and being on a two-way contract.

Over his last 18 games, Love has averaged 15.7 points and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 38.1 percent from 3-point range. He is third behind only Flagg (18.9) and Knueppel (17.6) in scoring during this span.

Love is also sixth among all rookies this season in 20-point games with seven such performances, trailing Knueppel (20), Flagg (19), Edgecombe (11), Jeremiah Fears (9), and Queen (8).

8. Ryan Kalkbrenner – Charlotte Hornets

Previous Ranking: #7

Stats: 35 games, 8.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 77.6 FG%

Along with Knueppel, Ryan Kalkbrenner has also been a bright spot for Charlotte in his rookie season. His 77.6 percent shooting percentage is among the best in the league, and he could finish the year leading the league in field goal percentage should he play in enough games.

The Hornets’ rookie has also proven to be an avid rim-protector, blocking an average of 1.5 shots per game.

9. Egor Demin – Brooklyn Nets

Previous Ranking: #10

Stats: 39 games, 10.2 points, 3.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 39.9 FG%, 39.6 3P%

While Knueppel leads all rookies with 151 made threes, Brooklyn Nets rookie Egor Demin is behind him in second with 95 made triples. Not bad for a prospect many experts claimed couldn’t shoot and wasn’t worth drafting in the lottery!

Demin has been exactly what the Nets had hoped he would be as a first-year player, and as he continues to gain experience, he will emerge as one of Brooklyn’s best players down the road.

10. Collin Murray-Boyles – Toronto Raptors

Previous Ranking: Not Ranked

Stats: 37 games, 7.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 53.6 FG%, 34.9 3P%

As a result of Jakob Poeltl’s nagging back injury, Collin Murray-Boyles has started a lot of games at center for the Toronto Raptors. His defensive instincts and length make him a viable small-ball center option for the Raptors, who rank inside the top five in defensive rating this season.

Murray-Boyles has a lot to do with the Raptors’ successful defensive approach, and that is one of the reasons why he was selected for the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars.

The post NBA Rookie Power Rankings: Kon Knueppel, Cooper Flagg lead with Rising Stars selections appeared first on ClutchPoints.