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Everything to Know About Charlotte Hornets Summer League
Everything to Know About Charlotte Hornets Summer League

Yahoo

time6 days ago

  • Sport
  • Yahoo

Everything to Know About Charlotte Hornets Summer League

Everything to Know About Charlotte Hornets Summer League originally appeared on Athlon Sports. For many on the Charlotte Hornets' 2025 Summer League roster, Las Vegas isn't just another basketball showcase, it's a career-defining audition. With a deep pool of young prospects, roster spots up for grabs, and a center position wide open, the next Hornets breakthrough may very well emerge under the desert lights. Advertisement Kon Knueppel: Can the Shooter Become the Star? Taken with the fourth pick in this year's draft, Kon Knueppel brings a sniper's mindset and high-IQ play to Charlotte. The former Duke standout's 3-point shooting is elite, but Summer League will test more than his stroke. Can he create, defend, and lead? The Hornets are betting on it. With Cooper Flagg sidelined late in the season, Knueppel stepped up as Duke's go-to scorer. Vegas will now reveal if he can command that same presence among pros. Tidjane Salaün: Time to Silence the Doubts Last year's first-round pick showed flashes in 60 games but never quite silenced skeptics. He averaged just 5.9 points and shot 28.3% from three, but improved aggression off the dribble offered glimpses of untapped potential. After missing part of last year's Summer League with injury, Salaün now gets a full opportunity to showcase year-over-year growth. Hornets fans are watching closely, and so is the front office. Advertisement Charlotte Hornets logoJeremy Brevard-Imagn Images Ryan Kalkbrenner: The Steal or the Question Mark? The 7-footer from Creighton may be Charlotte's biggest X-factor this summer. Known for elite rim protection and floor spacing (34.4% from three), Kalkbrenner has already earned praise as one of the 2025 NBA Draft's smartest value picks. With the Hornets' center rotation in flux, this is his shot to lock in a regular-season role. His college résumé speaks volumes, as a four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year, and a player who never fouled out in five seasons, but Summer League will be his first true NBA-level test. More Than a Showcase With assistant coach Chris Jent leading the squad, the Hornets aim to build on last year's 7-1 Summer League run. But beyond the wins, this summer is about building habits, and possibly finding the next diamond in the rough. Advertisement One thing is clear: This Summer League isn't just a developmental checkpoint, it's a proving ground. And for players like Knueppel, Salaün, and Kalkbrenner, every possession could be the one that launches them into Charlotte's rotation, or beyond. The Hornets kick off Summer league action, Friday at 7PM EST versus the Utah Jazz on ESPN. Related: Is Hornets GM Jeff Peterson Loading Up For a Power Move? This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.

Ryan Kalkbrenner: Hornets signed 34th pick to 4-year, $9.97M contract
Ryan Kalkbrenner: Hornets signed 34th pick to 4-year, $9.97M contract

USA Today

time06-07-2025

  • Sport
  • USA Today

Ryan Kalkbrenner: Hornets signed 34th pick to 4-year, $9.97M contract

Charlotte Hornets signed No. 34 pick Ryan Kalkbrenner to a 4-year, $9.97 million contract, league sources told @hoopshype. First two years are $4.7 million guaranteed, the max allowed under the second-round exception. There's a third-year trigger date and fourth-year team option. No. 34 overall pick Ryan Kalkbrenner reportedly signed a four-year, $9.97 million contract with the Charlotte Hornets, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Kalkbrenner was a third-team All-American selection by the AP, averaging 19.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 1.5 assists on 65.3% shooting from the field last season at Creighton. He ranked second in the country in field goals (271) and fourth in blocked shots (93). The 7-footer signed with the Hornets on Thursday via the second-round pick exception. The first two years are guaranteed for $4.7 million on the contract, which includes a non-guaranteed third year and a team option in the fourth season. Kalkbrenner left as one of the most accomplished players in program history after five years with the Bluejays. He is second in several career statistical categories, including points, rebounds and blocks, and was a four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 169 games. The 23-year-old is a part of a crowded draft class for the Hornets, joining Duke guard Kon Knueppel (fourth pick), UConn guard Liam McNeeley (29th pick) and Duke guard Sion James (33rd pick). They are each highly touted and project to be players the team can build around. Kalkbrenner and the group will suit up in the NBA Summer League for at least five games, beginning on Friday against the Chicago Bulls (7 p.m. EDT, ESPN).

College stars go early in second round of NBA draft
College stars go early in second round of NBA draft

GMA Network

time27-06-2025

  • Sport
  • GMA Network

College stars go early in second round of NBA draft

Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; 2025 NBA Draft class poses for a group photo before the first round at Barclays Center. (Photo: Brad Penner-Imagn Images/REUTERS) Former college basketball stars Ryan Kalkbrenner and Johni Broome went among the first five picks of the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft on Thursday night. Kalkbrenner, the 7-foot-1 center who won four straight Big East Defensive Player of the Year awards at Creighton, was the fourth pick of the night at No. 34 overall by the Charlotte Hornets. Charlotte also picked Duke forward Sion James one selection earlier. Broome, a consensus first-team All-American at Auburn who was The Sporting News' National Player of the Year, was picked No. 35 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers. A 6-foot-9 forward, Broome averaged 18.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.1 blocks per game for the Tigers in his final year of college basketball. Kalkbrenner, meanwhile, put up 19.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per contest in his fifth and final year at Creighton. The night began with a trade, as the Minnesota Timberwolves dealt the 31st overall pick to the Phoenix Suns for the 36th pick and two future second-rounders, ESPN reported. Phoenix used the opening pick of the second round on Saint Joseph's forward Rasheer Fleming. The 36th pick reportedly changed hands from Minnesota to the Brooklyn Nets to the Los Angeles Lakers, who chose Arkansas big man Adou Thiero. Will Richard, a starting guard for national champion Florida, went to the Golden State Warriors with the 56th pick (via a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies). NBA draft second-round results, with draft-day trades included -- No. 1 (31 overall): Phoenix Suns (from Minnesota), F Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph's 2 (32): Orlando Magic (from Boston), F Noah Penda, France 3 (33): Charlotte Hornets, F Sion James, Duke 4 (34): Charlotte Hornets, C Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton 5 (35): Philadelphia 76ers, F/C Johni Broome, Auburn 6 (36): Los Angeles Lakers (from Brooklyn), F Adou Thiero, Arkansas 7 (37): Detroit Pistons, G Chaz Lanier, Tennessee 8 (38): Indiana Pacers (from San Antonio), G Kam Jones, Marquette 9 (39): Toronto Raptors, G Alijah Martin, Florida 10 (40): New Orleans Pelicans (from Washington), G Micah Peavy, Georgetown 11 (41): Phoenix Suns (via Golden State), G Koby Brea, Kentucky 12 (42): Sacramento Kings, C Maxime Raynaud, Stanford 13 (43): Washington Wizards (from Utah), G Jamir Watkins, Florida State 14 (44): Oklahoma City Thunder, F Brooks Barnhizer, Northwestern 15 (45): Minnesota Timberwolves (from Chicago via Phoenix), C Rocco Zikarsky, Australia 16 (46): Boston Celtics (from Orlando), C Amari Williams, Kentucky 17 (47): Milwaukee Bucks, F Bogoljub Markovic, Serbia 18 (48): Memphis Grizzlies, G Javon Small, West Virginia 19 (49): Cleveland Cavaliers, G Tyrese Proctor, Duke 20 (50): Los Angeles Clippers (from New York), G Kobe Sanders, Nevada 21 (51): New York Knicks (from Los Angeles Clippers), F Mohamed Diawara, France 22 (52): Golden State Warriors (from Phoenix), F Alex Toohey, Australia 23 (53): Utah Jazz, F John Tonje, Wisconsin 24 (54): Indiana Pacers, G Taelon Peter, Liberty 25 (55): Chicago Bulls (from Los Angeles Lakers), F Lachlan Ulbrich, Australia 26 (56): Golden State Warriors (from Memphis), G Will Richard, Florida 27 (57): Boston Celtics (from Orlando), G Max Shulga, VCU 28 (58): Cleveland Cavaliers, G Saliou Niang, Senegal 29 (59): Houston Rockets, G Jahmai Mashack, Tennessee --Field Level Media/Reuters

College stars go early in second round of NBA draft
College stars go early in second round of NBA draft

Miami Herald

time27-06-2025

  • Sport
  • Miami Herald

College stars go early in second round of NBA draft

Former college basketball stars Ryan Kalkbrenner and Johni Broome went among the first five picks of the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft on Thursday night. Kalkbrenner, the 7-foot-1 center who won four straight Big East Defensive Player of the Year awards at Creighton, was the fourth pick of the night at No. 34 overall by the Charlotte Hornets. Charlotte also picked Duke forward Sion James one selection earlier. Broome, a consensus first-team All-American at Auburn who was The Sporting News' National Player of the Year, was picked No. 35 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers. A 6-foot-9 forward, Broome averaged 18.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.1 blocks per game for the Tigers in his final year of college basketball. Kalkbrenner, meanwhile, put up 19.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per contest in his fifth and final year at Creighton. The night began with a trade, as the Minnesota Timberwolves dealt the 31st overall pick to the Phoenix Suns for the 36th pick and two future second-rounders, ESPN reported. Phoenix used the opening pick of the second round on Saint Joseph's forward Rasheer Fleming. The 36th pick reportedly changed hands from Minnesota to the Brooklyn Nets to the Los Angeles Lakers, who chose Arkansas big man Adou Thiero. NBA draft second-round results, with draft-day trades included -- No. 1 (31 overall): Phoenix Suns (from Minnesota), F Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph's 2 (32): Orlando Magic (from Boston), F Noah Penda, France 3 (33): Charlotte Hornets, F Sion James, Duke 4 (34): Charlotte Hornets, C Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton 5 (35): Philadelphia 76ers, F/C Johni Broome, Auburn 6 (36): Los Angeles Lakers (from Brooklyn), F Adou Thiero, Arkansas 7 (37): Detroit Pistons, G Chaz Lanier, Tennessee 8 (38): Indiana Pacers (from San Antonio), G Kam Jones, Marquette 9 (39): Toronto Raptors, G Alijah Martin, Florida 10 (40): New Orleans Pelicans (from Washington), G Micah Peavy, Georgetown 11 (41): Phoenix Suns (via Golden State), G Koby Brea, Kentucky 12 (42): Sacramento Kings, C Maxime Raynaud, Stanford 13 (43): Washington Wizards (from Utah), G Jamir Watkins, Florida State 14 (44): Oklahoma City Thunder, F Brooks Barnhizer, Northwestern 15 (45): Minnesota Timberwolves (from Chicago via Phoenix), C Rocco Zikarsky, Australia --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2023 - All Rights Reserved

Kalkbrenner, Broome and the 10 Best Players Available in Round 2 of NBA Draft
Kalkbrenner, Broome and the 10 Best Players Available in Round 2 of NBA Draft

Fox Sports

time26-06-2025

  • Sport
  • Fox Sports

Kalkbrenner, Broome and the 10 Best Players Available in Round 2 of NBA Draft

Round 1 of the 2025 NBA Draft is in the books. There weren't many surprises at the top of the draft, with the Dallas Mavericks taking Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick. But there were some surprises as the night continued. The Utah Jazz took Rutgers wing Ace Bailey with the fifth overall pick. The Portland Trail Blazers drafted Chinese big man Yang Hansen, who some thought might be a second-round pick, at No. 16. Michigan's Danny Wolf and UConn's Liam McNeeley surprisingly fell as well before getting selected in two of the final four picks of the first round. They were the final two undrafted prospects in the green room before Round 1 ended. As Wolf and McNeeley were nabbed right before Wednesday night ended, there are still several notable names on the board when Round 2 begins on Thursday. So, let's take a look at the 10 best players available entering Round 2 of the draft. Adou Thiero, F, Arkansas Thiero, who followed John Calipari from Kentucky to Arkansas this past season, has been touted by draft experts for his explosiveness. That explosiveness helped the 6-foot-6 forward average 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game last season, while often throwing down highlight dunks. He also shot 54.5% from the field, but didn't flash much of a 3-point shot (25.6% on 1.6 attempts per game). Rasheer Fleming, F, St. Joe's Many mock drafts had the St. Joe's product being a late first-round selection. Fleming, who stands at 6-8, was named first-team All-Atlantic-10 this past season as he averaged 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. His 7-5 wingspan should help his rim protection translate to the next level, while he showed promise as a 3-point shooter this past season: 39% on 4.5 attempts per game. Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton Speaking of rim protection, there wasn't a player better for that in the Big East over the last four seasons than Kalkbrenner. The Creighton product won Big East Defensive Player of the Year four years in a row, becoming the first player since Patrick Ewing to accomplish that. The 7-1 center used his length – a 7-6 wingspan – to help him finish top-five in the nation in blocks (2.7 per game in 2024-25) over the last two seasons and top 10 in field goal percentage (65.8%, sixth-best DI mark ever) over the last four years. He also averaged 19.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game last season, helping him earn an All-American third-team spot. Maxime Raynaud, C, Stanford Raynaud is also a pretty lanky center, standing a smidge over 7 feet tall with a 7-1 wingspan. But his game is a bit different than Kalkbrenner's. The Stanford product flashed some more overall offensive ability this past season, scoring 20.2 points per game as he shot 46.7% from the field and 34.7% from deep (5.5 3-point attempts per game). Even though Raynaud averaged just 1.7 assists per game, draft experts have lauded his passing ability. Noah Penda, G/F, France The French wing was listed as a first-round prospect in a handful of mock drafts prior to Wednesday. His stats don't pop like some other draft prospects, averaging 10.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting 44% from the field and 30.4% from distance with his French team, Le Mans. But the 6-6 Penda has been lauded for his defensive ability by draft analysts, averaging 1.4 steals per game as he has a 6-11 wingspan. Tyrese Proctor, G, Duke Even with Duke having three players selected in the top 10 on Wednesday, it stands to have at least one more player drafted in Round 2. Proctor, a 6-4 junior, provided the veteran presence on a pretty young Duke team that reached the Final Four. His growth as a shooter over the last few years has also helped him become one of the best 3-point shooters in this year's draft class, making 40.5% of his attempts from deep last season. He also averaged 12.4 points and 2.2 assists per game. Chaz Lanier, G, Tennessee Continuing the theme of elite 3-point shooting, Lanier was one of the best shooters from deep over the last two seasons. Before transferring to Tennessee last season, Lanier 44% from deep at North Florida in 2023-24 and finished 19th in the nation in 3-point makes (106). He was arguably the best 3-point shooter in the SEC last season, making 39.5% of his attempts from deep while shooting 8.5 3-pointers per game. The 6-3 guard also led the SEC in 3-point makes (123) as he averaged 18 points per game. Koby Brea, G/F, Kentucky Closing out the run of top-end 3-point shooters, Brea was arguably the nation's best 3-point shooter over the last two seasons. The 6-5 wing led the nation in 3-point percentage (.498) when he was at Dayton in 2023-24 before leading the SEC in 3-point percentage last season (.435). His elite 3-point shooting has, seemingly, helped him become a likely draft pick as he averaged 11.6 points per game last season and was mostly a bench player in his five-year college career. John Tonje, G/F, Wisconsin Tonge was one of the top scorers in the Big Ten last season after transferring to Wisconsin from Missouri. He scored 19.6 points per game (fourth in the Big Ten) on .465/.388/.909 shooting splits, while adding 5.3 rebounds per game. Those marks helped the 6-4 Tonje be named a second-team All-American, and he memorably had a 41-point performance in Wisconsin's Round of 32 loss to BYU in the NCAA Tournament. Johni Broome, F/C, Auburn If it weren't for Cooper Flagg, Broome likely would've been the consensus national player of the year this past season. The Auburn star became a revelation after transferring in from Morehead State in 2022, being named to an All-American team in each of the past two seasons. The 6-9 big scored 18.6 points per game, while leading the SEC in rebounds (10.8) and blocks (2.1) per game. His age (he'll be 23 when the season begins) and lack of elite athleticism likely caused him to fall, but Broome's production is too good for him to not be drafted. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

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