Hornets Hit With Synchronized Hamstring Injuries Before Preseason Even Starts

The Charlotte Hornets are already in midseason form, and by that, I mean they are taking simultaneous hamstring injuries before the preseason even tips off.

According to Michael Scotto, Kon Knueppel and Grant Williams both managed to pull hamstrings during offseason on-court activity. Knueppel tweaked his left, Williams tweaked his right, and now both are officially shut down for the entire exhibition slate. The team will not even re-evaluate them until the first week of the regular season.

"Michael Scotto reported the injuries and the timeline for re-evaluation."

Knueppel was supposed to be a major piece of the rotation after putting up 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. Now, the 21-year-old forward is starting his year on the trainer's table instead of the floor, which is a brutal pause for a young guy needing reps.

Then you have Williams, who chipped in 7.0 points and 3.9 boards but has a medical chart that reads like a stunt double's diary. He spent most of early 2026 battling knee issues after coming off a November 2024 ACL tear, so adding a soft-tissue problem to the mix is just exhausting luck for the veteran.

Getting matching hamstring injuries in the offseason is the kind of synchronized bad luck that only happens to a franchise cursed by the basketball gods. If you are looking at Charlotte's win totals or early-season spreads, you now have to factor in a rotation missing two key forwards right out of the gate.

The Hornets will have to patch together their frontcourt for the preseason schedule using whatever depth they have left. We will not know if either guy is actually ready for real basketball until the regular season is already underway, which is exactly the kind of mystery you want to avoid in October.