Where will the Hornets pick in the 2026 NBA Draft? Charlotte learns lottery fate
Kon Knueppel’s presence couldn’t spur the Charlotte Hornets to any historical luck.
Armed with a mere 0.5% chance to secure the top overall pick, the Hornets finished 14th in the NBA Draft Lottery proceedings at the Navy Pier in Chicago on Sunday afternoon.
Charlotte wound up slotted exactly where the odds predicted. The Hornets held a 97.6% chance to fall into the No. 14 position heading into the league’s annual draft June 23-24 at Barclays Center in New York.
Washington, which was one of three teams with a 14% chance to win the lottery, emerged with the No. 1 overall pick. Utah, Memphis and Chicago rounded out the top four.
“No surprise,” Knueppel said. “I feel like the odds were pretty tough. I did like 50 simulations on the car ride down from Milwaukee and couldn’t move up in any of them. Cool to get out there and experience it and meet some cool people.”
Seeking to win its first lottery win since 1991, when the Hornets grabbed Larry Johnson, the ability to choose the best prospect in the draft class remains elusive for Charlotte. The Hornets have come close on three occasions in the past half-decade, grabbing Knueppel fourth a year ago, selecting LaMelo Ball at No. 3 in 2020 and Brandon Miller second behind Victor Wembanyama in 2023.
Still, although they didn’t collect the No. 1 pick, the Hornets have a solid opportunity to control the middle of the draft.
Besides their own lottery pick at No. 14, the Hornets also own the No. 18 overall selection via the Phoenix Suns, thanks to the Jusuf Nurkic trade to Charlotte in February 2025.
The Hornets don’t own a second-round pick, in part because they sent a 2026 second-rounder to the Miami Heat to resolve a dispute regarding the Terry Rozier trade. That compensation was agreed to by both parties due to the ongoing federal probe into Rozier’s gambling during a game while he played for Charlotte.
Charlotte’s selection (No. 45) was originally traded to the New York Knicks in 2021 in exchange for the draft rights to Kai Jones, and is now owned by the Sacramento Kings.
Having two first-round selections in 2026 could be a boon for the Hornets.
Experts suggest this crop of players makes it among the deepest drafts in decades. The No. 1 overall selection could be Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, or Brigham Young’s AJ Dybantsa.
Plenty of future rotational players should be available when the Hornets are on the clock, giving president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson and his staff a bevy of options to choose from.
“Just bring in another stud that can help us,” Knueppel said, “and a guy that is willing to compete, get some more wins for us this year.”
This story was originally published May 10, 2026 at 3:45 PM.
