Dell Curry’s Bold Take on Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel

Dell Curry addresses the crowd during the ceremony to retire his Charlotte Hornets jersey during halftime of the game against the Orlando Magic at Spectrum Center. | Source: Lastwordonsports.com - Daniel Benjamin, EditorDell Curry’s bold take on Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel is about as credible a scouting report as Charlotte fans will find. The Hornets’ legend and team broadcaster joined The Kyle Bailey Show this week to preview the 2026-27 season, and he didn’t hold back on either of his team’s young cornerstones.

🎙️ Dell Curry on staying in the Hornets booth: “I want to be here until I can’t. And I think Eric (Collins) feels the same way. We have fun doing it, calling games, hanging out. There’s only 30 chairs that get to do that, and we want to make sure ours is filled.” https://t.co/OBs9h5LpFppic.twitter.com/VTRaIDu4Ye

>— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) September 25, 2026

>Charlotte enters this season without LaMelo Ball for the first time in years, and Curry’s comments make clear the Hornets are leaning on Miller and Knueppel to fill that void in very different ways.

Dell Curry’s Bold Take on Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, In FullOn Brandon Miller: An All-Star Season Is In Play“Healthy Brandon Miller can be tough to stop,” Curry said. “He can really create his own shot. He’s gonna have to do that a little bit more now without LaMelo at the point, but he’s capable of doing that. If he stays healthy, I expect an All-Star type season for Brandon.”

>That health qualifier isn’t small talk. Miller played through a shoulder subluxation for most of last season before undergoing shoulder surgery in the offseason, and Charlotte is reportedly being patient with his contract extension, in part to see how his body holds up over a full, healthy year.

>Curry isn’t the first person to bring up the All-Star possibility, either; it’s become a real talking point around the team as Charlotte chases its first All-Star selection since Ball achieved it in 2022.

>With Ball gone to Minnesota, Miller is no longer sharing shot creation with a ball-dominant guard, which cuts both ways: more opportunity, but also more defensive attention aimed squarely at him.

On Kon Knueppel: A Leadership Role Nobody Expected This FastCharlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) shoots the ball against the Boston Celtics in the second half at TD Garden. Photo Credit: David Butler II, Imagn Images via Reuters ConnectCurry’s comments on Knueppel were arguably the more surprising of the two. “Don’t be shocked when I say this, but leadership,” Curry said, asked about Knueppel’s next step. “Not a lot of teams will ask a second-year guy to take on a more vocal leadership role. He earned it last year… he’s one of the most mature rookies that I’ve seen come through the NBA… he doesn’t say a lot, but when he does, people listen.”

>It’s a notable jump for a player who arrived at Duke as a high-floor, low-ceiling shooting prospect, not someone pegged as a vocal locker-room presence. Knueppel answered that with a historic rookie year, breaking the NBA’s rookie three-point record and earning All-Rookie First Team honors. The Hornets are clearly banking on that same maturity translating into year two now that defenses will scheme specifically to take away his catch-and-shoot looks.

The Last WordComing from anyone else, these might read as standard training-camp optimism. Coming from Curry, who has been around this franchise for decades, these comments carry more weight. He’s not just a broadcaster reading a script; he’s watched this team up close through every rebuild since becoming the Hornets’ full-time color analyst in 2009, and he’s rarely been shy about calling out struggles when he’s seen them.

>If he’s willing to put an All-Star projection on Miller and hand Knueppel a leadership label this early, that’s a real signal of how highly he views these two, not just a fun soundbite for a radio hit.

>Both predictions will get tested fast once real games start, but they give Charlotte fans two concrete things to watch for as the season opens.

>Do you buy Curry’s All-Star prediction for Miller, or is that projection too bold this early? Drop your take in the comments.

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>Photo Credit: Brian Westerholt, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect