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Bill Simmons boldly guarantees Hornets' Kon Knueppel will make Team USA in 2028
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- Bill Simmons boldly guarantees Hornets' Kon Knueppel will make Team USA in 2028
Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel was chosen by Bill Simmons to make the 12-man roster for USA Basketball in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California.
In fact, Simmons guaranteed Knueppel would make it.
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Team USA is set to compete for its sixth consecutive gold medal in men's basketball after defeating France last year in Paris. The team is expected to have plenty of players to choose from when compiling the roster, with several holdovers likely in the mix in 2028.
Simmons joined Zach Lowe on his podcast to project the players that managing director Grant Hill could ultimately pick for 2028, and included Knueppel in his group. He believes Knueppel is a perfect fit for the program as a player who can impact winning when called upon.
I'm guaranteeing he will be one of the 12 guys in 2028. He is perfect for international basketball. (He) can play multiple positions, can switch on defense, knows where to go and what to do, like very Derrick Whiteish. Just knows how to fit in with other guys and can shoot. I'm just betting on in three years it will make complete sense that he is on the team. He just checks so many boxes for the international thing. He won't care if he plays that much. He'll be ready if you need him. He has insurance at the swing spots. He can rebound.
The players from 2024 who could return are Bam Adebayo , Devin Booker , Anthony Edwards , Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum . Paolo Banchero , Cade Cunningham , Cooper Flagg , Chet Holmgren , Evan Mobley , Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Williams are the favorites to join them.
With several established players in contention, and others on the radar, Knueppel appears to be a long shot to make the 12-man roster in 2028. Of course, player availability and other factors could impact his chances, but it would appear Simmons' guarantee may fall short.
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Knueppel was the fourth pick in the 2025 NBA draft by the Hornets after helping Duke to the Final Four. He enters the 2025-26 season sixth in Rookie of the Year odds and is projected to be a starter for the Hornets after a strong showing in summer league.
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Hornets news: Bill Simmons gives prediction about Kon Knueppel in 2028
