KJ Simpson News, Rumors, Updates - Charlotte Hornets

Struggles offensively in loss Simpson closed with two points (1-6 FG, 0-2 3Pt), five rebounds, five assists and two steals in 32 minutes during Sunday's 93-86 loss to the Celtics.

Impact Simpson failed to make an impact on the offensive end of the floor in the Hornets' regular-season finale Sunday, scoring two points while missing five of the six shots he attempted. The rookie guard's year ends, averaging 7.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, shooting 34.6 percent from the floor and 25.4 percent from beyond the arc.

APRIL 14 • ROTOWIRE

Memphis F Jaylen Wells expected to miss season after breaking wrist in hard fall

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells is expected to miss the rest of the season after breaking his right wrist and sustaining a concussion and facial laceration against the Charl...

APRIL 11 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ejected from game Tuesday Simpson was assessed with a Flagrant-2 foul and ejected from Tuesday's game versus the Grizzlies with 1:10 remaining in the second quarter after clipping Jaylen Wells mid-air, Sam...

Impact While Simpson's foul appeared to be inadvertent, he caused a potential injury to Wells due to falling to the floor awkwardly. Simpson will finish Tuesday's contest with seven points (3-9 FG, 1-5 3Pt), two rebounds and two assists in 15 minutes.

APRIL 9 • ROTOWIRE

KJ Simpson finds his footing with the Charlotte Hornets As the Charlotte Hornets’ late-season games wind down, one rookie is making a significant impression.

APRIL 7 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM

Season best outing in defeat Simpson contributed 18 points (7-13 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 1-1 FT), three rebounds, seven assists and two steals across 32 minutes during Sunday's 131-117 loss to the Bulls.

Impact Simpson provided a lift to Charlotte on both ends of the floor Sunday, but notably on offense by leading all Hornets in assists while finishing second on the team in scoring. Simpson also shined defensively, swiping a team-high-tying pair of steals. He set a new season high in scoring while posting his fourth outing with seven or more assists.

APRIL 7 • ROTOWIRE

Decent stat line in loss Simpson provided 13 points (6-10 FG, 1-4 3Pt), one rebound, four assists and one steal across 33 minutes during Friday's 125-102 loss to the Kings.

Impact Simpson has claimed the role of starting point guard once LaMelo Ball was shut down for the rest of the season due to wrist and ankle injuries. While his numbers haven't set the world on fire, he's looking competent while handling a more significant responsibility on offense. Simpson has scored in double digits in three of his last five starts, averaging 11.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game. The lack of efficiency could be an issue, though, as he's shooting just 39.3 percent from the floor and 30.8 percent from deep in that span.

APRIL 5 • ROTOWIRE

Across-the-board production Simpson totaled 10 points (4-13 FG, 2-8 3Pt), eight rebounds, six assists, one block and two steals in 32 minutes during Monday's 110-106 victory over Utah.

Impact Simpson started for the third straight game, delivering another intriguing performance. With LaMelo Ball having been ruled out for the season due to ankle and wrist injuries, Simpson appears to have secured the starting role. Over the past three games, he has averaged 11.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 2.0 three-pointers.

APRIL 1 • ROTOWIRE

Can KJ Simpson take advantage of opportunity filling in for Hornets' star LaMelo Ball? Charlotte’s rookie guard made his seventh start of the season in the Hornets’ 98-94 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night.

MARCH 31 • CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM

Alvarado has go-ahead 3-point play in the Pelicans' 98-94 win over the Hornets

Jose Alvarado had a go-ahead three-point play on a reverse layup with 31 seconds left and the New Orleans Pelicans outlasted the Charlotte Hornets 98-94 on Sunday night

MARCH 31 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Starting sans Ball Simpson is in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Raptors.

Impact With LaMelo Ball (ankle/wrist) out for the season, Simpson will draw the start Friday and offer some streaming value. Simpson has averaged 12.4 points, 4.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 31.7 minutes over five games as a starter this season.

MARCH 28 • ROTOWIRE

Hands out eight dimes in spot start Simpson produced 10 points (2-4 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT), one rebound, eight assists and one steal over 33 minutes during Friday's 141-106 loss to the Thunder.

Impact Simpson got the start Friday due to the absence of LaMelo Ball (ankle), and he thrived as a playmaker while ending just one assist away from matching his season-high mark in that department. Simpson has proven he can handle decent minutes if needed, as he's logged 25 or more minutes on 11 different occasions, but his fantasy upside is tied to Ball's availability. If Ball is available for Sunday's matchup against the Heat, Simpson wouldn't have a lot of fantasy appeal across all formats.

MARCH 22 • ROTOWIRE

Starting sans Ball Simpson will start in Friday's game against the Thunder.

Impact The 22-year-old point guard will receive the starting nod due to LaMelo Ball (ankle) being sidelined. Simpson has recorded four starts on the season, averaging 13.0 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals across 31.8 minutes per contest.

MARCH 21 • ROTOWIRE

Former CU Buffs star KJ Simpson riding waves of rookie season in NBA KJ Simpson remembers making the trip down route 36 from Boulder to Denver to watch his friends play in NBA games at Ball Arena.

MARCH 6 • GAZETTE.COM

Who will be LaMelo Ball's backup for the rest of the season? Damion Baugh, Seth Curry, KJ Simpson, and Malachi Flynn are all candidates.

MARCH 2 • SI.COM

Scores 16 points in spot start Simpson registered 16 points (7-18 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 1-1 FT), six rebounds, two assists and two steals across 36 minutes during Tuesday's 128-92 loss to the Warriors.

Impact Simpson drew the start at point guard with LaMelo Ball (ankle), and the rookie responded with his best scoring total of the season. The Colorado product was beginning to see more time before the All-Star break, but Ball's return to action kept him off the floor for five consecutive games. Simpson has only appeared in 22 games, so he is well below his current contract restrictions and should remain with the team until the end of the season.

FEBRUARY 26 • ROTOWIRE

HORNETS at WARRIORS | FULL GAME HIGHLIGHTS | February 25, 2025

FEBRUARY 26 • YOUTUBE

Starting sans Ball Simpson will enter the starting lineup in Tuesday's game against the Warriors.

Impact With LaMelo Ball (ankle) on the shelf, Simpson will draw his third start of the year. The 22-year-old point guard accumulated 25 points, nine assists, four rebounds and two steals across 60 total minutes in his previous two starts.

FEBRUARY 26 • ROTOWIRE

Career-high nine rebounds in loss Simpson supplied nine points (3-12 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 3-3 FT), nine rebounds, four assists and one steal across 30 minutes during Monday's 97-89 loss to the Nets.

Impact Simpson struggled with his shooting in Monday's loss to the Nets, going 3-for-12 from the field and 0-for-4 from deep. However, he racked up a career-high nine rebounds, four assists and one steal, which salvaged what could've been a forgettable performance for the Hornets.

FEBRUARY 11 • ROTOWIRE

Career-high nine rebounds in loss Simpson supplied nine points (3-12 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 3-3 FT), nine rebounds, four assists and one steal across 30 minutes during Monday's 97-89 loss to the Nets.

FEBRUARY 11 • ROTOWIRE

Returning to bench role Simpson is not in the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Nets.

Impact The Hornets won't start Simpson for this matchup since LaMelo Ball (ankle) is ready to roll in the second leg of this back-to-back set. Even though Simpson has scored in double digits in three games in a row, he won't carry a lot of fantasy upside if he's relegated to a second-unit role.

FEBRUARY 11 • ROTOWIRE

Returning to bench role Simpson is not in the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Nets.

FEBRUARY 11 • ROTOWIRE

Balanced outing in starting lineup Simpson had 10 points (3-7 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 2-3 FT), four rebounds, six assists and one steal in 32 minutes during Sunday's 112-102 loss to the Pistons.

Impact Simpson entered the starting lineup Sunday due to injuries with a few Hornets players, putting forth a balanced performance including handing out a team-high assist mark in a losing effort. Simpson reached double figures in scoring for the forth time this season, including in three straight outings.

FEBRUARY 10 • ROTOWIRE

Back in starting lineup Simpson will start Sunday's game against the Pistons.

Impact With LaMelo Ball (ankle) and Nick Smith (back) both sitting out the first game of a back-to-back set, Simpson and Seth Curry slide into the starting lineup. Simpson started against the Bucks on Wednesday and posted 15 points (6-12 FG, 3-6 3Pt), three assists, one rebound and one steal over 28 minutes during the Hornets' 112-102 loss

FEBRUARY 9 • ROTOWIRE

Retreats to bench Simpson isn't in the starting five for Friday's game versus the Spurs.

Impact LaMelo Ball will reclaim his starting spot from Simpson after missing Charlotte's previous contest due to an ankle injury. Simpson is averaging 6.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19.3 minutes across his previous 10 appearances coming off the bench.

FEBRUARY 7 • ROTOWIRE

Scores 15 points in first start Simpson tallied 15 points (6-12 FG, 3-6 3Pt), three assists, one rebound and one steal over 28 minutes during the Hornets' 112-102 loss to the Bucks.

Impact Simpson got the first start of his NBA career Wednesday due to Vasilije Micic being ruled out with an ankle injury. Simpson took advantage of the opportunity, connecting on three threes for the first time this season while finishing tied with Miles Bridges as the Hornets' second-leading scorer behind Nick Smith (22). Simpson could start against the Spurs on Friday if Micic is not cleared to play.

FEBRUARY 6 • ROTOWIRE

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Memphis F Jaylen Wells expected to miss season after breaking wrist in hard fall

Alvarado has go-ahead 3-point play in the Pelicans' 98-94 win over the Hornets