Charlotte Hornets — Orlando Magic

Knueppel's status for Opening Night remains uncertain as he continues to work his way back from his left hamstring injury. Peterson's comments suggest the Hornets aren't ready to rule out the second-year wing, though his availability will likely become clearer as training camp progresses. He has already been ruled out for the entire preseason, to be clear.

Williams will be re-evaluated the first week of the regular season, putting his status for Opening Night in the air. Williams will have a difficult path to minutes this season as he competes with the likes of Naz Reid, Royce O'Neale and Tidjane Salaun.

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Black is being held out of practices as a precaution, and it remains to be seen if this will impact Black's availability for the start of preseason. At this point, it's hard to imagine this minor setback jeopardizing his status for Opening Night.

Isaac suffered his left knee sprain late in the 2025-26 regular season and missed Orlando's entire first-round playoff series against Detroit. The veteran forward said he spent the summer rehabbing his knee and isn't fully ready for camp, though he indicated that the expectation is for him to be fine. His activity level will be worth monitoring as the preseason approaches.

There aren't many details yet, but it sounds like a minor issue that the Magic will handle carefully. It's unclear if this will linger into the preseason. Orlando's first exhibition is scheduled for Oct. 7.

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