Kalkbrenner (elbow) will be sidelined for Friday's game against the Magic.
Friday will mark a third straight absence for the rookie center. With Mason Plumlee (groin) out as well, Moussa Diabate should continue to start and see an expanded role.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Questionable against Washington
Rotowire
Kalkbrenner is questionable for Tuesday's game against the Wizards with a sprained left elbow.
The rookie big man could be out for consecutive outings with the injury. Mason Plumlee (groin) has already been ruled out, which could force the Hornets to rely heavily upon Moussa Diabate at center.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Quiet in loss
Rotowire
Kalkbrenner finished with four points (2-3 FG), seven rebounds, two assists and one block in 24 minutes during Saturday's 112-86 loss to the Pistons.
Kalkbrenner scored fewer than five points for the fourth time in 26 games this season, and he failed to log multiple blocks for a second straight outing. The rookie center has slowed up slightly after a strong start to the campaign, averaging 7.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks over his last 11 appearances.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Available vs. Toronto
Rotowire
Kalkbrenner (ankle) is available and starting Friday's game against the Raptors.
Kalkbrenner will shed his questionable tag after sustaining a left ankle contusion in Wednesday's loss to the Knicks. Over his last five appearances (four starts), the rookie big man has averaged 7.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks across 26.2 minutes per game.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Dealing with ankle contusion
Rotowire
Kalkbrenner is questionable for Friday's game against the Raptors with a left ankle contusion.
Head coach Charles Lee said Kalkbrenner sprained his left ankle after Wednesday's 119-104 loss to the Knicks, so the fact that the rookie big man is tending to a contusion instead is an encouraging sign. If Kalkbrenner has to sit out, Moussa Diabate and Mason Plumlee would be in line to split the center minutes.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Sprains ankle in loss
Rotowire
Hornets coach Charles Lee said Kalkbrenner sprained his left ankle during Wednesday's 119-104 loss to the Knicks.
Kalkbrenner tweaked his left ankle in the fourth quarter and didn't return to the game, finishing with eight points (2-4 FG, 4-4 FT), nine rebounds and three blocks in 25 minutes. He came off the bench for the first time this season behind Moussa Diabate but fared much better than Diabate did. Lee did not provide an update on the severity of Kalkbrenner's sprain, leaving his status in the air for Friday's game against Toronto.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Downgraded to doubtful
Rotowire
Kalkbrenner (ankle) has been downgraded to doubtful for Sunday's game against the Hawks.
After exiting Saturday's loss to the Clippers in the second quarter due to a sprained left ankle, Kalkbrenner is expected to miss the second leg of the team's back-to-back set. If the rookie big man is ultimately ruled out, Moussa Diabate and Mason Plumlee are likely to see increased playing time.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Won't return Saturday
Rotowire
Kalkbrenner (ankle) has been ruled out for the remainder of Saturday's game against the Clippers.
The Hornets are referring to Kalkbrenner's ankle issue as soreness, which should be taken as a good sign. However, the rookie center can be considered highly questionable for the second half of Charlotte's back-to-back set in Atlanta on Sunday. In Kalkbrenner's absence, Moussa Diabate should see increased usage. Kalkbrenner notched two points, two rebounds and one assist in 11 minutes before leaving the contest in the second quarter.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Headed to locker room
Rotowire
Kalkbrenner is headed to the locker room after appearing to tweak his ankle during Saturday's game against the Clippers, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
The Hornets have yet to release an update on Kalkbrenner's status, but he can be considered questionable to return. While he's unavailable, Moussa Diabate should see increased usage. Kalkbrenner notched two points, two rebounds and one assist in 11 minutes before leaving the contest in the second quarter.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Out for personal reasons
Rotowire
Kalkbrenner (personal) is out for Friday's game against the Bucks.
Kalkbrenner won't be available for the first time this season Friday. The rookie second-rounder has a short turnaround if he wants to rejoin the team for Saturday's showdown with the Thunder. Moussa Diabate stands out as the most likely option to replace Kalkbrenner in the starting group against Milwaukee, with Mason Plumlee also in position to pick up additional minutes.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Enjoys perfect shooting night
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Kalkbrenner totaled 17 points (8-8 FG, 1-1 FT), nine rebounds, three blocks and one steal over 27 minutes during Wednesday's 111-100 victory over the Bucks.
Kalkbrenner made the most of every offensive opportunity in this one, failing to miss a single shot on the night. He made an impact on the glass as well, falling just one rebound shy of his third double-double on the season. Kalkbrenner has been a steady contributor in the scoring and rebounding categories lately, averaging 11.5 points on 87.0 percent shooting from the field and 7.3 rebounds in 25.8 minutes over his last four games.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Good to go
Rotowire
Kalkbrenner (personal) is available for Wednesday's game against Milwaukee.
Kalkbrenner was previously listed as questionable due to personal reasons, but the rookie center will suit up and play Wednesday. He's logged four blocks in four of his past five games, and he's averaging 7.4 points and 6.0 rebounds during that stretch.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Double-double with four blocks
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Kalkbrenner racked up 10 points (4-4 FG, 2-2 FT), 11 rebounds, two assists, four blocks and one steal in 30 minutes during Tuesday's 116-112 loss to the Pelicans.
Kalkbrenner recorded the second double-double of his young career, adding four blocks for the third straight game. Despite some early-season conjecture surrounding Kalkbrenner's role, he has quickly established himself as the starting center in Charlotte. Through eight games, he is averaging 9.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 2.4 blocks, good enough for top 50 value in standard leagues.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Tallies three steals
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Kalkbrenner posted 10 points (5-5 FT), six rebounds, three steals and one block in 31 minutes during Tuesday's 144-117 loss to the Heat.
Kalkbrenner went a perfect 5-for-5 from the field on the way to his third double-digit scoring performance of his young NBA career. It was a promising sign to see the rookie bounce back after he was held to four points Sunday against Washington. Kalkbrenner was also productive on the defensive end by racking up a season-high three steals, clearly playing at a level above Moussa Diabate, who has been hot on his heels for the starting center spot.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Goes for 14 and 7 in loss to Philly
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Kalkbrenner finished Saturday's 125-121 loss to the 76ers with 14 points (7-7 FG), seven rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal across 26 minutes.
Over two games thus far, Kalkbrenner has missed only one field-goal attempt (12-13 FG) in his 53 combined minutes. The rookie out of Creighton has been the starter in each of those contests, and he'll look to keep up his solid start to the 2025-26 season against the Wizards on Sunday night in D.C.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Double-double in debut
Rotowire
Kalkbrenner supplied 10 points (5-6 FG), 11 rebounds, two blocks and one assist in 27 minutes during Wednesday's 136-117 win over Brooklyn.
Kalkbrenner earned the start in his regular-season debut Wednesday and made the most of it, recording his first career double-double in a solid showing. The 2025 second-round pick was a dominant defensive and interior presence during his time at Creighton, so his early impact at the NBA level isn't overly surprising despite his draft position. Notably, Kalkbrenner logged six more minutes than fellow center Moussa Diabate, while Mason Plumlee didn't see any court time.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Not starting vs. New York
Rotowire
Kalkbrenner is not in the starting lineup for Friday's preseason game against the Knicks.
Kalkbrenner will make way for Moussa Diabate at center in this preseason finale. The rookie out of Creighton has turned heads in preseason with his play, so he may have a solid grip on a rotation spot once the regular season begins against the Nets on Wednesday.
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Hornets' Ryan Kalkbrenner: Fares well off bench
Rotowire
Kalkbrenner finished with 11 points (4-6 FG, 3-5 FT), seven rebounds, two steals and one block across 25 minutes of Sunday's 135-114 preseason loss to the Thunder.
Mason Plumlee was out for personal reasons, while Moussa Diabate started at center and played 13 minutes. The Hornets gave all their starters a light workload, while Kalkbrenner led the team in minutes despite coming off the bench. Kalkbrenner has been generating a lot of buzz at training camp, and even if he doesn't start on Opening Night, it seems inevitable that he will win this position battle at some point soon.
