The Charlotte Hornets used the 14th pick on Hannes Steinbach, and the rookie big man already sounds like he knows exactly what he’s walking into.
Steinbach’s college production at Washington made the case for why Charlotte took him so high. In his freshman season, he put up 18.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 57.7 percent from the field and 34 percent from three. That kind of all-around line is why he’s viewed as one of the class’s best rebounders and a player who can make an immediate impact.
He carried that momentum into Summer League, where he averaged 15.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game and shot 60.2 percent from the floor. The numbers back up the same simple truth: Steinbach is a double-double threat every time he steps on the court.
For Charlotte, the challenge now is sorting out the frontcourt minutes. Steinbach will be competing with Naz Reid, Ryan Kalkbrenner and Moussa Diabaté for a spot in the Hornets’ big-man rotation. Reid is the newest addition and could open the season at power forward after averaging 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, a steal and a block per game for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2025-26 season, while shooting 45.6 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from deep.
Diabaté and Kalkbrenner are also in the mix at center. Diabaté posted 7.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and a block per game in his fourth season, shooting 63.1 percent from the floor. Kalkbrenner, meanwhile, turned in a strong rookie year with 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 75.3 percent from the field.
Charlotte has loaded up on young talent, and that gives the roster a lot of upside. It also means the rotation could get tricky in the 2026-27 season. Still, with the Hornets investing the 14th pick in Steinbach, he should get a real chance to play right away - and if he keeps producing, a starting role isn’t out of the question in his first year.
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Hornets Roster Crunch Just Put Several Familiar Names On Edge
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A few of those decisions will come down to need as much as talent, especially with the roster already crowded and the season approaching fast. Some players look safer than others, but Charlotte is still weighing depth, versatility and future flexibility against the reality that not everyone can make the final cut, and the next move or two could say plenty about how the Hornets want this group to look when the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]