Summer League is where the margins get tested, and for the Charlotte Hornets, this year’s group is packed with players trying to force their way into the conversation. Some are already on track for NBA minutes. Others are fighting for something smaller but still meaningful: a longer look, a G-League spot, or a chance to stay in the organization’s plans.
The Hornets, the reigning Summer League champions, don’t bring quite the same level of firepower they had last year. Even so, there’s plenty to watch because this roster has real variety.
A few players are basically auditioning for a little more playing time. Others are trying to prove they belong anywhere near the NBA picture at all.
Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr. fall into the first group. Both rookies are expected to be part of the rotation next season based on how the Hornets roster is built right now. A strong Summer League run could nudge them into slightly bigger roles, but because they’re just starting out, the stakes are not as dramatic as they are for some of the others.
The same goes for Kylan Boswell, Michael Ajayi, Wyatt Fricks, and Max MacKinnon, all of whom are 23 or younger and entering their first Summer League fresh from college. There’s some expectation here, but their age and statistical profiles point toward another year with a G-League opportunity more than anything else.
A rough showing could cost them that path. A great one might buy them a few NBA games.
That’s the range.
Terrell Brown Jr. and Josiah Allick are in a different spot. Both have already won a G-League title with the Greensboro Swarm, and both are already known inside the organization. The Hornets have had plenty of chances to evaluate them in workouts and G-League games, so one hot or cold week in Summer League probably won’t change how they’re viewed.
Sion James is another player who already has something to build on. He showed last year that he can be a legitimate NBA player, and he has traits the Hornets need right now. Unless he looks absolutely horrid, he should keep the minutes he earned last season.
Ryan Kalkbrenner’s situation is trickier. He played a lot last season too, but unlike James, he hasn’t yet shown the kind of standout skill that locks him into a rotation.
With the additions of Naz Reid and Hannes Steinbach, his spot looks a lot less secure. Two things could help him: holding his own next to Steinbach and showing he can function with a more offense-minded big, and looking more comfortable in drop coverage by contesting and deflecting shots.
If that doesn’t happen, Steinbach could pass him quickly.
Nick Matthews is another name with something to prove. He went undrafted in 2025 after five steady years at Mississippi State and spent last season with the Houston Rockets’ G-League affiliate.
The campaign was solid, but not loud. At 6-foot-7, he brings a mix of size, strength, and mobility that lets him defend bigger players while also handling more aggressive ball-screen coverages because of his quick feet.
Offensively, he’s not a major scorer and his three-point shot is shaky, but he does a good job making the right reads and keeping the ball moving. If he wants to hang around the NBA, showing that defensive versatility and adding a little offense would go a long way.
Braden Wrightsell is in a tighter window. He’s one of the final players helped by the extra COVID eligibility year, and he also redshirted because of a torn Achilles tendon, which means he’s 24 even though he’s just out of college.
That doesn’t leave much time to make an impression. Still, he has a shot to earn a G-League roster spot because he’s a lightning-quick guard and a dead-eye shooter.
Over his last four college seasons, including three at Alabama, he hit 39.4% from three on 6.2 attempts per game, and he has NBA range too. What he still has to prove is what else he brings.
His threes are mostly assisted, and beyond low turnovers and solid assist numbers, there isn’t much else that jumps off the page offensively. To get noticed, he needs made threes, some steady tertiary playmaking, and active defense.
Liam McNeeley is facing the roster squeeze from a different angle. He’s only 20 and clearly has upside, but he hasn’t shown he’s ready for NBA minutes yet.
With the Hornets adding more trade pieces and rookies, the room for developmental projects keeps shrinking. Summer League is his best chance to push back against that.
If he can build chemistry with Kalkbrenner, Steinbach, James, and Anderson Jr., that could give Charles Lee a reason to use him alongside them in regular-season games.
Tidjane Salaün is in a similar spot, except the pressure is even louder. He’s taken plenty of criticism since the Hornets drafted him in 2024, though he has made real strides.
Even so, he still hasn’t done enough to earn regular NBA minutes, and like McNeeley, he’s running into the reality that there are only so many spots for projects. McNeeley has the edge in age and in how much time he’s had to adjust to the league, so if one of the two ends up being cut or traded, Salaün would probably be the one.
That said, he has shown flashes. At times last season, he played with confidence, knocked down shots, and made plays in transition.
The Hornets need that version of him now, only with cleaner footwork and some self-creation against weaker competition. He’s gifted, athletic, and has feel that gets overlooked.
But the clock is ticking. If he can’t make it happen now, it may never happen in a Hornets jersey.
In Other News...
Hornets Just Sent A Surprising Message About Kon Knueppel
Kon Knueppels first Summer League appearance with the Hornets came with an unusual twist, and it said plenty about how Charlotte views the rookie. Instead of sitting with teammates or spending the opener on the floor, he was placed alongside the coaching staff, giving him a front-row seat to the way the Hornets handle substitutions, defensive tweaks and offensive sets in real time.
It was a quiet but notable developmental move for a player the organization clearly believes has more going on upstairs than the average newcomer. Charlotte has not explained the decision, which only adds to the intrigue, but the setup gave Knueppel a rare chance to absorb the game from the bench and study the kind of details young players usually miss. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Trade Delay Is Holding Up More Than Fans Realized
A Hornets deal that has been sitting in the background is finally moving toward the finish line, with the LaMelo Ball and Naz Reid trade expected to be completed Friday as part of a larger four-team transaction. The move is being folded into a complicated set of leaguewide business that also ties in the Timberwolves, Nets and Bulls, the kind of paperwork-heavy shuffle that can keep a roster note from becoming official even after the basketball side is settled.
The ripple effects have reached beyond Charlotte, too. The Suns are waiting on the completion of the Hornets Bridges-related trade before they can finalize Luke Kennards signing because of salary-cap rules, while other teams are still navigating their own delayed business, including the Clippers Kawhi Leonard trade to Toronto. Even around the edges, the offseason is still being shaped by timing, cap math and a few transactions that are not quite done yet. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Fans Just Got An Encouraging First Look At Liam McNeeley
Charlottes Summer League opener offered an early glimpse of what Liam McNeeley can bring to the Hornets, and it came in a win. After a sluggish start against Orlando, Charlotte settled in and leaned on McNeeleys scoring to take control in an 86-74 victory, with the forward finishing as the teams leading scorer and giving the offense the kind of lift the Hornets were hoping to see from him right away.
The supporting cast did its part, too, as Hannes Steinbach added a strong all-around showing and Ryan Kalkbrenner chipped in with a productive night on the boards. Charlottes ability to recover after the rough opening stretch was encouraging on its own, but the bigger takeaway was how quickly McNeeley looked comfortable carrying the offense once the game opened up. [Read more 🡒]