Hornets Mock Draft 1.0: Who could Charlotte select in first round?
When it comes to the anticipation surrounding the upcoming NBA Draft, Jeff Peterson is no different than most.
The Charlotte Hornets president of basketball operations believes there’s plenty of talent available among the contingent of athletes, leaving him rather enthused about the possibilities given he has two first-round selections at his disposal.
“I’m very excited about this draft,” Peterson said in his season-ending address on the state of the team. “It’s, if not the deepest, one of the deepest that I’ve ever been a part of. A lot of good players all over the draft, but again where we are from an asset standpoint, it’s going to allow us to be flexible.
“Whether that means we bring two players in, consolidate, we’ll have different options that we’ll continue to explore and look at. But I’m excited for whoever we bring in, because I know that it’s going to be someone who is a Hornet and about what we’re about and at some point we’ll contribute to what we are building here.”
Boasting pick Nos. 14 and No. 18 — the latter coming via the Phoenix Suns courtesy of the Jusuf Nurkic trade to Charlotte in February 2025 — provides Peterson with plenty to ponder.
As of now, those are the only selections he has to worry about since the Hornets don’t own a second-round pick after sending it to the Miami Heat to resolve a dispute regarding the Terry Rozier trade, given the FBI’s investigation into the alleged gambling incident that occurred during Rozier’s time with Charlotte.
We’re less than a month away from NBA commissioner Adam Silver tipping off the draft, which is slated for June 23-24 at Barclays Center in New York. So, let’s have a stab at what the Hornets may do.
Here’s the first version of our Hornets’-themed 2026 NBA mock draft.
No. 14 pick
▪ Name: Hannes Steinbach
▪ Position: power forward/center
▪ Team: University of Washington
The skinny: Bringing a big man on board this offseason is a certain priority for the Hornets, and Hannes Steinbach more than held his own during his lone season in college in the Pacific Northwest. The native of Würzburg, Germany was Washington’s leading scorer, averaging 18.5 points to go with 11.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals in 30 appearances. He can also shoot, as evidenced by knocking down 57.7% of his overall attempts and sinking 34% beyond the 3-point arc.
Steinbach led the nation in double-doubles with 22, finishing just one shy of matching Jon Brockman’s single-season school record, and he eclipsed the Huskies’ freshman school record (18) while also posting the most double-doubles by a Big Ten freshman since 1996-97. That, along with leading the nation in rebounding, helped catapult Steinbach into garnering third Team All-Big Ten honors.
His measurables at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago didn’t do much to lower his draft stock. In fact, it might be quite the opposite.
Steinbach checked in at 6 feet, 10 1/4 inches tall without sneakers, weighing 248 pounds. He boasts a 7-2 1/4 wingspan and standing reach of 9 feet. Those numbers have him climbing up the draft board and are making him one of the top prospects with an international background.
Adding someone with the ability to be an effective offensive presence while also serving as an integral rebounder would greatly benefit the Hornets, who need to increase their physicality.
No. 18 pick
▪ Name: Jayden Quaintance
▪ Position: power forward
▪ Team: University of Kentucky
The skinny: Somewhat of an unknown due to playing in only four games for Kentucky in 2025-26, Jayden Quaintance is an intriguing prospect. A 2024 five-star basketball recruit, he transferred from Arizona State in the spring of 2025 to play under Wildcats first-year coach Mark Pope, solidifying his commitment to Kentucky a few weeks after undergoing surgery for a torn ACL, meniscus and a fracture in his right knee.
After his debut in a victory over St. John’s on Dec. 20, Quaintance made just three more appearances for the Wildcats due to swelling in his surgically-repaired knee. So, there are a lot of questions surrounding him, some of which were answered at the NBA Draft Combine.
Beginning with his measurables.
Quaintance checked in at 6-8¼ barefoot, features an impressive wingspan of 7-4½ and a 9-1 standing reach. Those are the types of numbers that make executives stand up and take notice — even if some may have thought he was favoring his right leg at the combine.
He’s a player the Hornets can develop, perhaps giving him time with the defending G-League champion Greensboro Swarm, and someone they could count on more in the second half of the season and looking ahead to 2026-27.
