Hornets grab Hannes Steinbach, Christian Anderson in 2026 NBA Draft
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Hornets selected Washington center Hannes Steinbach with the No. 14 overall pick.
- Charlotte chose Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson with the No. 18 overall pick.
- The Hornets do not have a 2026 second-round pick after sending it to the Miami Heat.
Armed with a pair of first-round picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets went with an inside-outside approach.
The Hornets nabbed University of Washington center Hannes Steinbach with the No. 14 overall selection before taking Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson at No. 18 in the league’s annual event at Barclays Center in New York on Tuesday night.
Steinbach led the nation with 22 double-doubles, placing him one shy of matching Jon Brockman’s single-season school record at Washington. A native of Würzburg, he settled in nicely in his one season with the Huskies. Steinbach paced Washington, averaging 18.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals in 30 appearances.
“I definitely bring rebounding,” Steinbach said on a Zoom with Charlotte-area media. “I definitely want to improve to be able to spread the floor and provide spacing for the team.”
He’s also adept at screening, which would allow him to flourish in a two-man game with Hornets star guard LaMelo Ball, can put the ball on the floor and also shoot. He sank 57.7% of his overall attempts and canned 34% from 3-point range.
Steinbach’s measurables are also impressive. At the NBA Combine in Chicago in May, he checked in at 6-foot-10, 248 pounds. He has a 7-foot-2 wingspan and a standing reach of 9 feet.
Steinbach fits the profile of what Jeff Peterson, Charlotte’s president of basketball operations, alluded to after the season. Peterson noted the Hornets were in need of a boost in physicality, which became even more evident following their loss to the Orlando Magic in the play-in tournament.
That’s become even more of a necessity now that the Hornets have to contend with a tall tandem of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo four times a season following the expected completion of the blockbuster trade sending Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat from the Milwaukee Bucks.
So adding size is a priority for the Hornets and Steinbach will do just that to Charlotte’s frontline.
Considered one of the best shooters in this year’s class along with Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz, who went two picks ahead at No. 14 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Anderson put up solid numbers at Texas Tech. He averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 38.4 minutes per game, starting in all 33 appearances.
Named All-Big 12 First Team, he led the conference in assists (244) and minutes per game (38.4) during his sophomore season.
“My year at Tech,” Anderson said, “it allowed me to kind of be put in super high pressure situations and be able to perform in front of tough crowds, tough environments when all odds are against us. So I think being there and being asked to have that role, I feel like it just prepared me for not being afraid of pressure.
“My offensive skill set, pick-and-rolls, shooting on and off the dribble, I feel like I can space the floor just as good as I can make plays for my teammates. I play both roles and I pride myself on being plug and play. So playing in any type of situation I’m asked to play in, I feel like I can do it and I adapt really fast and just a person who’s willing to do anything it takes to win and do all the little things.”
Anderson’s father, Christian Sr., played at the College of Charleston and Virginia Union before recording a 10-year career as a pro overseas. Although he’s a native of Atlanta, holds dual citizenship in Germany because of his father and has represented the German national basketball team in various international youth tournaments.
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So there’s already a natural connection between Steinbach and Anderson.
“Yeah, very excited to team up with him again,” Steinbach said. “He’s a great point guard. He can really pass them, but also can create his own shot. Has a deep three ball. So yeah, very talented player the Hornets are getting.”
That’s the gist of the Hornets’ 2026 draft unless Peterson makes a trade. The Hornets don’t have a second-round pick after sending their 2026 selection to the Miami Heat, resolving a dispute with the Terry Rozier trade given the FBI’s investigation into the alleged gambling incident that occurred during Rozier’s time with Charlotte.
This story was originally published June 23, 2026 at 9:52 PM.
