Hornets select Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr. in 2026 NBA Draft

CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Hornets selected center Hannes Steinbach from the University of Washington as the 14th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The team also picked guard Christian Anderson Jr. from Texas Tech University as the 18th overall selection.

Steinbach is a native of Würzburg, Germany. Both players were chosen by the Charlotte Hornets to join their roster from the college ranks, the Hornets said.

Steinbach played one season as a Husky, starting all 30 appearances. He averaged 18.5 points, a Big Ten-leading 11.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks in 34.6 minutes per game.

Steinbach was named All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Freshman. He led the conference in rebounds with 353 and ranked third in field goal percentage at 57.7%. Steinbach also posted 22 double-doubles during his season.

Christian Anderson Jr. competed in 33 games, starting all of them. He averaged 18.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.5 steals in 38.4 minutes per game. Anderson Jr. was named All-Big 12 First Team, a Third-Team All-American and the Big 12 Most Improved Player, the Hornets said.

He was also on the Wooden Award national ballot this past season. Anderson Jr. led the Big 12 in assists with 244 and in minutes per game with 38.4. He logged a pair of 30-point games in his sophomore season, the Hornets said.

Hornets look to next season with invaluable experience

Forward Grant Williams has seen it all. He reached the finals as a Boston Celtic and knows first-hand how different playoff basketball is.

He’s pushing his teammates this offseason. The year may have ended in disappointment, but the experience they gained was invaluable.

“Each game taught you something valuable, whether it was about a teammate, whether it was about the group, whether it was about a single play,” said Williams. “Going back and watching that last 10-minute stretch of the season, where there were some games, we would have won. There were also other games we pulled out that possibly we shouldn’t have won, and how those things happened and how we executed were truly valuable.”

A look inside construction of new Hornets performance center

A look inside construction of new Hornets performance center

Watch the video above for a look at the progress.

The Hornets are also constructing a new 160,000-square-foot facility for player development, which will include two full-size practice courts, strength-and-conditioning resources, and areas for physical therapy and sports science.

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