By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Charlotte Hornets made a significant splash during the first night of the 2026 NBA Draft, presented by State Farm, at the Barclays Center, building their future with a pair of German prospects.
With the 14th overall pick, they selected University of Washington center Hannes Steinbach, making the 20-year-old big the highest-drafted German player since Franz Wagner was taken eighth overall in 2021.
Steinbach vaulted to lottery status following a dominant freshman season with the Huskies, where he averaged a double-double of 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds over thirty games, while adding 1.6 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.1 steals per contest on 57.7 percent shooting. This NCAA success followed an efficient professional debut with FIT/One Wurzburg Baskets during the 2024-25 campaign, where the son of former German professional Burkhard Steinbach averaged 7.2 points and 5.7 rebounds across 31 appearances spread between the Basketball Champions League and domestic competitions.
Just four picks later, Charlotte doubled down on international talent by selecting Christian Anderson Jr. 18th overall. The 20-year-old point guard, who shared exclusive green room status at the event alongside top prospects like Spain’s Aday Mara, solidified his elite stock after a phenomenal sophomore campaign with the Texas Tech Red Raiders, where he tallied 14.5 points per game across two seasons.
Born in Atlanta to a father who played professional basketball abroad, Anderson holds dual citizenship and represents the upper echelon of European sports heritage. He previously spearheaded gold-medal runs for Germany in junior international tournaments, including FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2024.
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