Hornets Sign Steinbach, Anderson To Rookie Scale Contracts
The Hornets have agreed to rookie scale contracts with Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr., according to a press release from the team.
Steinbach, the No. 14 pick in the draft, is expected to receive a starting salary of $5,227,200. The total value of the four-year contract is $24,981,907, assuming team options are eventually exercised in the third and fourth seasons.
A 20-year-old big man who played for Würzburg in his home country of Germany in 2024/25, Steinbach joined the University of Washington for the ’25/26 season and made an immediate impact, earning a spot on the All-Big Ten third team as a freshman.
He led the nation with 11.8 rebounds per game, including 4.2 per game on the offensive boards. The 6’11” German also contributed 18.5 points, 1.6 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.1 steals in 34.6 minutes per contest.
Anderson, a guard out of Texas Tech, was the No. 18 selection in the draft. He’s on track to earn $4,257,480 in his rookie year. His four-year contract will be worth $20,613,239 if those team options are exercised.
Anderson played 38.4 minutes per game in 33 starts for Texas Tech this past season, enjoying a breakout sophomore season as he claimed a spot on the All-Big 12 first team and was named the conference’s Most Improved Player. The 20-year-old averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game, with a strong shooting line of .472/.415/.805.
Eastern Notes: Graves, Philon, Flemings, Hornets, Bulls
The Raptors possessed the No. 19 selection on Monday and chose Santa Clara wing Allen Graves, a player they had been hoping would be available and who multiple sources had indicated was high on their board, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.
Among other things, Graves impressed them with his steal rate and knack for offensive rebounding. He also converted 41.3 percent of his three-point shots as a freshman.
“As a player, he’s a high-processor, two-way player, wins the possession game, I think, on both ends of the floor,” Raptors executive vice president Bobby Webster said. “Obviously, a developing player as well, just played one year of college, so he’ll have the usual and typical adjustment to NBA pace, speed, quickness. But sort of a young prospect that we think does a few things really well on the defensive end, and then offensively, obviously shooting, feel for the game. So we thought we got one of the better two-way players in the draft.”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Sixers used the No. 22 pick on Alabama guard Labaron Philon. It was a much-needed boost to a backcourt that was depleted when the club traded Jared McCain to the Thunder, Tony Jones of The Athletic writes. “He was pretty high on our board,” new Sixers president Mike Gansey said. “We were surprised he was there. He’s dynamic. He can play on or off the ball. He can score, and he can pass. He was the focal point of Alabama’s offense, and they played in the SEC, so he was playing against great athletes every night. He plays with an edge and a swag. He plays with some toughness.” Philon expects to make an immediate impact. “I want to come in and take pressure off Tyrese (Maxey) and VJ (Edgecombe),” Philon said. “I think we have a chance to have a special season coming up. With Joel Embiid and Paul George, we have a great roster. I believe that I can play at a high level, and that I’m going to be able to get into the paint and create shots.”
- After dealing Trae Young to the Wizards, the Hawks created a long-term hole at the point. They filled it with Kingston Flemings, the No. 8 pick in the draft. The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Michael Cunningham opines that Flemings is unlikely to become an elite play-maker like Young but says that he’s a good passer, provides better size and athleticism, and will be a better NBA defender than Young. Flemings is the prize Atlanta received when New Orleans gave away an unprotected first-rounder during last season’s draft night trade. “He’s just the ultimate competitor, especially at his position,” president of basketball operations Onsi Saleh said of Flemings. “Point-of-attack defender. Really high-level offensive player, super-efficient. The guy can just do a little bit of everything.”
- The Hornets had a pair of top 20 picks and grabbed University of Washington center Hannes Steinbach at No. 14 and Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson at No. 18. “Best rebounder in the draft,” president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson said of Steinbach, per Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “He’s someone who is just continuously trying to get better. He’s very skilled, a very high IQ player. He fits us from a DNA standpoint.” Anderson will fortify their backcourt. “One of the best shooters in the draft,” Peterson said of the No. 18 pick. “He shot about 40% on three, just right under eight attempts a game. Shoots them off the balance, catch-and-shoot, spot ups — just in various ways. And then his IQ as well. He’s one of the best pick-and-roll players in the draft, too. Does a tremendous job of valuing the ball.”
- The Bulls selected Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain in the first round. President of basketball operations Bryson Graham is focused on establishing a defensive identity and those picks were made in large part with that in mind, Jay Cohen of The Associated Press writes. “The fastest way to find playing time and opportunity is on the defensive side of the ball,” Graham said. “So as Dailyn comes in and as Caleb comes in, I’m looking for them to be tone-setters on that side of the floor and be pillars for this organization going forward.”
Hornets Draft Christian Anderson 18th Overall
After selecting Washington center Hannes Steinbach with the 14th overall pick, the Hornets have addressed their backcourt at No. 18, selecting Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson.
Anderson, who wasn’t a top-100 recruit when he joined the Red Raiders in 2024, came off the bench as a freshman. However, he played a whopping 38.4 minutes per game in 33 starts for Texas Tech this past season, enjoying a breakout sophomore season as he claimed a spot on the All-Big 12 first team and was named the conference’s Most Improved Player. The 20-year-old averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game, with a strong shooting line of .472/.415/.805.
While some NBA evaluators have concerns about Anderson’s size – he measured just below 6’1″ barefoot and weighed in at 180 pounds at the combine – Jeremy Woo of ESPN describes him as a very “polished” offensive player capable of playing on or off the ball due to his strong play-making and shooting.
Anderson could slide right into the rotation behind LaMelo Ball and see significant action if Ball’s health issues resurface. Ball appeared in 72 games this past season but didn’t play more than 47 games the previous three campaigns.
Anderson certainly fits the Charlotte mold from an offensive standpoint. The Hornets took the second-most three-pointers in the league last season and Anderson jacked up an average of 7.9 attempts from long distance last season.
Anderson’s immediate impact could hinge on Coby White‘s free agency. White is an unrestricted free agent and could re-sign or be part of a sign-and-trade scenario.
The two draft picks figure to play together going forward for more than just the Hornets. Anderson has represented Germany in international play alongside Steinbach — the duo won gold together at the 2024 Under-18 EuroBasket tournament and led the national team to a runner-up finish at the 2025 FIBA U-19 World Cup.
Draft Rumors: Thomas, Bulls, Hornets, Sixers, Johnson, More
Arkansas guard Meleek Thomas appears to be rising up draft boards after impressing NBA teams during his pre-draft workouts, league sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Fischer hears that Thomas, who’s ranked No. 29 on ESPN’s big board, is receiving consideration from teams selecting in the late teens and early 20s.
According to Fischer, Thomas, Christian Anderson and Labaron Philon all worked out for the Bulls on Friday and each of those players is a candidate to be selected 15th overall.
We have more rumors on the upcoming draft, which is just two days away:
- If the Hornets don’t select a big man with the 14th pick, there’s an expectation that they’ll do so a few spots later at No. 18, according to Fischer. Although they’re guards rather than frontcourt players, Fischer hears “numerous scouts and agents” have connected Charlotte to Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz and Baylor’s Cameron Carr.
- The Raptors (No. 19) and Spurs (No. 20) have worked out several forwards and centers, Fischer writes, creating the impression that they might prioritize those positions in the draft.
- Since several teams ahead of them are expected to target frontcourt additions, Fischer suggests Allen Graves (Santa Clara) and Chris Cenac (Houston) are unlikely to be available for the Sixers at No. 22. Both players worked out for Philadelphia this week and the 76ers would be interested if they fall, Fischer adds.
- Dailyn Swain is another player who has worked out for the Sixers, but he or Ebuka Okorie could be headed to the Pistons at No. 21, per Fischer. Detroit has largely been linked to guards and wings leading up to the draft, says Fischer.
- The Nets hosted Michigan big man Morez Johnson for a pre-draft workout on Sunday, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter). Brooklyn controls the sixth pick in the first round, while Johnson is at No. 15 on ESPN’s board.
Draft Notes: Flemings, Anderson, Pelicans, Guide
Houston point guard Kingston Flemings, widely projected to be a top-10 pick in next week’s draft, has only worked out for three teams so far, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman writes within his newest mock draft. Flemings has visited the Clippers, Bulls, and Mavericks.
The Bulls and Clippers have the fourth and fifth overall picks, respectively. The Mavs are lower in the lottery at No. 9 but the player they choose will have the added benefit of playing alongside a true franchise cornerstone in Cooper Flagg. While undersized, Flemings is a talented scorer who showed good off-ball ability playing in Houston’s talented program this season.
We have more notes on the draft:
- Texas Tech point guard Christian Anderson is another prospect looking to separate himself from the other guards, despite generally being ranked slightly lower than the top guard group. He has worked out for multiple teams with top-10 picks so far this summer, Yahoo’s Kevin O’Connor reports in his own mock draft. Anderson is one of the better play-makers out of the pick-and-roll in the class and has a case for being the best shooter in the draft.
- The Pelicans held a pre-draft workout on Tuesday featuring Maliq Brown (Duke), Malik Dia (Ole Miss), Xaivian Lee (Florida), JJ Starling (Syracuse), and Peter Suder (Miami, Ohio), Will Guillory reports for The Athletic (Twitter link). Of the six prospects, Brown is the highest ranked, coming in at No. 54 on Jeremy Woo’s big board for ESPN. The Pelicans control the 58th overall pick in the draft.
- Sam Vecenie of The Athletic released his 2026 draft guide on Monday, featuring rankings of his top 100 prospects as well as 60 in-depth player breakdowns. Within the detailed guide, he writes that AJ Dybantsa could easily become a top-10 player in the NBA and refers to Cameron Boozer as close to a can’t-fail prospect, noting that the only thing keeping Boozer from a No. 1 ranking in the class is that he profiles better as an elite second star on a team, rather than the primary engine.
NBA Announces Final List Of 2026 Draft Early Entrants
Serbian center Pavle Backo withdrew from the 2026 draft prior to Saturday’s deadline, according to the NBA (Twitter link). He joins Francesco Ferrari and Luigi Suigo as international prospects who withdrew before the league’s deadline on June 13 (three others withdrew prior to the NCAA’s deadline on May 27).
As the NBA confirms, a total of 31 early entrants have decided to keep their names in this year’s draft, which will take place next week on June 23 and 24.
Here are the 26 college underclassmen who are remaining in the draft:
- Darius Acuff, G, Arkansas (freshman)
- Nate Ament, F, Tennessee (freshman)
- Christian Anderson, G, Texas Tech (sophomore)
- Cameron Boozer, F, Duke (freshman)
- Mikel Brown Jr., G, Louisville (freshman)
- Brayden Burries, G, Arizona (freshman)
- Cameron Carr, G, Baylor (junior)
- Chris Cenac, F/C, Houston (freshman)
- AJ Dybantsa, F, BYU (freshman)
- Isaiah Evans, G/F, Duke (sophomore)
- Kingston Flemings, G, Houston (freshman)
- Allen Graves, F, Santa Clara (freshman)
- Morez Johnson, F/C, Michigan (sophomore)
- Aday Mara, C, Michigan (junior)
- Ebuka Okorie, G, Stanford (freshman)
- Koa Peat, F, Arizona (freshman)
- Darryn Peterson, G, Kansas (freshman)
- Labaron Philon, G, Alabama (sophomore)
- Jayden Quaintance, F/C, Kentucky (sophomore)
- Hannes Steinbach, F, Washington (freshman)
- Dailyn Swain, G/F, Texas (junior)
- Meleek Thomas, G, Arkansas (freshman)
- Bryson Tucker, F, Washington (sophomore)
- Henri Veesaar, C, North Carolina (junior)
- Keaton Wagler, G, Illinois (freshman)
- Caleb Wilson, F, North Carolina (freshman)
Here are the five international early entrants who are staying in the draft (the country indicates where the player had been playing, not necessarily where he was born):
- Mohammad Amini, G/F, France (born 2005)
- Sergio De Larrea, G, Spain (born 2005)
- Vsevolod Ishchenko, G, Russia (born 2005)
- Jack Kayil, G, Germany (born 2006)
- Karim Lopez, F, Australia (born 2007)
The total number of early entrants has been trending sharply downward in recent years. This is due in part to players who were granted an extra year of eligibility in 2021 due to COVID-19 having graduated, meaning we no longer have dozens of “seniors” on the early entrant list. Additionally, the implementation of a rule allowing student athletes to be compensated for their name, image, and likeness (NIL) has made college basketball more lucrative than going pro for many young players.
Back in 2022, a total of 283 early entrants tested the draft waters and 149 kept their names in the draft pool. In 2025, those figures were down to just 109 and 46, respectively, and this year’s totals were just 72 and 31.
Our 2026 NBA draft early entrants list has been updated to reflect the latest changes. In addition to the 31 prospects listed above, our tracker also includes the 41 players who withdrew from the draft, including Backo, Ferrari and Suigo.
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Heat, Draft Workouts, Hawks
The Hornets are coming off their most encouraging season in years, and while they have a locked-in core three of LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, and Brandon Miller, they still have decisions to make on how best to complement the high-powered offensive trio.
Despite not being as firmly a part of the starting lineup of the future, Coby White and Moussa Diabate should be considered “not going anywhere” candidates this offseason, Roderick Boone writes for the Charlotte Observer.
Diabate is entering the last year of a very team-friendly deal after stabilizing the Hornets’ center position and providing the club with a strong source of offensive rebounding in 2025/26. White is expected to stay with the Hornets after the team traded for him at this season’s deadline — he’ll be an unrestricted free agent, but Charlotte controls his full Bird rights.
Miles Bridges is the top name on the watch list category for players who could be on the move, Boone writes, as are Pat Connaughton, Josh Green, Tre Mann, and Grant Williams.
We have more from around the Southeast Division:
- The Hornets hosted four players for pre-draft workouts on Wednesday: Christian Anderson (Texas Tech), Anthony Dell’Orso (Arizona), Mark Mitchell (Missouri), and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (Alabama), per Boone (Twitter link). Anderson, a smooth shooter and pick-and-roll operator, is the highest-ranked player of that group, coming in at No. 18 on Jeremy Woo’s big board for ESPN. Given that the Hornets control the 14th and 18th overall picks, Anderson could be under consideration with one of their first-rounders.
- Barring a trade, including a Giannis Antetokounmpo deal, the Heat will have the 13th pick in the 2026 NBA draft, along with No. 41. They have begun hosting pre-draft workouts, with Ezra Ausar (USC) coming in on Friday, per SNY’s Ian Begley (Twitter link). They will also bring in Bryce Hopkins (St. John’s) next week, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Hopkins, a fifth-year senior, is only a career 32.4% shooter from three, but he has raised that average to 36.6% over the last two seasons.
- The Hawks have two main paths they have to choose between as they look to keep building on last year’s encouraging season. They could free up to $32MM in cap space and be a free agency player, or they could stay over the cap while prioritizing re-signing their own players and working the trade market, Spotrac’s Keith Smith writes in his offseason preview. Either way, one offseason goal should be to add more size, even if they keep reserve big man Jock Landale. Since the Hawks own two first-round picks, it would make sense to target a big man with one of them, Smith writes.
Southwest Notes: Castle, Ejiofor, Grizzlies’ Draft, Pelicans
Stephon Castle used some strategy to maneuver his way to the Spurs in the 2024 draft, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. San Antonio held the No. 4 pick, and Castle was intrigued by the chance to team his perimeter defensive skills with an elite rim protector like Victor Wembanyama,
“I was just looking on the defensive side of things (in San Antonio), where being able to pair with Victor was definitely a plus in my eyes,” Castle said. “I just thought it would have been a perfect fit, and I feel like it was.”
To reach the Spurs, Castle had to get past the Rockets, who held the third pick. Castle was aware of coach Ime Udoka‘s interest in him, but preferred not to join a team with a veteran point guard already in place. Houston had Fred VanVleet, so Castle opted against holding a private workout with the Rockets. The strategy worked, as Houston selected Reed Sheppard, and Castle went on to win Rookie of the Year honors and become a fixture on a young team that’s already in the NBA Finals.
“I think being (in San Antonio) was always number one on my list,” Castle added. “Internally, I always felt like I was the best player in that draft. (But) I didn’t know what could happen. My agent always told me, like, anything can happen in a draft. Like, you could not work out for a team, not have talked to a team, and they can still take you. So, I mean, I wasn’t really planning on playing in Houston. I didn’t really know how any of that worked. I was kind of hoping I could slide my way to San Antonio. It kind of worked out for me.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- St. John’s forward Zuby Ejiofor will have a pre-draft workout with the Spurs on Thursday, according to Adam Zagoria (Twitter link). San Antonio holds the 20th pick, which falls within Ejiofor’s projected draft range.
- Cameron Boozer appears headed to the Grizzlies with the third pick, and the team may try to find Ja Morant‘s eventual replacement at No. 16, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal states in a subscriber-only story. Cole examines the fit for Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson, Alabama’s Labaron Philon, Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz and Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie.
- The Pelicans are hiring David Cosgrave as vice president of health and performance and Joe Sharpe as head athletic trainer, states Rod Walker of NOLA. “David Cosgrave and Joe Sharpe bring a level of professionalism and experience that immediately strengthens our organization and supports our commitment to build a fully integrated, best-in-class medical and performance team,” executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said in a statement.
- Scoop Jardine announced that he’ll be joining the Pelicans as a “global director scout” (Instagram link). The former Syracuse standout spent time playing in the G League and in Canada before moving into coaching at the high school level.
NBA Invites 14 Prospects To Draft Green Room
A total of 14 draft-eligible players have been invited to the NBA’s green room for the 2026 draft so far, according to Jeremy Woo of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the first round of invitations was sent out on Tuesday.
The 14 prospects who have been invited to the green room are as follows, sorted by their rank on ESPN’s big board:
AJ Dybantsa (BYU)- Darryn Peterson (Kansas)
- Cameron Boozer (Duke)
- Caleb Wilson (UNC)
- Keaton Wagler (Illinois)
- Darius Acuff (Arkansas)
- Mikel Brown (Louisville)
- Kingston Flemings (Houston)
- Nate Ament (Tennessee)
- Aday Mara (Michigan)
- Brayden Burries (Arizona)
- Karim Lopez (Mexico)
- Labaron Philon (Alabama)
- Christian Anderson (Texas Tech)
A pair of Mara’s former Wolverines teammates, Yaxel Lendeborg (No. 12) and Morez Johnson (No. 14), are the only players ranked in the lottery on ESPN’s board who have yet to be invited to the green room. However, it seems safe to assume their invitations are still coming — the league typically sends out those invites in two or three waves.
The players invited to the green room can typically feel pretty confident about their chances to be first-round picks, since the league only decides who to invite after asking teams to vote on the 25 prospects whom they expect to come off the board first. Still, it’s not always a lock. In 2024, for instance, green room invitees Kyle Filipowski and Johnny Furphy had to wait until the second day of the draft to hear their names called.
In 2025, all 24 prospects who were invited to the green room by the NBA for the first day of the draft were among the 30 first-round picks. The league subsequently invited 12 more players to be in the green room for the second round a day later.
Mavericks Notes: Finley, Nori, Pre-Draft Workouts
After the Mavericks hired Masai Ujiri as their new president and Mike Schmitz to be their general manager, word broke that Matt Riccardi, who served as the team’s co-interim GM during the 2025/26 season, would be leaving the organization. There have been no such updates on Michael Finley, who was the Mavs’ other co-interim GM following Nico Harrison‘s dismissal in the fall.
Finley spent nearly nine years in Dallas as a player and has been part of the club’s front office since 2017. Minority stakeholder Mark Cuban, the majority owner of the team when Finley was originally hired, hopes the former guard’s stint in the basketball operations department continues — and has said as much to Ujiri.
“(Finley) is our legacy guy,” Cuban said during a special episode of the House of Haymaker show with Ben Rogers and Jeff “Skin” Wade. “You need somebody there that’s a connection to the past and knows everybody, that has been there a while. … My strong recommendation (to Ujiri) is that you keep Michael Finley.”
According to Cuban, Ujiri didn’t commit one way or the other to his plans for Finley and the rest of the front office.
“(He) just said, ‘Thank you,’ and that was it,” Cuban said.
Cuban also spoke during his House of Haymaker appearance about the Luka Doncic trade – which he said Finley called “the wrong thing to do” – and the fact that Dirk Nowitzki “didn’t agree with” the 2021 hiring of Harrison, among other topics.
We have more on the Mavericks:
- Appearing on SiriusXM NBA Radio on Tuesday, Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori said he hadn’t “heard anything really” from the Mavericks about their head coaching opening so far, but had engaged in “a few conversations here and there” with the Trail Blazers and Bulls, as Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal relays. Although Nori added that his discussions with those teams hadn’t gotten “too serious” at that point, one report today suggested he’s a finalist for Portland’s head coaching job and that Dallas also has interest in interviewing him.
- Obi Agbim (Baylor), Michael Ajayi (Butler), Christian Anderson (Texas Tech), Tucker DeVries (Indiana), and Wyatt Fricks (Marshall) were in town on Wednesday to work out for the Mavericks, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). Of those five players, Anderson is the most noteworthy — he’s a projected first-round pick who ranks 18th overall on ESPN’s big board.
- The Mavericks are currently armed with the ninth, 30th, and 48th overall picks in this month’s draft. In an effort to get a better sense for which players the team might be eyeing at those spots, Curtis (subscription required) takes a closer look at Ujiri’s draft history during his time in Denver and Toronto. Based on those past draft results, Curtis writes that Ujiri has shown a willingness to take a shot on versatile wings who can score and defend, as well as international prospects and score-first guards.