The Charlotte Hornets took Hannes Steinbach 14th overall on June 23. They acquired Naz Reid from the Timberwolves in the LaMelo Ball trade, which also included a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, first-round swaps in 2028, 2029, and 2030, and second-round picks in 2029, 2032, and 2033. Ball and Josh Green went to Minnesota.

Steinbach is a 6-foot-11 forward from Würzburg, Germany. He led the nation in rebounding at 11.8 per game in his one season at Washington and averaged 18.5 points. He posted three double-doubles in five Summer League games.

Reid won Sixth Man of the Year in 2023-24 and is scheduled to earn over $21.5 million in 2026-27. He averaged 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists for Minnesota last season, shooting 45.6% from the field and 36.2% from 3.

It remains to be seen which direction the Hornets will go with the starting center role. However, Steinbach and Moussa Diabaté are the most logical candidates, leaving Ryan Kalkbrenner with little outlook.

Kalkbrenner was selected 34th overall in the 2025 draft from Creighton, where he played five seasons and earned four Big East Defensive Player of the Year awards. He began the year as Charlotte's starter, but a left elbow sprain in late December cost him the job, and he came off the bench after returning on January 10. He played in 69 games (with 31 starts), averaging 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 21.4 minutes per game. He had a shooting percentage of 75.3% and led all rookies in blocks.

Kalkbrenner is in his second season of a four-year contract, signed via the second-round pick exception, with $4.7 million of just under $10 million guaranteed. He earns $2.4 million this season. His $2.5 million salary for 2027-28 is non-guaranteed until June 29, 2027, and Charlotte has a $2.7 million club option for 2028-29.

As it stands, Charlotte's roster makes exploring the trade market for Kalkbrenner a logical move. Heavy Sports' Alder Almo floated an idea that would send Kalkbrenner to the New York Knicks for Pacôme Dadiet and a 2029 second-round pick.

Diabaté Took the Job Kalkbrenner Lost

Diabaté opened last season behind Kalkbrenner and finished it as the starter. He took the job full time on Dec. 23. Charlotte was 9-20 through Dec. 22 and went 35-18 the rest of the way. In 73 games with 47 starts, Diabaté averaged 7.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 26.0 minutes, shooting 63.1% from the field. He won the Kia NBA Hustle Award in April. Charlotte made his two-way deal a two-year, $4.6 million contract for 2025.

In Las Vegas, Kalkbrenner averaged 5.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 3.7 blocks while shooting 57.1% from the field, down from his rookie mark.

"Another guy who's protecting the rim, adjusting between coverages pretty, pretty frequently," Hornets Summer League coach Blaine Mueller said. "Obviously, want to see him around the rim with more force. I think we've seen that, too. Had a couple finishes in traffic and-ones. Stuff where he's a little bit more physical, a little bit more on balance, understanding what he needs to do around the rim when he's in traffic."

What New York Wants

New York won the 2026 title by beating the Spurs in five games, then lost Mitchell Robinson to the Celtics and Ariel Hukporti to the 76ers in free agency. Andre Drummond signed a minimum deal. The Knicks repeatedly offered Yves Missi, but the Pelicans turned it down. New York watched Diabaté before signing Drummond. An offer sheet for Mavericks restricted free agent Moussa Cissé was matched by Dallas. Knicks coach Mike Brown enters camp with Karl-Anthony Towns and Drummond as his only centers.

Dadiet was the 25th pick of the 2024 draft. He played 29 games last season and averaged 1.7 points and 0.9 rebounds in 4.7 minutes, shooting 33.3% from the field. In 19 appearances with the G League's Westchester Knicks, he averaged 22.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 34.6 minutes. New York exercised his $2.98 million team option for 2026-27 in October 2025. The Knicks don't view Dadiet as a contributor next season.

Charlotte opens the 2026-27 season on the road against the Brooklyn Nets. The home opener is against the Atlanta Hawks.

Source: Yahoo Sports