The Charlotte Hornets selected former Washington forward Hannes Steinbach with the 14th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on June 24 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Steinbach, a 6-foot-11 forward from Würzburg, Germany, played one collegiate season at Washington. He led the Big Ten Conference and the United States in total rebounding.
He averaged 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game, shooting 58 percent from the field, 34 percent from three-point range, and 76 percent from the free-throw line, according to 247Sports.
His draft stock rose significantly during the season.
In November, he was projected as an end-of-round pick, but his performance pushed him into the top 14.
Scouts compared him to European players such as Moritz Wagner, Nikola Vucevic, Domantas Sabonis, Alperen Sengun, and Dirk Nowitzki.
Nowitzki played with Steinbach's father, Burkhard.
Washington Head Coach Danny Sprinkle praised Steinbach's instincts and work ethic. "He has unbelievable instincts to play basketball.
He's a very good passer. His instincts to rebound are elite," Sprinkle said.
Sprinkle also noted Steinbach's character.
"His character and just like the type of person he is -- and once you meet his parents, like you understand the stock that he comes from.
He's going to be a tremendous pro for a long time," Sprinkle stated.
Steinbach had previously addressed speculation about leaving college early. "I don't try and pay too much attention to it...
I'm just trying to play my game, win games for U-Dub and have fun with my teammates," he said.
In the same draft, Michigan's Morez Johnson Jr. went No. 9 to Dallas, Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg went No. 11 to Golden State, and Tennessee's Nate Ament went No. 13 to Miami.
