Steinbach has modest Summer League outing vs. New Orleans Pelicans

After introducing himself to the NBA Summer League with a double-double, former Washington Huskies star forward Hannes Steinbach's second game with the Charlotte Hornets was a lot quieter.

In a 95-91 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, the No. 14 overall pick in June's draft came off the bench and played 22 minutes, tallying 7 points on a 2-for-5 day from the field, while adding 6 rebounds and a block.

It wasn't the best day for the 6-foot-11 German, who posted a plus/minus of -10, while he also committed 3 turnovers and 3 fouls. However, his minutes in the Summer League feel like more of a formality than anything else, as the Hornets are expecting Steinbach to play a key role as a rookie.

autograph sesh w/ hannes ✍️ pic.twitter.com/VEPsBjVFix

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) July 12, 2026

The addition of Steinbach could help propel Charlotte towards the status of the league's best rebounding team, after finishing No. 5 in the category last season, averaging 46.1 per game, even after trading forward Miles Bridges, who finished second on the Hornets with 5.8 boards per contest last year.

Between Steinbach, who pulled in a nation's best 11.8 rebounds per game during his one year at Washington, which propelled him to All-Big Ten Third Team honors, and a trade for Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid, who grabbed 6.2 boards per game last year, Charlotte has put together a dominant frontcourt alongside center Moussa Diabaté, who led the team with 8.9 rebounds per contest last season.

For the second straight game, former Washington guard Terrell Brown Jr. did not see the floor for the Hornets. Charlotte will return to the floor on Sunday, July 12, at 2:00 p.m PT to take on the Boston Celtics.

This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Steinbach has modest Summer League outing vs. New Orleans Pelicans