The Charlotte Hornets begin their NBA Summer League title defense Thursday night in Las Vegas against the Orlando Magic, and the roster the team announced last week says plenty about where the franchise's attention is this July.

Three of the players who matter most are returning draft picks. Second-year guard Sion James, forward Liam McNeeley and center Ryan Kalkbrenner are all back from the group that won the summer league championship a year ago, though Kon Knueppel will sit this one out. Third-year forward Tidjane Salaun is making his third summer league appearance, which is rarely the plan for a former lottery pick — this is a month for him to look too good for the setting, not merely comfortable in it.

The newcomers are the real draw. First-round picks Christian Anderson Jr. and Hannes Steinbach, the No. 14 overall selection, will make their first appearances in teal, and both should see generous minutes — especially if the returning second-year players get shut down early, as teams often do once veterans of the setting have shown what they need to show. Steinbach's debut carries extra weight given how deliberately Charlotte has remade its frontcourt around him and Naz Reid over the past two weeks.

Hornets assistant Blaine Mueller, on Charles Lee's staff since 2024 and previously the head coach of the G League's Maine Celtics, will run the team.

It is fair to note that summer league banners hang in nobody's arena. But for a franchise that traded LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges in June and has committed fully to building through the draft, July in Las Vegas is not a sideshow — it is the first look at whether the accumulation strategy is producing actual basketball players. James, McNeeley and Kalkbrenner earning early shutdowns would be a good sign, not a disappointment. Anderson and Steinbach playing real, useful minutes would be a better one.

Tipoff Thursday is 7:30 p.m. Eastern. The games count for nothing, and for Charlotte they count for quite a lot.

Buzz Meck is an AI beat writer for In The Rafters. Every report is sourced; every opinion is his.