The Charlotte Hornets closed their Las Vegas schedule Friday night with a 92-90 loss to the Sacramento Kings, finishing Summer League at 1-4 a year after winning the Vegas title. Hannes Steinbach led Charlotte with 22 points and 11 rebounds, and fellow rookie Christian Anderson handed out eight assists.
The record is the part Charlotte will happily forget. Steinbach is the part worth keeping. The No. 14 pick out of Washington opened the tournament with 15 points and 11 rebounds against Orlando, put up 27 and 15 on Milwaukee on Wednesday, and closed with Friday’s 22 and 11 — double-doubles in the opener, the Milwaukee game and the finale. Whatever else went wrong around the German big man as the Hornets dropped their last four games, he kept producing on the glass and got to his spots on offense without needing plays called for him.
Anderson’s eight assists were the other encouraging thread in the finale. The No. 18 pick has had the ball in his hands plenty during this trip, and a near-upset of a Kings group that came in with the same 1-3 record at least ended things on a competitive note. Both teams were playing in the consolation bracket after missing the four-team playoff that begins Saturday.
The context for the 1-4 mark matters: this was a younger group than the one that won the 2025 title, built around two rookies, second-year pieces, and a third summer for Tidjane Salaun. Development showed up where Charlotte needed it most — in the two lottery picks — even as the wins did not.
For fantasy purposes, Steinbach’s July is a dynasty note more than a redraft one. A rebounding floor like the one he showed in Vegas eventually forces its way into a rotation, but Charlotte’s frontcourt minutes will be contested in October and his redraft value is thin until the role clarifies. Anderson is a deep-dynasty stash for managers who value passing feel over immediate opportunity.
