Former Washington Huskies forward Hannes Steinbach is still awaiting his NBA regular-season debut after the 2026 first-round pick sat on the bench in the Charlotte Hornets' 110-103 victory Wednesday over the Brooklyn Nets.
Steinbach, the No. 14 pick in June's draft, was one of three players who did not play in the Hornets' season opener under third-year coach Charles Lee, along with 2024 first-round pick Tidjane Salaun and third-year reserve center PJ Hall.
The 6-foot-11 Würzburg, Germany native played in all four of Charlotte's preseason games, which included a double-double performance with 19 points and 10 rebounds over 28 minutes in the Hornets' 116-98 preseason finale loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Hornets rookie Hannes Steinbach had an impressive showing tonight despite the loss:
— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) October 17, 2026
19 PTS, 10 REB, 3 STL, 7/9 FG, 5/5 FT, 85 TS%
+4 in a 18 point loss. pic.twitter.com/McyoJW4Ayv
However, his first three outings saw the ex-Husky average 5.6 points in 10.6 minutes against the Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics. With the inconsistency at this early stage and the Hornets' depth ahead of the rookie forward, there could be an opportunity to break into the 10-man rotation at some point this season, but it might not be in the near future.
"All training camp, all preseason, we've talked about doing this thing by committee," Lee said after the Hornets' win Wednesday night. "We need everybody. We need all hands on deck. Unfortunately, if someone is injured, the next guy has to step up and be ready to impact the game. Because these guys all work so hard and they're obsessed with their daily improvement, I know that they've earned the trust of myself and the coaching staff."
Steinbach proved to be one of the best big men in the Big Ten in his lone season with the Huskies in 2025-26. The first-year forward led the nation in double-doubles with 22 and set a UW freshman single-season record with 15, showing to be a dominant force averaging 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds over 30 games for Danny Sprinkle in his second season in Seattle.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Former Washington Star Rides Bench as Hornets Begin 2026-27 Season