Hornets Waive Mouhamadou Gueye
The Charlotte Hornets waived forward/center Mouhamadou Gueye, the team announced, after acquiring him from Chicago in the July 10 four-team deal that also involved Minnesota and Brooklyn. Gueye was included largely for transaction mechanics, and his non-guaranteed 2026-27 salary made him an expected cut with Charlotte facing an offseason roster crunch. The 28-year-old has appeared in 13 NBA games, including two with Chicago last season, and averaged 15.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks across 34 regular-season G League games for Windy City. Valencia Basket has already announced a deal with Gueye through June 30, 2027, so there is no NBA fantasy fallout here.
Source: Brett Siegel
Source: Brett Siegel
Hannes Steinbach Grabs Double-Double in Loss to Sacramento
Charlotte Hornets forward/center Hannes Steinbach logged his third Summer League double-double in Friday's 92-90 loss to the Kings, going for 22 points and 11 rebounds on 7-for-10 shooting with one steal over 29 minutes. The No. 14 pick now has three double-doubles in five Vegas games, backing a college season at Washington that produced 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds a night. His work on the glass is the sort of skill that carries over immediately, and on a rebuilding Charlotte team without much settled frontcourt production, that alone should earn a lottery pick early looks. The scoring polish can develop from there.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
Hannes Steinbach Registers Double-Double
Charlotte Hornets forward/center Hannes Steinbach put on a show during Wednesday's Summer League contest against the Milwaukee Bucks. He finished with 27 points (13-of-22 FGs), 15 rebounds, and three assists during Wednesday's loss. The Hornets gave Steinbach the keys to the offense, and he delivered during this game. It's only the Summer League, but Steinbach is showing early on that he can be a tremendous asset to the Hornets this season. He could very well force his way into the starting five if he continues to post numbers like these throughout the Summer League. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on the big man this upcoming season.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Hannes Steinbach Leads Charlotte Bench Against Magic
Charlotte Hornets forward/center Hannes Steinbach registered 15 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one steal across 22 minutes in Thursday's 86-74 Summer League win over the Orlando Magic. The No. 14 overall pick led Charlotte's bench and shot 4-for-7 from the field while going 4-for-4 at the free-throw line. Steinbach averaged 18.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and 1.1 steals at Washington last season, so the rebounding and defensive stats are the key fantasy signals. He still needs a steady regular-season role, but his activity gives him a useful category profile.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
Dorian Finney-Smith Unlikely to Suit Up for the Hornets
Charlotte Hornets forward Dorian Finney-Smith is unlikely to ever suit up for his new team, Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer reports, now that the salary-dump trade sending him from Houston is official and Charlotte has sent cash considerations to complete it. The Hornets took on his contract purely for draft capital and are expected to waive, buy out, or flip the veteran, making him available to contenders soon. For fantasy, keep expectations low. Finney-Smith is a 33-year-old 3-and-D wing coming off the worst season of his career, as offseason ankle surgery held him to 37 games and a career-worst 27.0 percent from three, far off his 35.9 percent career mark. The only thing to track is where he signs next. Even in a good spot, a healthy Finney-Smith is a back-end 3-and-D wing, not a fantasy piece, and right now he's a long way from healthy and productive.
Source: Rod Boone
Source: Rod Boone
Dorian Finney-Smith Moved to Charlotte
Houston Rockets forward Dorian Finney-Smith was traded to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. According to Shams Charania, Finney-Smith will go to Charlotte in exchange for three second-round picks. The veteran forward still has three years left on his deal, with the final year being a $13.3 million player option. The Rockets wanted to create cap space, which moving off Finney-Smith's contract certainly does for Houston. The veteran forward had a down year last season, but is normally a viable two-way player. His fantasy value will be dependent on where he shakes out in the rotation.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Royce O'Neale Dealt to the Hornets
Phoenix Suns forward Royce O'Neale has been traded to the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday, according to Shams Charania. The Suns are trading O'Neale, Grayson Allen, and a 2033 first-round pick to Charlotte in exchange for Miles Bridges and a pair of draft picks. The addition of O'Neale is a solid move by the Hornets, even if it doesn't look flashy on paper. Last season, O'Neale averaged career highs in points (9.8) and three-pointers (2.7) while posting 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals. He's not a superstar player, but should be a solid 3-and-D option for the Hornets. His overall fantasy value will be dependent on where he lands in the rotation.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Miles Bridges Traded to the Suns
Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges was traded to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, according to Shams Charania. The Hornets are sending Bridges and a 2029 first-round pick, and a 2027 second-round pick to the Suns for Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale, and a 2033 first-round pick. The Hornets have now traded two of their biggest pieces in less than a week. Bridges has been a reliable contributor for the Hornets since joining the team in 2018. This past season, Bridges averaged 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists across 31.0 minutes per game in 77 contests. He's entering the final year of his contract, which is likely why the Hornets didn't get a huge return on him. The expectation is that Bridges will move into the starting five, which will limit the overall value of Dillon Brooks. This isn't a terrible landing spot for Bridges, but the Suns do have Devin Booker and Jalen Green as their primary scoring options. Bridges might see a slight downturn in value with the move to Phoenix.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Naz Reid Traded to the Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets acquired big man Naz Reid as part of the blockbuster trade sending LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 26-year-old averaged 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 45.6 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from deep for Minnesota last season. Reid's fantasy outlook gets more interesting with the Hornets, especially if Charlotte gives him a bigger frontcourt role after years of sharing touches in Minnesota. Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel should see more creation chances with Ball gone, but Reid gives the roster a proven floor-spacing big who can score without needing plays called for him.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Charlotte Nabs Hannes Steinbach With Final Pick of the Lottery
The Charlotte Hornets selected power forward Hannes Steinbach with the 14th pick of the 2026 NBA Draft. Steinbach becomes the final selection of the lottery and joins a Charlotte team loaded with young talent, but a thinner frontcourt. The physical forward averaged a double-double for the Washington Huskies last season, putting up 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. The German native also flashed a three-point touch, converting at a 34% clip. Steinbach will likely play behind starting center Moussa Diabate, but he brings flexibility to the Hornets' rotation next season.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
Miles Bridges Could be Available This Summer
Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges was the subject of trade rumors this past season. There was speculation that Bridges would be moved at the trade deadline. That didn't happen, but Bridges still might end up being moved ahead of this year's draft. The veteran forward is heading into the final year of his deal and has a $22.8 million cap hit for next season. The Hornets hold two first-round picks and might be able to use one of those and Bridges to move up in the draft. Last season, Bridges averaged 171. points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists across 31.0 minutes per game in 77 contests. It wouldn't be shocking to see Bridges playing in another uniform next season, but his fantasy value will be dependent on where he lands.
Source: Sports Illustrated
Source: Sports Illustrated
Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel Headline All-Rookie Team
The NBA released its 2025-2026 Kia NBA All-Rookie Team on Wednesday. A media panel of 100 voters selects five players to the First-Team and five players to the Second-Team. Unsurprisingly, this year's Rookie of the Year, Cooper Flagg from the Dallas Mavericks, was selected to the First-Team. He'll be joined by Kon Knueppel, VJ Edgecombe, Dylan Harper, and Cedric Coward. The Second-Team is headlined by Utah Jazz forward Ace Bailey. He's joined by a pair of New Orleans Pelicans in Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen. Collin Murray-Boyles and Maxime Raynaud will round out this year's Second-Team.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
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