{"id":2949,"date":"2026-07-07T09:04:23","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T09:04:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=2949"},"modified":"2026-07-07T09:04:23","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T09:04:23","slug":"what-the-hornets-are-saying-about-defending-summer-league-championship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=2949","title":{"rendered":"What the Hornets are saying about defending summer league championship"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before getting down to the task at hand and hopping into more prep work on Monday afternoon, Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr.<\/u><\/a> had an important matter to tend to.<\/p>\n

Read more Charlotte women die after accident in SC lake on July 4 weekend, coroner says<\/a><\/p>\n

The signatures of two of the newest members of the Charlotte Hornets<\/u><\/a> were required, all so they could officially begin their professional journeys. Steinbach and Anderson, selected in the first round of the NBA Draft two weeks ago, signed their respective contracts, locking in their services.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was surreal,\u201d Anderson said, standing in front of a backdrop at The Novant Health Training Center. \u201cJust being able to sign, and put pen to paper and kind of stamp and make it official was a really good feeling. It was everything I thought it would be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller and Moussa Diabate were among the Hornets in attendance<\/u><\/a> as the team\u2019s new duo changed their lives forever with the flicks of a wrist. Steinbach even showed a rare bit of emotion, smiling briefly as Knueppel, Miller and others applauded.<\/p>\n

Finally, the dream is officially realized.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it was kind of surreal,\u201d Steinbach said. \u201cIt\u2019s just like putting your pen to paper finally. But yeah, just really enjoyed the moment. It was really cool, just to like finally see it on paper.\u201d<\/p>\n

There wasn\u2019t much time to celebrate, though.<\/p>\n

With the NBA\u2019s Las Vegas Summer League set to tip off on Thursday, Steinbach and Anderson went right to work, practicing with the Hornets\u2019 crew seeking to repeat<\/u><\/a> after last year\u2019s impressive run all the way to capturing the franchise\u2019s first summer league title.<\/p>\n

Charlotte begins its quest to repeat at 7:30 p.m. ET when it takes on the Orlando Magic at Cox Pavilion on the campus of UNLV. The preparations are underway before the team \u2014 which also features Tidjane Sala\u00fcn<\/u><\/a>, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Sion James and Liam McNeeley<\/u><\/a> \u2014 heads to the desert on Wednesday and they\u2019ve already discussed expectations.<\/p>\n

Blaine Mueller, an assistant under coach Charles Lee, has been tabbed as the Hornets\u2019 summer league head coach and delivered his perspective on where things stand leading into the opener.<\/p>\n

\u201cSummer league, some teams or organizations may not view it as something serious, and I think we do,\u201d Mueller said. \u201cWe value it. We know it\u2019s a huge opportunity for our guys and obviously we\u2019re defending champions. But we talked about not trying to repeat an outcome, but repeat a process.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo all those things that we discuss in terms of our daily process, the winning habits that we\u2019re developing, that\u2019s the process that we want to repeat. And that\u2019s going to give us the best opportunity to repeat the outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

That message was received by Anderson.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, (being) a champion, winning that is going to be the byproduct of how we get after it in practice,\u201d Anderson said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be how fast we grasp concepts, how good we work together as a team and how fast we\u2019re able to adjust and make decisions when we\u2019re on the court. So, I feel like just getting the best we can at all, if we are really good at it, the byproduct of it is to win a championship.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suiting up in the desert is the first step for Steinbach and Anderson to leave their impressions on the staff in game action. The duo is already soaking in as much knowledge as possible, trying to pick up on strategy and master some of the Hornets\u2019 philosophies.<\/p>\n

Read more Dual roundabout project in NW Charlotte to require road closures over coming weeks<\/a><\/p>\n

Sounds like they\u2019re quick learners.<\/p>\n

\u201cReally mature offensive games for both guys,\u201d Mueller said. \u201cReally polished. Christian\u2019s ability to create for himself and for others has been very apparent. Hannes as well. He has a great feel, in terms of his playmaking and passing in the post and on the seam for him, and a really good feel in terms of the spacing as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, both guys are really high IQ players that have picked up the changes that we\u2019ve made quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anderson was the final one in the gym, spending nearly a good dozen or so minutes seated next to Hornets assistant coach Ryan Frazier, chatting for a lengthy spell while going over some things. Chalk it up as another part of the acclimation process, which doesn\u2019t seem to be fazing the newest Hornets\u2019 all that much.<\/p>\n

In fact, they\u2019re enjoying their transition to living in Charlotte.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really like it so far,\u201d Steinbach said. \u201cIt\u2019s a little bit hot for me, maybe. But, yeah, no the city makes a good impression. I\u2019m excited to finally really settle into my apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the lifting of the NBA\u2019s annual moratorium on Monday, the Hornets announced a flurry of previously-reported transactions that became official.<\/p>\n

Besides inking Steinbach and Anderson, the Hornets also signed Coby White to the new deal that kept the North Carolina native from hitting the unrestricted free agent market<\/u><\/a>. White\u2019s pact is for three years, $74 million.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Charlotte officially signed forward Michael Ajayi and guard Kylan Boswell to two-way contracts. That means all three two-way slots are filled, with PJ Hall holding the other, and the roster sits at 20 \u2014 one below the offseason maximum.<\/p>\n

Ajayi averaged 16.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game for Butler last season. Boswell posted 12.3 points, four rebounds and three assists last season for Illinois.<\/p>\n

Also, the acquisition of Dorian Finney-Smith<\/a> and second-round draft picks in 2027, 2028 and 2033 for cash considerations went through. By adding to its treasure trove, Charlotte now boasts 18 second-round picks over the next seven seasons.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unlikely Finney-Smith will suit up for the Hornets, though, league sources told The Charlotte Observer. He was essentially a salary dump by the Houston Rockets and isn\u2019t viewed as part of the team\u2019s long-term vision, especially with the final two years of his contract beyond 2026-27 non-guaranteed.<\/p>\n

As for the blockbuster trade sending LaMelo Ball<\/u><\/a> and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps and three second-round picks, it hasn\u2019t been finalized but appears to be on track to be completed soon.<\/p>\n

Read more Steve McBee Makes 1st \u2018McBee Dynasty\u2019 Season 3 Appearance Ahead of Jail Time<\/a><\/p>\n

Same goes for the Miles Bridges\u2019 trade<\/a> to Phoenix.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hornets announced transactions including Hannes Steinbach, Christian Anderson, Michael Ajayi, Kylan Boswell, Coby White and Dorian Finney-Smith.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2948,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat the Hornets are saying about defending summer league championship - \u0421harlotte Relocation Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=2949\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What the Hornets are saying about defending summer league championship - 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