5 Charlotte Hornets With the Most to Gain in Summer League

Who could really leave their mark?

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Summer League is a land of opportunity. It gives rookies, undrafted players, overseas guys, G-Leaguers, and many other players the chance to show NBA teams they're worthy of a spot within their organization.

At the same time, NBA teams turn over every stone to find players around the globe they want to see up close. They call up players who don't see any game time and never touch an NBA court, and they call up players who earn themselves a contract and turn into serious competitors.

One of those NBA teams is, of course, the Charlotte Hornets, the reigning Summer League champions. And their roster this year, while not quite as strong as last year's, has a lot of promise.

Who exactly has the most to prove though? We'll find out over the course of this article!

Who didn't make the list and why?

Hannes Steinbach & Christian Anderson Jr. - The two rookies will be playing rotational NBA minutes next season the way the Hornets roster is constructed right now. A good summer league outing could earn them a tiny bit more playing time, but as it's their first year, the impact on their career won't be as big.

Kylan Boswell, Michael Ajayi, Wyatt Fricks, Max MacKinnon - None of them are older than 23 and all of them are heading into their first Summer League fresh out of college - this quartet of players has some expectations. But their age and statistical profiles suggest they'll get a chance to hang around the G-League next year.

A catastrophic performance might take that chance away, and a fantastic one might earn them a handful of NBA games. But that's about as far as the pendulum swings here.

Terrell Brown Jr., Josiah Allick - A pair of G-League champions with the Greensboro Swarm, Brown Jr. and Allick are familiar with the organization.

At the same time, the organization is familiar with them. The Hornets have gotten many chances to look at them in training sessions and G-League games. They know how coachable, dedicated, and motivated they are. Any outlier games by them this summer, whether good or bad, won't change that.

Sion James - James proved himself to be a legit NBA player last year, and he possesses qualities that the Hornets desperately need on their roster right now. Unless he looks absolutely horrid, he will keep his allocated minutes from last season.

5. Ryan Kalkbrenner

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Like James, Kalkbrenner did play a bunch last season. But unlike James, he hasn't proven to have a standout skill the Hornets need in their rotation. And with the additions of Naz Reid and Hannes Steinbach, Kalkbrenner's spot in the rotation isn't all that secure anymore.

Two things he could do to bolster his stock in the Summer League: 1) Play well alongside Hannes Steinbach, proving he can play off another more offensive-minded big. 2) Look more comfortable defensively in drop coverage, contest and deflect a bunch of shots.

Otherwise, it's very probable that Steinbach laps Kalkbrenner in the rotation early on.

4. Cameron Matthews

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Matthews went undrafted in 2025 after five reliable years at Mississippi State and spent last season with the Houston Rockets' G-League affiliate. It was a fine campaign for the soon-to-be 25-year-old, but far from eye-popping.

Standing at 6 feet 7, he offers a unique combination of mobility, strength, and size. His bulky frame enables him to defend big men, but he can just as well play in more aggressive ball-screen coverages thanks to his relatively quick feet.

Offensively, Matthews isn't much of a scorer; his stroke from deep is shaky at best. But he can facilitate the ball fairly well, rarely making extraordinary passes but very consistently making good reads in his offense's scheme.

If the former Bulldog wants to stay around the NBA, he'd do very well showcasing his defensive versatility for the Hornets in the upcoming days and contribute a bit offensively while he's at it.

3. Latrell Wrightsell Jr.

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Wrightsell is one of the last beneficiaries of the extra eligibility COVID year and also redshirted one season because of a torn Achilles tendon. Because of that, even though he's fresh out of college, he's already 24 years old.

That gives him very little time to make a positive impression in an NBA environment. But there's some reason to believe Wrightsell can earn himself a G-League roster spot. For starters, he's a lightning-quick guard dead-eye shooter.

Over his last four college years, three of those with Alabama, he shot 39.4% from deep on 6.2 attempts per game. He's got NBA range too, frequently connecting from far beyond the three-point line.

What remains to be seen is what else he could bring to the Hornets organization. His threes are almost all assisted, and apart from a low turnover percentage and solid assist numbers, there's not much that stands out offensively.

To put himself on the radar of NBA teams, Wrightsell's Summer League needs to consist of made threes, some solid tertiary playmaking, and spirited defense.

2. Liam McNeeley

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As the Hornets' roster fills up with trade acquisitions and more rookies, there's less and less space for players who cannot contribute at this very moment.

One of those players seems to be Liam McNeeley, who undoubtedly has tons of upside left at 20 years old but hasn't proven to be NBA-ready just yet.

Should he want to avoid the inevitable roster crunch, this Summer League is his best opportunity to do so. Even more so if he works particularly well alongside fellow youngsters Kalkbrenner, Steinbach, James, and Anderson Jr.

The more chemistry he can develop with them, the more reason for Charles Lee to give him a shot alongside them in regular-season NBA games.

1. Tidjane Salaün

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Tidjane Salaün has had to endure a lot of criticism since being drafted by the Hornets in 2024. And to his credit, he's made some big strides since. But it hasn't been enough to justify giving him regular NBA minutes, and similarly to McNeeley, there just aren't enough spots to keep numerous projects on the roster.

What McNeeley has over Salaün is that he's a little bit younger and hasn't had as much time to adjust to the NBA. If either had to be cut or traded, it would probably come down to Tidjane.

Not all hope is lost, though. Over certain stretches last season, the Frenchman played with confidence and shot the ball well, all while making plays in transition. It'll take that version out of him this Summer League, ideally with more refined footwork and some self-creation against weaker opponents.

Salaün is a very gifted player, whose athleticism and general feel for the game are often underrated. But he doesn't have much longer left to make a feasible impact. As a matter of fact, if he can't do it now, he might never do it in a Hornets jersey.

To hear a detailed analysis of the full Hornets' summer league roster, you can listen to the corresponding episode of the official Hornets on SI podcast HERE!

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