The Hornets Tried to Strike a Draft Night Trade with the Golden State Warriors

The Charlotte Hornets were very interested in the plethora of big men in their drafting range at the 2026 NBA draft. They ultimately selected Hannes Steinbach 14th overall, but they had their pick of Steinbach, Karim Lopez, Jayden Quaintance, or Chris Cenac Jr.

They did not get the chance to choose Yaxel Lendeborg, the Michigan forward they had eyes on before the draft. He was selected 11th overall by the Golden State Warriors. Reportedly, the Hornets were one of two teams that called and offered a package for the 11th pick.

ESPN's Anthony Slater reported, "The Warriors liked their pivot option [from Brayden Burries] -- Lendeborg, a 6-foot-9 Michigan wing who was next on their collective big board -- but Dunleavy wanted to entertain trade calls until the last minute."

He continued, "The Charlotte Hornets and Thunder were among those inquiring about a trade up -- the Hornets offering the 14th selection and a future pick, the Thunder floating a swap of the 12th and 11th pick for some future seconds, league sources said."

Now, that doesn't necessarily mean they were surely in on Lendeborg, but it is likely given their interest in the pre-draft process. They could have also selected Aday Mara, another player they had interest in, or Nate Ament.

In theory, they could've been moving up for Steinbach if they didn't believe he'd fall before he ultimately did. We'll never know exactly what the Hornets were planning to do with the 11th pick, but they wanted it.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver announces the eleventh pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While there are a lot of reasons to be excited about those prospects, namely Lendeborg and Mara, the Hornets might've ended up getting the best option anyway. Steinbach is an elite rebounder, and he had a good enough summer that the Hornets should be thrilled with the pick.

Lendeborg is a good player, but he has some major red flags, starting with his age. He'll be 24 before the season starts, and lottery picks that old by the time they make their NBA debut have a history of not working out.

Look at it this way: Lendeborg was in the same recruiting class as Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley, two players who have long NBA careers already. The Hornets may have dodged a bullet.

Mara, on the other hand, didn't have as many red flags. He's huge, but that can come with downsides, and he was viewed as a limited defender due to a lack of mobility. Time will tell if that matters, and he may end up better than Steinbach, but the Hornets should be happy with how it turned out.

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