What the Last 10 NBA Drafts Tell the Hornets About Picks 14 Through 18

The Charlotte Hornets decided to use both of their first-round picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, selecting Washington C Hannes Steinbach 14th overall and Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson 18th overall.

This is the latest the Hornets have picked since they took Jalen Duren and then swapped him for Mark Williams in 2022. Charlotte has picked near the top of the board for the better part of this current decade, so it's a little unfamiliar territory.

So, what kind of players are the Hornets getting in Steinbach and Anderson? There's no exact science to it, but to give you diehard NBA fans an idea, I jotted down who the selections were at 14 and 18 over the last 10 drafts, while also listing every pick made in between to widen the list, but also because those players were picked in the neighborhood.

Let's dive in.

The last ten picks at No. 14

Apr 12, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami heat forward Bam Adebayo (13) dribbles against Atlanta Hawks center Christian Koloko (35) during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Carter Bryant (2025), Bub Carrington (2024), Jordan Hawkins (2023), Ochai Agbaji (2022), Moses Moody (2021), Aaron Nesmith (2020), Romeo Langford (2019), Michael Porter Jr. (2018), Bam Adebayo (2017), Denzel Valentine (2016).

The biggest success stories here are Michael Porter Jr. and Bam Adebayo. Aaron Nesmith has churned out a pretty solid career, and Bub Carrington has the looks of being a solid player in the league, although it's too early to tell on him. The Hornets would be thrilled to get Bam Adebayo-level production out of Hannes Steinbach. Obviously, the two players are very different, but you get the point — a multi-time All-Star and one of the best players in the league at his position. That shouldn't be the expectation, though.

The picks in between over the last 10 drafts

2016: Juancho Hernangomez, Guerschon Yabusele, Wade Baldwin

2017: Justin Jackson, Justin Patton, DJ. Wilson

2018: Troy Brown Jr., Zhaire Smith, Donte DiVencenzo

2019: Sekou Doumbouya, Chuma Okeke, Nickeil Alexander-Walker

2020: Cole Anthony, Isaiah Stewart, Aleksej Pokusevski

2021: Corey Kispert, Alperen Sengun, Trey Murphy III

2022: Mark Williams, AJ Griffin, Tari Eason

2023: Kobe Bufkin, Keyonte George, Jalen Hood-Schifino

2024: Kel’el Ware, Jared McCain, Dalton Knecht

2025: Thomas Sorber, Yang Hansen, Joan Beringer

This group, in my opinion, gives the best example of what Charlotte could be getting in Steinbach and Anderson because it's the same range, and you have more examples to pull from. Plenty of rock-solid talents here like Donte DiVencenzo, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Isaiah Stewart, Alperen Sengun, Trey Murphy III, Keyonte George, and Kel’el Ware.

The last ten picks at No. 18

Apr 7, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Josh Green (10) warms up before the start of the game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Walter Clayton (2025), Tristan Da Silva (2024), Jaime Jacquez Jr. (2023), Dalen Terry (2022), Tre Mann (2021), Josh Green (2020), Goga Bitadze (2019), Lonnie Walker IV (2018), T.J. Leaf (2017), Henry Ellenson (2016).

A couple of familiar names here for Hornets fans with Tre Mann and Josh Green, although neither was drafted by Charlotte. It's a little wild to think that the No. 18 pick has produced better players in the past 10 drafts, but here we are. Good news for Christian Anderson Jr., though. The level of impact varies with this group, but it's clear that you can still land a high-quality piece at this spot.

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