Charlotte

Hornets

While details of the contract were not disclosed, Mbeng is most likely joining the Hornets on an Exhibit 10 contract. He appeared in 15 NBA games with the Jazz last season, starting five, and averaged 8.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.3 steals in 32.8 minutes. Given Charlotte’s depth in the backcourt, Mbeng is likely to spend most of his time in the G League. With the Sioux Falls Skyforce currently holding his G League rights, the Hornets would need to make a deal with them to get Mbeng to Greensboro.

Miller, who missed 13 games early last season after suffering a subluxation of his left shoulder, underwent surgery in May to address instability in the area. While he still has not been fully cleared to resume basketball activities, the 6-foot-7 wing is making strides in his recovery. “It’s going good, going good,” Miller told the Charlotte Observer. “I’m getting stronger. That’s all I can ask for. The stronger I get, the more mobile I am with the shoulder and that is the most important thing.” With the Hornets moving on from LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges this summer, Miller’s role will expand next season, raising his fantasy ceiling.

The Cavaliers also sent cash considerations to the Hornets as part of the deal. According to various reports, the Cavaliers had been trying to offload Schröder’s contract since the NBA Draft. In this trade, they’ll save around $6 million in cap space. The Hornets will upgrade their backcourt depth here in the wake of trading LaMelo Ball to the Timberwolves. Charlotte will be Schröder’s 12th team, bringing him one away from tying Ish Smith’s record for most teams played for. The 32-year-old point guard averaged 10.8 points and 4.9 assists in 70 games last season.

Steinbach went off for his first monster game of Summer League, though it wasn’t enough for the Hornets to beat the Bucks. The 20-year-old power forward showed his tremendous fantasy upside as he was relentless on the offensive end with 27 points and seven offensive rebounds. Steinbach will be in Charlotte’s big man rotation right away and has incredible potential if he ends up starting.

After shooting 2-of-11 from the field in his summer debut on Thursday, Anderson was better on Saturday. The 18th overall pick in last month’s draft, he shot 2-of-8 from beyond the arc and 5-of-14 overall. More concerning than the shooting was Anderson not recording an assist, but the fact that Sion James and Liam McNeeley also took on playmaking responsibilities was a factor. With the Hornets re-signing Coby White, Anderson will have time to develop, so fantasy managers should not be too concerned by his slow start in Las Vegas.

After attempting just four shots on Thursday, Salaün was more aggressive in hunting his shot on Saturday. Unfortunately, the Hornets forward was 1-of-7 from beyond the arc. The good news was that Salaün was active on the boards, and that’s an area where he’ll need to step up to earn rotation minutes next season. Even with the Hornets moving Miles Bridges, they added Naz Reid via trade and Hannes Steinbach via the draft. As a result, there’s more competition for Salaün going into next season.

After shooting 2-of-10 from inside the arc on Thursday, McNeeley was 2-of-3 on Saturday in a quieter offensive performance. He still shot the ball relatively well, but the second-year wing recorded six turnovers against the Pelicans. That said, summer league is a place where players like McNeeley can be more aggressive offensively, and mistakes will come with that. He’s looked good overall, an encouraging sight after McNeeley didn’t play much as a rookie.

McNeeley was a star in his two summer league performances last year, but he didn’t contribute much during his rookie season. However, he showcased that same shooting touch that he had in Las Vegas last summer once again. He was just 2-of-10 inside the three-point line, which is concerning, but his strength is his deep-range shot. If he’s going to crack the Hornets’ rotation this year, it’s going to be because of his shot.

Kalkbrenner was solid for the Hornets as a rookie, especially early on. He showcased more playmaking in this game than he did as a rookie, but he also did a lot of the things that he did as a rookie. Shot blocking, rebounding and interior shooting were all strengths for Kalkbrenner last season, and he should once again be in the center rotation for Charlotte this season alongside Moussa Diabate, Naz Reid and Hannes Steinbach.

Salaün entered the league as a raw prospect and didn’t contribute much through his first two seasons, which is why he is playing in summer league in year three. He didn’t dominate during his 22 minutes, but he was solid. Still, if Salaün continues to play this summer, the hope is that he shows he’s significantly better than everyone else since he has two NBA seasons under his belt. However, it’s easy to forget that Salaün is younger than quite a few players that were drafted in the first round. There is still time for him to figure things out.