Hornets ‘Poised' to Lean More on 7-Foot-1 Center After LaMelo Ball Trade
The Charlotte Hornets completed one of the more shocking moves of the offseason, shipping off LaMelo Ball in a blockbuster trade for Naz Reid, an unprotected 2033 first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps, and three future second-round picks.
The Minnesota Timberwolves had been seeking a co-star to pair with Anthony Edwards, while the Hornets are clearly retooling around their young core of Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, and Moussa Diabate.
But all of the moves Charlotte has made this offseason may also hint at more opportunity for another big man, 7-foot-1 center Ryan Kalkbrenner, as highlighted by ESPN’s Ryan Golliver in his latest breakdown of players to watch in the 2026 Summer League.
“Though the Hornets traded LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, re-signed Coby White and added forwards Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale and Dorian Finney-Smith during a busy summer, they haven’t made a major addition at center and appear poised to lean more heavily on Kalkbrenner during his second season,” Golliver wrote.
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Kalkbrenner was selected No. 34 overall in the second round of the 2025 NBA draft after a decorated five-year career at Creighton, where he was a four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year and Naismith Defensive Player of the Year in 2025 after averaging 19.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game.
Kalkbrenner contributed right away. He helped lead the Hornets to a 2025 Las Vegas Summer League championship alongside Knueppel and went on to play a crucial role in Charlotte’s 44-38 season, their first winning campaign since 2022.
Appearing in 69 games, Kalkbrenner averaged 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 21.4 minutes per game, while shooting a whopping 75.3% from the field. He also finished second among all rookies in win shares, behind only Knueppel.
Now, the opportunity is there for him to break out. Charlotte’s first-round pick in 2026, Hannes Steinbach, primarily plays the power forward position, as do Diabate and newcomer Naz Reid. Plus, the Hornets didn’t sign any other centers in free agency, signaling confidence that Kalkbrenner can take another step forward.
He’s already proven himself as an elite rim protector and efficient finisher around the basket, two things that are becoming increasingly important in a league filled with versatile 7-footers.
Now, the next step is proving he can handle starter-level minutes and become a reliable anchor for a Hornets team with playoff aspirations.
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This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 7:47 PM.