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By Anne Erickson
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The Charlotte Hornets are heading back to Las Vegas with a Summer League roster that feels like the next wave.
That's a good thing for Hornets fans.
The team has announced its 2026 Summer League roster, with assistant coach Blaine Mueller taking over as head coach. After getting work in back in Charlotte, the group heads west for the showcase, opening Thursday night, July 9, against the Orlando Magic at Cox Pavilion.
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The schedule has a little bit of everything: Orlando, New Orleans, Boston and Milwaukee, with games spread across Prime and ESPN platforms. The Hornets' Summer League run is presented by Foothills Building Group.
The roster features some familiar faces, including second-year players Sion James and Ryan Kalkbrenner. But don't expect the veterans of the summer squad to spend much time grinding through four-game schedules. James and Kalkbrenner are unlikely to see heavy action, and their stay on the court could be pretty brief, possibly even ending after Thursday's matchup.
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The real intrigue comes from the younger names getting their Vegas stage. Liam McNeeley, Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson headline the group, giving Charlotte a chance to evaluate players who still have plenty to prove and plenty of room to grow.
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Tidjane Salaun and Kalkbrenner are also on the roster, though neither needs a summer-long audition. Their spots feel more about staying sharp than trying to impress scouts with clipboards.
One notable absence is PJ Hall, who will miss Summer League because of an ankle injury. His absence leaves one of Charlotte's two-way spots unrepresented in Vegas, taking away another opportunity for the Hornets to get a closer look at their developmental crew.
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Summer League is always a strange little basketball world that's part evaluation, part audition, part "let's see what happens." Charlotte's is about the future, and Vegas will offer the first hints of what that future might look like.
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