A recent ESPN NBA mock draft predicted the Grizzlies to select Hannes Steinbach
The Washington Huskies men's basketball team was given a tough task this offseason in attempting to replace over half of the roster.
The Huskies lost nine players to the transfer portal, expired eligibility or declaration for the 2026 NBA Draft.
Washington has made several additions in attempts to fill out the roster for the 2026-27 season. But one of the biggest tasks for the Huskies this offseason, regardless of the quantity of players on the team, will be replacing the production from freshman forward Hannes Steinbach.
The Wurzburg, Germany, native played one season with the Huskies and was a near-instant prospect for the '26 draft, with some analysts predicting him to be a lottery pick.
Steinbach, listed at 6-foot-11 and roughly 230 pounds, averaged 18.5 points on 57.7% shooting (34% from 3-point range) across 30 games (all starts) with Washington. He also averaged 11.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. He was second in the nation with double-doubles (22) last year.
The sure-handed big man confirmed he would enter the draft earlier this offseason and it seems like he's already receiving a decent amount of hype.
ESPN's Jeremy Woo released an NBA mock draft Tuesday. In the draft, he predicted Steinbach to go 16th overall to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Woo had the following scouting assessment on Steinbach in the mock draft:
The dependable production floor Steinbach offers stands out in a draft that's lighter on bigs, making him one of the safer options starting in the late lottery. While not a flashy player, his rebounding ability and offensive skill level should allow him to plug in off the bench right away. There are varying opinions on how his defense and shooting (34% from 3) project long-term, and scouts view him as somewhat caught between the 4 and 5 positionally due to his size.
Memphis holds two picks inside the top 20 and has a need for frontcourt depth, something the Grizzlies could look to address with this second selection.
Washington forward Hannes Steinbach dribbles during a game against Oregon on March 7 at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. | Craig Strobeck/Imagn Images.Predictions on where Steinbach will land have varied. Some analysts and mock drafts have him landing just outside the top 10, while others have predicted more than 20 names will hear their name called before the German native.
Regardless of where specifically he'll land, it seems the consensus he'll be a first-round pick.
As Steinbach looks to carve out a professional career, the Huskies will enter this season looking to make their first NCAA tournament since 2019.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
Remember to join our HUSKIES ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Washington fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!