Hannes Steinbach Could be the NBA’s Next Big German-Born Star
On May 1st, the NBA Draft Combine invite list, 73 names long, was released, and it included somebody who turned 20-years-old that day: University of Washington power forward Hannes Steinbach.
Not everyone who was invited to participate in the event, which takes place May 10-17, will stay in the draft process, but Steinbach most certainly will.
It all leads up to the 2026 NBA Draft, where 60 players will hear their names get called, over the span of June 23rd-24th.
Steinbach is a projected top 10-15 prospect, and he’s almost certain to go somewhere in the lottery (first 14 picks), which are the most prestigious selections of all.
Steinbach should likely be the second Big Ten player off the boards, behind only Keaton Wagler from Illinois. The Wurzburg, Germany native is 6’11”, with an ability to shoot the three, and that’s exactly what the league wants right now. The NBA loves bigs who often shoot from the perimeter.
He also led all of college basketball in rebounding this past season, and that ability to clean the glass has only augmented his draft stock even more.
Strong Mentorship
Despite having played just one year of college ball, Steinbach is pro-ready right now thanks to the great mentorship he’s enjoyed throughout his life.
He credits his youth coaches in Germany for his rapid development.
“They played professionally in Germany,” Steinbach said in an exclusive with Ratings. “My youth coach for the last four years has played the most games in the German League. So he’s been a pro for really long.
“So him just having me for four years, being kind of a mentor for me (helped me out a lot).”
Those coaches include his father, former Würzburg Bundesliga player Burkhard Steinbach, who brought him into the Würzburg Baskets youth program.
His list of mentors also includes the first true German-born star in NBA history, Detlef Schrempf. A three-time All-Star and back-to-back winner of the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, Schrempf also played for the Huskies at UW.
Steinbach credits Schrempf for being “there to kind of just help me and just give me security.”
He then added: “I have somebody I can talk to, so that was really good.”
Other than Dirk Nowitzki, Schrempf is arguably the greatest German-born player in basketball history.
Another factor working in his favor is the season that he spent in the Bundesliga with Wurzburg. During the 2024-25 campaign, he honed his skills against more seasoned opponents.
“I played against grown men there, so it really helped, just having that kind of experience,” Steinbach added.
Wurzburg is a really small town, so moving to a big city like Seattle, with a very hipster reputation, was quite the adjustment for him.
Seattle is on the other side of the world, both literally and culturally, from where he grew up.
“It’s really cool outside of the rain, which was pretty annoying,” Steinbach joked with us this postseason. “But, no, living in a big city was kind of new for me, because where I’m from was like a small town, or, like a small village.
“So that was pretty cool to experience for the first time.”
Versatility for the Next Level
Steinbach is an extremely versatile player who was named to the All-Big Ten third team and the All-Big Ten Freshman team. He also broke the Big Ten freshman record with 20 double-doubles.
He also has a ton of international experience at the youth level, winning gold at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket and silver at the FIBA U19 World Cup. Steinbach also achieved a bronze medal with the German national team at the AST World U18 Tournament in 2024.
“That’s always the most fun,” he said of international competition helping to shape his game.
“Because this group that we have (had) the last three years, always been together, and really close off the court too. So winning the European Championship with them two years ago and coming in second this past summer in the World Cup was a really great experience.”
Steinbach is known for his really easygoing personality, very strong work ethic, and extremely grounded outlook, making him a great prospect both on and off the court.
These traits should help him immensely with NBA scouts and personnel, as he should likely ace the interview portion of the combine.
Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard said he doesn’t know Steinbach personally, but added that he’s heard nothing but great things about Steinbach as a person.
We asked him what kind of player a given NBA team would be getting if they drafted him.
“Obviously, the measurables he has, you look at length, bounce off the floor,” Gard said after his team had just eliminated the Huskies in the Big Ten Tournament.
“His hands are terrific. He’s got big hands. I think they make those decisions on those internal things, but for a kid that age to be able to do the things he’s done and how he plays — I mean, I was impressed with him before he ever got to Washington, when he was playing in the Euro stuff.”
Reflections on the Season
Steinbach described his individual game strengths as rebounding and finishing at the basket. Conversely, he also discussed what he needs to work on—some aspects of his defense and his overall shooting ability.
We also asked him to look back on his one season at UW and reflect on the highs and lows.
“The games where we, as a team, played together and always stuck together,” he responded.
“It doesn’t matter what the score is, we just came back and made it a close game in the end. So I would say these are the highs.
“I think the lows are games at home that we didn’t like look like ourselves, for example, Penn State, or against Wisconsin, we didn’t really look like a team that we want to be.”