Simply as an increasing number of European gamers have been heading to the NBA lately, an increasing number of NBA gamers have discovered new homes in Europe. Amongst those that have leap throughout the Atlantic prior to now ten years, there are lots of former Charlotte Hornets. A lot, in actual fact, that we should outline fundamental guidelines earlier than beginning this checklist.
We’ll solely embrace gamers who performed a minimum of one NBA match within the common season in a Hornets or Bobcats jersey and type them out of look. As well as, the participant should have performed a minimum of one match in a European competitors this season. Let’s begin!
Presently: Dreamland Gran Canaria (Spain | 54g- 9.3 pts, 5.2 Reb, 1.2 AST)
Mike Tobey was a hope of D-League in 2016-2017 and performed in two NBA video games when he was on a ten-day contract. Issues didn’t work for him within the affiliation, when he was transferred to Spain on the finish of the identical season.
Tobey has now been a pillar of European basketball for eight years, taking part in in Euro and Champions League, in addition to in Eurocup. In 2021, the tall man knowledgeable of the photographs obtained Slovenian citizenship and infrequently began alongside Luka Doncic within the nationwide crew since then.
Presently: Treviso basket (Italy | 27 GS – 11.0 pts, 2.3 Reb, 0.9 AST)
Persevering with the development of unrelated gamers, Macura didn’t acquire her identify entitled in 2018 after spending 4 years at Xavier. The Hornets recovered it on a two-way contract that summer time. Macura has primarily performed within the G-League, excluding two important appearances when it comes to waste.
After one other NBA incident season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the previous Huge East sixth Man of the 12 months went to Turkey for another season, earlier than settling in Italy, the place he was a dependable contributor for 2 golf equipment midway up since.
Presently: Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius (Lithuania | 33 GS – 8.9 pts, 3.2 Reb, 0.7 AST)
The fifty fifth alternative on the NBA 2018 NBA draft, Kulboka was not instantly signed, fixing a two-way contract to begin the 2021-222 season. He spent most of this season with the G-League subsidiary of the Hornets in Greensboro earlier than returning to Europe subsequent summer time.
The Lithuanian spent a 12 months every in Greece and Latvia, however lastly returned to his nation of origin final summer time. For Vilnius, Kulboka is a stable bench and infrequently shares the sector with a participant to which we could have later!
Presently: Partizan Belgrade (Serbia | 40 GS 6.8 pts, 1.6 Reb, 2.1 AST)
A big current restoration bust, Ntilikina’s offensive gaps prevented it from turning into a pillar of the NBA. Hoping that it might add an important protection to the offensive rear space, the Hornets introduced Ntilikina for the 2023-24 season.
These plans didn’t materialize, as a result of the Frenchman was injured earlier than the beginning of the season and performed solely a big whole of 5 video games. After the expiration of his one 12 months contract, he headed for Partizan Belgrade, Partizan Belgrade. He had a so-so season, by no means actually taking part in constant minutes.
The gamers ex-MAVs Frank Ntilikina steals the ball within the final seconds and shoots for the victory …….
Supply: IG / SPORT.KLUB pic.twitter.com/o0t4ezSp0
– D⁷⁷ 🇸🇮 (@ _DP75) October 24, 2024
Presently: Partizan Belgrade (Serbia | 53 GS – 5.5 pts, 2.7 Reb, 1.2 AST)
Pokusevski entered the NBA in 2020 as a phenomenon, a pioneer within the overwhelmed Victor Wembanyama would generate just a few years later. A big and skinny tall, which might do rather a lot however excelled to nearly none, the Serbian stood out. The Poku undertaking has by no means actually taken off at OKC, and eventually failed when Chet Holmgren arrived.
The Hornets took Aleksej after the Thunder renounced him a couple of 12 months in the past, however his days within the NBA had been counted. Thankfully, Partizan Belgrade of the Euroleague membership was about to make an enormous frenzy of bills.
Alongside Pokusevski and Ntilikina, they signed former NBAers like Sterling Brown and Carlik Jones. On an extremely aggressive checklist, Pokusevski isn’t a significant factor however sees common taking part in time
Presently: Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania | 15 GS -7.9 pts, 1.7reb, 1.5 AST)
The one participant on this checklist to have performed for the Hornets this season, Wong was canceled in mid-February, however shortly handed a brand new alternative. Though Kaunas ended up lacking the Euroleague eliminatory collection, he carved out a task of rotation for one of many first European groups.
Presently: Olympiacos Piraeus (Greece | 8 GS -3.9 pts 3.1 Reb, 0.2 AST)
Crammed in Charlotte through the disastrous season of 2023-24, it was clear that Mensah was not an NBA degree participant. However the grain and tenacity of the nice man on the defensive aspect stood sufficient for him to acquire one other nice alternative when the Greek Olympiacos Signed signed it in December 2024.
Mensah has performed a handful of video games from the beginning after arriving in Greece, however has not been tailored since February. The membership didn’t go away something when it left, and it’s at all times listed on the crew’s web site, however plainly it must discover a new home this summer time.
Final: Actual Madrid (Spain | 4GS – 2.8 pts, 1.0 Reb, 0.8ast)
DSJ entered the NBA in 2017 with loads of media threw, however has by no means actually lived. His offense lacked a coherent leap and was ultra-dependent on his athletics, whereas his protection was his important argument of sale. This curriculum vitae additionally sums up its time in Charlotte from 2022 to 2023.
Smith Jr. obtained one other NBA contract later earlier than hitting a free company final summer time and staying there till January. It was then that the European energy of Actual Madrid signed it.
The honeymoon section lasted the 4 video games, as a result of Smith Jr. would have struggled to adapt to his new atmosphere and eventually left Madrid after just a few weeks. He’s at the moment a free agent.
Presently: Asvel Villeurbanne (France | 62 GS-16.0 pts, 3.7 Reb, 4.4ast)
One of many many OKC draft selections lately, Maledon has been chosen thirty fourth as a promising however uncooked playmaker in 2020. He received misplaced within the shuffle of the Thunder’s speedy improvement crew, which made him a free agent in 2022. The Hornets noticed one thing in French and signed him for a two -way settlement.
Just like Ntilikina and Smith Jr., Maledon fought together with his soar and by no means actually set foot in Charlotte regardless of common taking part in time beneath Steve Clifford. The Hornets signed it in two lanes subsequent 12 months, to present it up the early stadiums of the season. He was then picked up by Phoenix, the place he spent the remainder of 2023.
Maledon took benefit of the chance to take a step again whereas taking a minimum of two steps ahead. He was the most effective goalkeepers in Europe this season, doing a little bit of every thing and particularly to get to the road. It’s undoubtedly a reputation to look at for an NBA return within the years to come back.
Presently: Virtus Bologna (Italy | 56g – 8.4 pts, 0.9 Reb, 1.1 AST)
Extra well-known to be a part of the San Antonio Spurs 2013-2014, Belinelli spent a forgetable 12 months with the Charlotte Hornets within the late 2010s. The three-point specialist had additionally spent two seasons with the Hornets of New Orleans earlier in his profession.
After finishing his NBA profession in 2020, Marco returned dwelling to his childhood membership, Virtus Bologna. It has been a significant play since in Lega A and the Euroleague. Even at 38, he’s nonetheless going sturdy, taking part in 16.5 minutes per recreation.
Presently: FC Barcelona (Spain | 55g- 7.6 pts, 4.3 Reb, 0.7 AST)
It has been some time since Willy Hernangomez appeared in a Hornets jersey (March 2020) and even an NBA match (March 2023). After a seven-year-old passage in the US, which noticed him play for New York, Charlotte and New Orleans, the Spaniard returned to his nation of origin.
Even when Hernangomez was raised in Madrid and started his profession within the youth of the Actual Madrid Academy, he returned to Spain to the biggest rival of the membership: FC Barcelona.
Willy has been a key contributor to the bench prior to now two seasons and is at the moment combating for a semi-final place within the Euroleague eliminations collection.
Presently: Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius (Lithuania | 42g – 9.2 pts, 2.9 Reb, 1.8 AST)
The one participant on this checklist to put on a bobcats jersey and the one Swedish participant within the historical past of Hornets, Jeffery Taylor, has made a reputation for himself in Europe. Not like Hernangomez, he joined Actual Madrid and spent seven illustrious years there between 2015 and 2022.
On this time, he received a complete of 13 titles, together with a triumph of the Euroleague in 2018. After having collected 463 video games in a Madrid jersey, he joined Lithuanian wolves Twinsbet Vilnius. At 35, he headed for retreat and mentoring of Arnoldas Kulbokas when leaving.
Presently: Zenit Saint -Petersburg (Russia | 46g – 16.1 pts, 3.7 Reb, 2.1 AST)
Now we have reached the top of this checklist, and we end it with the bacon! Dwayne Bacon performed a really respectable whole of 135 video games with the Hornets and Jeffery Taylor’s edge for first place.
Dwayne NBA’s profession had discovered its finish in 2021, and it has been world wide since. After a 12 months in France, he signed with the Greek membership Panathinaikos, the place he was launched in direction of the top of the 2022-23 season after a sure variety of disciplinary violations.
Naturally, a participant of his caliber shortly discovered work elsewhere. Bacon spent the 2023-24 season in China and Porto Rico, with a mean of twenty-two.5 and 18.4 factors, respectively. This 12 months, he’s nonetheless elsewhere, displaying his recreation in Russia.
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