Overseas check-in: How are former Hornets players performing in Europe?

How many of these forgotten Hoopers do you remember?

Albert Bottcher | Apr 25, 2025

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Charlotte Hornets

Just as more and more European players have made their way to the NBA in recent years, more and more NBA players have found new homes in Europe. Among those who made the jump across the Atlantic in the last ten years are many former Charlotte Hornets. So many, in fact, that we need to set some ground rules before starting this list.

We will only include players who have played at least one regular season NBA game in a Hornets or Bobcats Jersey and sort them in order of appearances. Also, the player needs to have played at minimum one game in a European competition this season. Let's start!

1. Mike Tobey (C | 2 games for Charlotte)

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Currently: Dreamland Gran Canaria (Spain | 54g- 9.3 pts, 5.2 reb, 1.2 ast)

Mike Tobey was a D-League prospect in 2016-17 and played in two NBA games while on a ten-day contract. Things didn't work out for him in the association, as he transferred to Spain at the end of the very same season.

Tobey has now been a mainstay in European Basketball for eight years, playing in the Euro and Champions League, as well as the EuroCup. Back in 2021, the shooting-savvy big man obtained Slovenian citizenship and has often started alongside Luka Doncic in the national team since.

2. J.P. Macura (SG | 2 games for Charlotte)

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Currently: Treviso Basket (Italy | 27 gs - 11.0 pts, 2.3 reb, 0.9 ast)

Continuing the trend of undrafted players, Macura didn't get his name called in 2018 after spending four years at Xavier. The Hornets picked him up on a two-way contract that summer. Macura mainly played in the G-League, apart from two main roster appearances in garbage time.

Following another uneventful NBA season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the former Big East 6th man of the year headed to Turkey for one more season, before settling down in Italy, where he's been a dependable contributor for two mid-table clubs since.

3. Arnoldas Kulboka (SF | 2 games for Charlotte)

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Currently: Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius (Lithuania | 33 gs - 8,9 pts, 3.2 reb, 0.7 ast)

The 55th pick in the 2018 NBA draft, Kulboka didn't get signed immediately, netting a two-way contract to start the 2021-22 season. He spent most of that season with the Hornets' G-League affiliate in Greensboro before heading back to Europe the next summer.

The Lithuanian spent one year each in Greece and Latvia, but finally returned to his home country last summer. For Vilnius, Kulboka is a solid bench piece and often shares the court with a player we'll get to later on!

4. Frank Ntilikina (PG/SG | 5 games for Charlotte)

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Currently: Partizan Belgrade (Serbia | 40 gs 6.8 pts,1.6 reb, 2.1 ast)

A big draft bust in recent memory, Ntilikina's offensive deficiencies kept him from ever becoming an NBA mainstay. Hoping he could add much-needed defense to the offensive-minded backcourt, the Hornets brought Ntilikina in for the 2023-24 season.

Those plans didn't come to fruition, as the Frenchman got injured before the start of the season and only played a grand total of five games. After his one-year contract expired, he made his way over to Serbian outlet Partizan Belgrade. He's had a so-so season, never really playing consistent minutes.

5. Aleksej Pokusevski (PF/C | 18 games for Charlotte)

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Currently: Partizan Belgrade (Serbia | 53 gs - 5.5 pts, 2.7 reb, 1.2 ast)

Pokusevski entered the NBA in 2020 as a phenomenon, a precursor to the hype Victor Wembanyama would generate a few years later. A tall and slender big, who could do many things but excelled at almost none, the Serbian stood out. Project Poku never really took off in OKC, though, and ultimately failed when Chet Holmgren arrived.

The Hornets took Aleksej on after the Thunder waived him about a year ago, but his days in the NBA were numbered. Luckily, EuroLeague club Partizan Belgrade was about to go on a big spending spree.

Alongside Pokusevski and Ntilikina, they signed former NBAers like Sterling Brown and Carlik Jones. On an incredibly competitive roster, Pokusevski isn't a major factor but sees regular play time

6. Isaiah Wong (SG/SF | 20 games for Charlotte)

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Currently: Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania | 15 gs -7.9 pts, 1.7reb, 1.5 ast)

The only player on this list to have played for the Hornets this season, Wong was waived in the middle of February but quickly moved on to a new opportunity. Although Kaunas ended up missing the EuroLeague playoffs, he has carved out a rotational role for himself in one of Europe's premier teams.

7. Nathan Mensah (C/PF | 25 games for Charlotte)

Nathan Mensah battling for a rebound against the Spur

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Currently: Olympiacos Piraeus (Greece | 8 gs -3.9 pts 3.1 reb, 0.2 ast)

A fill-in at Charlotte during the disastrous 2023-24 season, it was clear that Mensah was not an NBA-level player. But the big man's grit and tenacity on the defensive end stood out enough for him to get another big opportunity when Greek outlet Olympiacos signed him in December of 2024.

Mensah played a handful of games early on after arriving in Greece, but hasn't suited up since February. The club hasn't released anything on his departure, and he's still listed on the team's website, but it seems like he'll have to find a new home this summer.

8. Dennis Smith Jr. (PG | 54 games for Charlotte)

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Last: Real Madrid (Spain | 4gs - 2.8 pts, 1.0 reb, 0.8ast)

DSJ entered the NBA in 2017 with a lot of hype, but never really lived up to it. His offense was lacking a consistent jumpshot and was ultra-dependent on his athleticism, while his defense was his main selling point. That resume also sums up his time in Charlotte from 2022 to 2023.

Smith Jr. did get one more NBA contract afterwards before hitting free agency last summer and remaining there up until January. It was then that European powerhouse Real Madrid signed him.

The honeymoon phase lasted all of four games, as Smith Jr. reportedly struggled to adapt to his new surroundings and ultimately left Madrid after a few weeks. He's currently a free agent.

9. Théo Maledon (PG | 57 games for Charlotte)

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Currently: ASVEL Villeurbanne (France | 62 gs-16.0 pts, 3.7 reb, 4.4ast)

One of OKC's many draft picks in recent years, Maledon was selected 34th as a promising but raw point guard in 2020. He got lost in the shuffle of the Thunder's quickly developing team, which made him a free agent in 2022. The Hornets saw something in the Frenchman and signed him to a two-way deal.

Similar to Ntilikina and Smith Jr., Maledon struggled with his jumpshot and never really set foot in Charlotte despite regular playing time under Steve Clifford. The Hornets did sign him to another two-way the next year, only to waive him in the early stages of the season. He was then picked up by Phoenix, where he spent the rest of 2023.

Maledon used the opportunity to take one step back while taking at least two steps forward. He has been one of the best point guards in Europe this season, doing a little bit of everything and especially excelling at getting to the line. He's definitely a name to monitor for an NBA return in the upcoming years.

10. Marco Belinelli (SG/SF | 74 games for Charlotte)

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Currently: Virtus Bologna (Italy | 56g - 8.4 pts, 0.9 reb,1.1 ast)

More prominently known for being a part of the title-winning 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs, Belinelli spent one forgettable year with the Charlotte Hornets in the late 2010s. The three-point specialist had also spent two seasons with the New Orleans Hornets earlier in his career.

After wrapping up his NBA career in 2020, Marco went back home to his childhood club, Virtus Bologna. He's been a major rotation piece ever since in both the Lega A and EuroLeague. Even at 38 years old, he's still going strong, playing 16.5 minutes per game.

11. Willy Hernangomez (111 games for Charlotte)

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Currently: FC Barcelona (Spain | 55g- 7.6 pts, 4.3 reb, 0.7 ast)

It's been a while since Willy Hernangomez last appeared in a Hornets jersey (March of 2020) or even an NBA game (March of 2023). Following a seven-year stint in the States, that saw him play for New York, Charlotte, and New Orleans, the Spaniard headed back to his home country.

Even though Hernangomez was brought up in Madrid and started his career in the youth academy of Real Madrid, he made his return to Spain to the club's biggest rival: FC Barcelona.

Willy has been a key bench contributor for them in the past two seasons and is currently fighting for a semi-final berth in the EuroLeague playoffs.

12. Jeffery Taylor (132 games for Charlotte)

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Currently: Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius (Lithuania | 42g - 9.2 pts, 2.9 reb, 1.8 ast)

The only player on this list to wear a Bobcats jersey and the only Swedish player in Hornets history, Jeffery Taylor, has made quite a name for himself in Europe. Unlike Hernangomez, he did join Real Madrid and spent seven illustrious years there between 2015 and 2022.

In that timespan, he won a total of thirteen titles, including a EuroLeague triumph in 2018. After racking up 463 games in a Madrid jersey, he joined Lithuanian outlet Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius. At 35 years old, he's heading towards retirement and mentoring Arnoldas Kulbokas on his way out.

13. Dwayne Bacon (135 games for Charlotte)

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Currently: Zenit Saint Petersburg (Russia | 46g - 16.1 pts, 3.7 reb, 2.1 ast)

We've reached the end of this list, and we're finishing it off with the Baconator! Dwayne Bacon played a very respectable total of 135 games with the Hornets and barely edges out Jeffery Taylor for the top spot.

Dwayne's NBA career had found its end in 2021, and he's been all over the world since. Following one year in France, he signed with Greek club Panathinaikos, where he was let go towards the end of the 2022-23 season after a number of disciplinary violations.

Naturally, a player of his caliber quickly found work elsewhere. Bacon spent the 2023-24 season in China and Puerto Rico, averaging 22.5 and 18.4 points, respectively. This year, he's somewhere else again, showing off his game in Russia.