Which Former Charlotte Hornets Are Playing in Europe? How Are They Doing?

Micic, Mensah, Maledon - How are former Hornets players faring?

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With how solid a season the Charlotte Hornets have played and the number of blowout wins they've racked up, it's easy to forget how bad the previous seasons were. And even if you remember that general feeling of unpleasantness, you won't remember the details.

You have forgotten almost all of the offensive possessions that ended in a bad shot, all the games that were over by halftime. And I assure you that you have forgotten some of the players who suited up for the Hornets in the seasons where nothing happened that would make you remember them.

But where have they gone? Are they better off? Is there maybe even someone who could return in the future? Let's take a look around Europe and find out!

Honorable Mentions

In total, there are 22 players who have played at least one regular-season game for Charlotte and have been signed to a club in Europe right now. Since you might have other plans for today than reading this article, we'll cut that number down to those who have at least 20 appearances (10).

To not completely leave them out and also give you the joy of reading through these names, here are those who didn't make the cut, along with the number of games they played for the Hornets and the country they currently play in:

Arnoldas Kulboka (2 games/Now in Greece), Mike Tobey (2/Spain), J.P. Macura (2/Italy & Greece), Malachi Flynn (4/Turkey), Jared Rhoden (4/France), Xavier Sneed (4/Italy), Kobi Simmons (5/Spain), Frank Ntilikina (5/Greece), Nate Darling (7/France), Theo Maledon (13/Spain), Briante Weber (13/Italy), Aleksej Pokusevski (18/Serbia).

10. Isaiah Wong (SF | 20 games for Charlotte)

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Currently: Dreamland Gran Canaria (Spain | 32g - 12.5 pts, 2.0 reb, 1.7 ast)

Wong played all of his games as a Hornet last season, when the team was once again injury-riddled and in need of a swingman. He actually provided mostly ok bench minutes before heading to Lithuania in February.

After really struggling there for big club Zalgiris Kaunas, he transferred to Spain in the summer. His jump shot has deserted him at just 28.4% from three, but otherwise, he seems to be adapting better to European basketball.

9. Nate Mensah (C | 25 games for Charlotte)

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Currently: U-BT Cluj-Napoca (Romania | 15g - 5.3 pts, 6.1 reb, 0.5 ast)

The man with the ginormous 7.4-foot wingspan racked up his appearances as a Hornet in the 2023-24 season. He always brought spirited effort, but still faded out of the NBA pretty quickly because he didn't offer much else.

Last season, he couldn't find his footing for EuroLeague clubs Olympiakos and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Now he's signed to EuroCup outlet Cluj, where he played consistently at first but hasn't seen the court since late November. We'll get to a teammate of his later in this list.

8. Davis Bertans (SF | 28 games for Charlotte)

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Currently: Dubai BC (Dubai | 25g - 7.9 pts, 2.5 reb, 1.1 ast)

Bertans had his best NBA years in San Antonio and Washington, and by the time he arrived in Charlotte via trade in February of 2024, his days were numbered. But nonetheless, his shooting made him one of the more fun players to watch from that season.

Ever since the summer of 2024, Bertans has been suiting up for Dubai BC, a newly found club that is technically not from Europe but still participates in the EuroLeague. The Latvian was initially seeing consistent playing time before missing two months' worth of games due to injury.

7. Vasilije Micic (PG | 66 games for Charlotte)

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Currently: Hapoel Tel Aviv (Israel | 31g - 12.1 pts, 2.4 reb, 4.4 ast)

Micic joined the Hornets in the same trade as Bertans did, but ended up staying for part of the 2024-25 season. He often filled in the starting spot when LaMelo Ball wasn't available, and every other game, he would give the team solid minutes.

But alas, he was traded to Phoenix, then traded back to Charlotte in the 2025 offseason, soon after being dealt to the Bucks, and finally, he agreed on a contract buyout with Milwaukee. That allowed him to hit the free agency market in Europe, where he was highly sought after.

Hapoel Tel Aviv ended up getting his signature. The Israeli team is on course to be a contender for both the EuroLeague and Israeli League titles. Truthfully, that's not as much thanks to Micic, who is playing ok, but to his backcourt partner, former NBA player Elijah Bryant.

6. Kai Jones (C | 67 games for Charlotte)

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Currently: Anadolu Efes (Turkey | 48g - 4.2 pts, 3.7 reb, 0.5 ast)

One of THE faces of the Hornets' tumultuous early 2020s, Kai Jones needs no introduction. He bounced around the NBA and G-League following his exit from Charlotte, before leaving for Turkey last summer.

Efes, his new club, has been plagued by injuries, leading to more and more minutes for Jones as the season has gone on. While the basic stats might look unimpressive, there is one that is flat out incredible:

Kai Jones has made 91 of his 94 field goal attempts as an Efes player. That amounts to a field goal percentage of 96.8%, possibly the most efficient start to a basketball season by any pro player ever.

5. Willy Hernangomez (C | 111 games for Charlotte)

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Currently: Barcelona (Spain | 55g - 7.2 pts, 4.3 reb, 0.4 ast)

Hernangomez is the only Spaniard to ever suit up for the Hornets, and he did so a good number of times. But he was never a core piece, left for New Orleans in 2020, then headed back to Spain in 2023.

For Barcelona, Willy alternates between starting and coming off the bench and still has big games from time to time as the 31-year-old continues to build on an impressive career.

4. Dwayne Bacon (SF | 115 games for Charlotte)

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Currently: Dubai BC (Dubai | 44g - 15.3 pts, 4.0 reb, 2.3 ast)

Another former Hornet earning his money in Dubai alongside Davis Bertans, Dwayne Bacon has also played in France, Greece, China, Puerto Rico, and Russia in recent years.

While the now 30-year-old had some big offensive nights here and there back in the NBA, he has turned into a full-on scorer overseas. He averages 12.2 shots per game and is enjoying a long leash on offense, even though his efficiency has left something to be desired at just 40.6% from the field.

3. Jeffery Taylor (PF | 132 games for Charlotte)

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Currently: U-BT Cluj-Napoca (Romania | 28g - 3.0 pts, 2.6 reb, 1.3 ast)

Now that we're getting really deep into the weeds, it's time to talk about Nate Mensah's teammate! Jeffery Taylor played a number of games in the early 2010s after being drafted by the Bobcats with the 31st pick.

He was never a consistent starter or big-time scorer, and when the now rebranded Hornets didn't offer him an extension in 2015, he headed to Europe, where he would have an incredibly successful career with Real Madrid.

13 won titles later, Taylor bid farewell to the highest level of European competition, played three more years in Lithuania, and is now spending the tail end of his career with the best Romanian club.

2. Devonte Graham (SG | 164 games for Charlotte)

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This season: Red Star Belgrade (Serbia | 13g - 4.0 pts, 1.2 reb, 1.2 ast)

Graham had arguably the best Hornets stint on this list, yet he has had the worst or at least unluckiest season of anybody on this list.

Serbian EuroLeague team Red Star Belgrade signed him in July, and before he could even settle into a rhythm, he sustained an injury in a preseason game. It'd take until late November for him to return, and he'd never really find his place in the rotation from that point onward.

As a result, Graham and Red Star parted ways in late January. He is currently a free agent.

1. JT Thor (PF | 165 games for Charlotte)

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This season: Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia (Italy | 19g - 7.3 pts, 4.5 reb, 0.5 ast)

The "God of Thunder", as Eric Collins liked to call him, couldn't stick around the NBA despite his undeniable athleticism. The Wizards and Cavaliers took a shot at him during the 2024-25 season, but didn't seem to see anything more in him than the Hornets did.

So, in November of 2025, he tried his luck overseas and joined a mid-table team in Italy. There, he has excelled as a sixth man, providing a defensive presence and shooting the ball surprisingly well at 38.3% from deep.

Who could we see in the NBA again?

Honestly, probably two or three guys at most. Almost every name in this article is either too old (e.g., Devonte Graham, Dwayne Bacon) or has a persisting limitation that caused their initial NBA exit (e.g., Nate Mensah's offensive inability, Kai Jones reliance on athleticism).

The one name that's most worth keeping an eye on is JT Thor, who is still only 23 years old. The sample size from three is small at this point, and he's cooled off recently (3 of his last 18).

But if the shooting uptick is somewhat real, and he can continue to improve as a defender, I believe he could still develop into a lower-rotation guy for an NBA team.

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