We’ll get our first look at Charlotte Hornets’ draft-and-stash prospect Arnoldas Kulboka during the Las Vegas Summer League.
The Charlotte Hornets recently released their mini-camp list of 19 players who will likely feature for their summer league team. While Miles Bridges, Devonte’ Graham, Malik Monk, Dwayne Bacon and Willy Hernangomez headline the squad, one name that jumped out was second-round pick Arnoldas Kulboka. He is scheduled to practice with the Queen City team before traveling to Las Vegas to participate in the summer league.
Charlotte drafted Kulboka with the 55th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft as a draft-and-stash player that they could monitor overseas. He has played professionally since the age of 16 in Europe but will now look to prove himself against some NBA players and high-level prospects in Vegas.
The 20-year old Lithuanian has played professionally in Lithuania, Germany and has recently made the move to Italy for the 2017-18 campaign. He was named the Champions League Best Young Player in 2016 and made the First Team All-Eurocamp in 2017.
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During the 2017-18 season, Arnoldas averaged 8.3 points per game and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 36.6% from the field, 36.7% from three and 81.5% from the free throw line. While he didn’t light the world on fire during his first professional season in Italy, Kulboka did showcase his shooting ability which caught the eye of scouts and NBA teams including the Charlotte Hornets.
It’s worth noting that he worked out for the Los Angeles Lakers, the Denver Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Indiana Pacers, and the Utah Jazz prior to the 2018 NBA Draft.
Measuring in at 6’9, he has great size for a small forward at the NBA level. Arnoldas needs to improve his strength and finishing ability inside going forward but has a solid base skillset. He has the potential to be a knockdown three-point shooter in the NBA if he develops correctly as his outside shooting ability is lethal.
Mitch Kupchak has already confirmed that the plan is for Kulboka to stay overseas this year and they aren’t going to bring him stateside until both sides think he’s ready for the NBA. Until then, he will play for Orlandina in Italy. The Hornets’ general manager did add that Arnoldas has a manageable buyout clause when/if Charlotte wants to bring him over. (CharlotteObserver.com)
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It will be interesting to see how Arnoldas handles the summer league and his first taste of the NBA. If he plays well, the Charlotte Hornets may think of bringing him over earlier than expected and it could go a long way in having a good standing with the organization. Kulboka could be a diamond in the rough for Mitch Kupchak.