Hornets sign Arnoldas Kulboka and Scottie Lewis to Two-Way contracts

The Charlotte Hornets have announced that Arnoldas Kulboka and Scottie Lewis will be signed to Two-Way contracts for the 2021-22 season per Sports Illustrated’s Rod Boone.

Kulboka was taken with the 55th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, and the Hornets have since retained his rights while he played for Bilbao Basket in Spain’s Liga ACB. He’s shot a career mark of 38.3 percent on 3-point shots over three professional seasons, upping it to 42.5 percent on 4.6 3PA per game last season. At 6-foot-10, that level of shooting always holds promise. It’s been rumored Kulboka would be coming stateside all summer and now he’s locked into a deal.

The Hornets selected Lewis 56th overall in the 2021 draft and signed him to a Two-Way for his rookie season. In two seasons at Florida, he hit 34.3 percent of his 3-pointers and averaged 2.5 steals and 1.6 blocks per-40 minutes. He was a McDonald’s All-American in high school but underwhelmed in Gainesville in spite of his high-level defense. If he can tap into the potential he had going into college, the Hornets could have another late-draft steal.

It’s uncertain what this means for last season’s Two-Way players, Nate Darling and Grant Riller. Darling was undrafted so the organization doesn’t lose anything if he seeks out a new situation, but Riller was taken 56th in the 2020 draft and is now an unrestricted free agent. There are end-of-roster spots to be had if Charlotte wants to keep Riller around.