Henry Ellenson, who the Detroit Pistons selected with the No. 18 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, has turned himself into a star in South Korea. He’s playing for Wonju Dongbu Promy this year, and 23 games into their season, Ellenson has emerged as one of the best players in the entire country.

Ellenson never panned out in Detroit. He only spent a few years in the NBA before moving over to international ball, and it was a great move for his career. Now, he’s one of the best overseas players, leading his squad as they attempt to compete in the South Korean KBL.

It just wasn’t meant to be on the Pistons.

Former Pistons forward Henry Ellenson is now a star in South Korea

After getting drafted by the Pistons in 2016, Ellenson spent two-and-a-half years in Detroit before moving on to the New York Knicks, with whom he was upgraded from a 10-day contract to a standard deal.

However, it didn’t work out there, either. He inked a two-way contract with the Brooklyn Nets the following summer, and his NBA career ended after playing just two games with the Toronto Raptors in the 2021-22 season.

Ellenson spent some time in the G League throughout, playing for the Grand Rapids Drive (now the Motor City Cruise) during his time in Detroit. But even after that, he was a G League staple.

He also played for the Nets’ and Raptors’ G League teams while he was on those teams, but made a comeback after his time in the NBA, too. Ellenson returned to the G League for the 2024-25 season, playing with the Wisconsin Herd, the Milwaukee Bucks’ affiliate.

But now, as mentioned, Ellenson has become a star in the South Korean KBL, outperforming all of the seasons he played in the NBA.

This season, Ellenson has appeared in 23 games for the Promy, playing 31.4 minutes per game, which is the second-most on the team.

He has been averaging 22.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.0 blocks while shooting 46.2% from the floor and 28.5% from distance on 5.7 three-point attempts per contest.

That’s good for the second-most points of any player in the entire league and also the fifth-most rebounds.

Ellenson is still only 28 years old. Perhaps there’s even a chance that he could find his way back into the NBA at some point. But for now, he’s been dominating in South Korea.

It didn’t work out for him in Detroit, but he’s moved on to greener pastures (at least, for him).