Recent OKC Thunder Player Signs With Charlotte Hornets

Keyontae Johnson has signed with the Charlotte Hornets.

Jan 24, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Keyontae Johnson (18) shoots in front of San Antonio Spurs guard Blake Wesley (14) in the second half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports / Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

Keyontae Johnson is coming off his rookie season in the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

He finished the year with averages of 1.2 points and 1.1 rebounds per contest while shooting 31.3% from the field and 33.3% from the three-point range in nine games.

This summer, Johnson was a free agent who was available to sign with any team in the league.

On Tuesday, Priority Sports announced that Johnson has signed with the Charlotte Hornets.

Buzz City's newest resident: @Keyontae! 🐝 pic.twitter.com/ywjrHauqp6

— Priority Sports (@PrioritySports) August 20, 2024

Johnson was the 50th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft after playing college basketball for Florida and Kansas State.

In addition to the NBA, the 24-year-old also spent a lot of time in the G League last season.

He averaged 19.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals per contest while shooting 52.7% from the field and 39.2% from the three-point range in 25 regular season games.

MY GOODNESS! ⚡️🤯

KEYONTAE JOHNSON JUST THREW DOWN A BANGER FOR THE @okcblue. pic.twitter.com/q3LcdeC6bb

— NBA G League (@nbagleague) March 1, 2024

The Hornets are a team that is in rebuilding mode, so the addition of a player like Johnson makes a lot of sense as a development project.

With the way he played in the G League, there is reason to believe that he could get minutes on an NBA team next season.

It’s a DUNK PARTY! 💥

Keyontae Johnson with back-to-back sweet slams. @okcblue pic.twitter.com/gwkE81qE1g

— NBA G League (@nbagleague) February 9, 2024

The Hornets finished last season as the 13th seed in the Eastern Conference with a 21-61 record.

They have been unable to make the NBA playoffs since the 2016 season when Kemba Walker was still on the roster (eight years ago).

That said, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller are two of the best young players in the league.