Former OKC Thunder Second Round Pick Inks Deal With Charlotte Hornets

The Oklahoma City Thunder see 2023 second rebound pick Keyontae Johnson ink a contract with the Charlotte Hornets.

Oct 9, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Keyontae Johnson (18) during the game against the San Antonio Spurs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports / Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder have spent this offseason improving their roster fresh off a 57-win season a year ago. The Thunder have upgraded their biggest weakness from a year ago by inking Isaiah Hartenstein to a three-year pact in free agency, marking him as the largest free agent addition in franchise history. That move was on the heels of swapping out Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso in a one-for-one deal that improved the fit of the team that was already good enough to grab the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

As the offseason dust begins to settle, the Thunder still have an open standard roster spot, but all three of their two-way pacts are accounted for with Adam Flagler, Alex Ducas and Ajay Mitchell signing on over the Summer.

This left 2023 second-round pick Keyontae Johnson still on the free agent market in August, a scary place to be for NBA hopefuls. Though, on Aug. 20, his agency - Priority Sports - announced that the Kansas State product has inked a deal with the Charlotte Hornets.

The Hornets have taken in plenty of former-Thunder players over the last calendar year. Aleksej Pokusevski, Davis Bertans, Tre Mann and even Vasilije Micic spent time in Buzz City after the trade deadline a year ago - On the current roster only Mann and Micic remain to accompany Johnson.

The 6-foot-5 swingman played a valuable role in Oklahoma City during the 2023-24 season to lift the organization's G League affiliate, the OKC Blue, to a G League championship - Johnson averaged 17.8 points, 2.1 assists, 5.8 rebounds, and a steal per game while shooting 53 percent from the floor, 39 percent from beyond the arc and 79 percent at the charity stripe.

Johnson was lethal as a catch-and-shoot option ranking in the 90th percentile in the G League shooting 43 percent on such tries, turning in 63 percent at the rim and producing 1.2 points per possession in transition it is easy to see how the second-year forward can contribute.

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