The Oklahoma City Thunder spent the offseason improving their roster after a 57-win season last year. The Thunder improved on their biggest weakness from last year by signing Isaiah Hartenstein to a three-year contract as a free agent, making him the biggest free agent addition in franchise history. That move followed the Josh Giddey trade for Alex Caruso in a one-for-one deal that improved the fit of a team that was already good enough to grab the top spot in the Western Conference.
As the offseason dust begins to settle, the Thunder still have one open spot on their standard roster, but their three two-way pacts are accounted for with the signings of Adam Flagler, Alex Ducas and Ajay Mitchell over the summer.
So 2023 second-round pick Keyontae Johnson was still on the free-agent market in August, a scary situation for NBA prospects. However, on Aug. 20, his agency — Priority Sports — announced that the Kansas State product had signed a contract with the Charlotte Hornets.
The Hornets have signed a number of former Thunder players over the past calendar year. Aleksej Pokusevski, Davis Bertans, Tre Mann and even Vasilije Micic spent time in Buzz City after the trade deadline a year ago. Of the current roster, only Mann and Micic remain to accompany Johnson.
The 6-foot-5 forward played a valuable role in Oklahoma City during the 2023-24 season in leading 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 one steal per game while shooting 53 percent from the floor, 39 percent from beyond the arc and 79 percent from the free throw line.
Johnson was lethal as a catch-and-shoot option, ranking in the 90th percentile in the G League, shooting 43 percent on such tries, shooting 63 percent at the rim and producing 1.2 points per possession in transition, it’s easy to see how the second-year forward could contribute.
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