The Oklahoma City Thunder have spent this offseason improving their roster after posting 57 wins last year. The Thunder have addressed their biggest weakness from last year by signing Isaiah Hartenstein to a three-year free agent deal, making him the biggest free agent signing in franchise history. This move came shortly after trading Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso in a one-for-one deal that improved the makeup of a team that was already good enough to secure the top seed in the Western Conference.

As the offseason dust slowly settles, the Thunder still have one spot open on the standard roster, but all three of their two-way contracts are filled with Adam Flagler, Alex Ducas and Ajay Mitchell signing over the summer.

That left 2023 second-round pick Keyontae Johnson still on the free agent market in August – a scary situation for NBA hopefuls. However, on August 20, his agency – Priority Sports – announced that the Kansas State product had agreed to a contract with the Charlotte Hornets.

The Hornets have added many 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 transfer deadline a year ago – on the current roster, only Mann and Micic remain, besides Johnson.

The 6’5″ swingman played a key role in Oklahoma City during the 2023-24 season, leading the organization’s G-League affiliate, the OKC Blue, to the G-League championship title. Johnson averaged 17.8 points, 2.1 assists, 5.8 rebounds and one steal per game while shooting 53% from the field, 39% from beyond the three-point line and 79% 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 of those attempts, shooting 63 percent at the basket and scoring 1.2 points per possession in transition. It’s easy to see the contribution the forward can make in his second year.

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