The Charlotte Hornets and forward Keyontae Johnson have agreed to a contract, per his agency, Priority Sports.
It’s unclear what the terms of the deal are, though it is likely either non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed.
Johnson, 24, is 6-foot-5 and appeared in nine games with the Oklahoma City Thunder as a rookie last season, averaging 1.2 points and 1.1 rebounds. He was the No. 50 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, signing a two-way contract with OKC about a year ago.
He spent most of his time in the G League with the OKC Blue, averaging 17.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists on 53% shooting from the field and 39% on 3-pointers.
The Hornets have an open roster spot, as well as an open two-way spot, so Johnson is likely to battle for one of those. He very well could be on an Exhibit 10 “make-good” deal for training camp.
Charlotte currently has 14 players on standard contracts, with 13 of those guaranteed.
“Charlotte and Oklahoma City’s paths have crossed quite a bit during the last year, thanks to the deadline move that sent Gordon Hayward to the Thunder,” wrote Chase Gemes of SI.com. “That trade brought four former players to the Hornets: Aleksej Pokusevski, Tre Mann, Vasilije Micic and Davis Bertans.
“Only Mann and Micic will remain in Charlotte next season, but the addition of Johnson brings the total back up.”
Charlotte hired coach Charles Lee to replace Steve Clifford this offseason after finishing 21-61. The Hornets have not made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season.
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