Oklahoma City Thunder, Dakari Johnson agree to a guaranteed two-year contract
Oklahoma City Thunder, Dakari Johnson agree to a guaranteed two-year contract
Written by Evan Dammarell (@IAmNotEvan) on 23 July 2017
Written by Evan Dammarell
(@IAmNotEvan) on 23 July 2017
After an excellent showcase in the 2017 NBA Summer League with the Oklahoma City Thunder, former Kentucky Wildcat Dakari Johnson agreed to a two-year deal with the team.
After an excellent showcase in the 2017 NBA Summer League with the Oklahoma City Thunder, former Kentucky Wildcat Dakari Johnson agreed to a two-year deal with the team.
According to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports' The Vertical, the Oklahoma City Thunder and former Kentucky Wildcat Dakari Johnson have agreed to a two-year deal.
A second-round pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Thunder, Johnson has spent both seasons of his NBA career playing in the G-League with the Thunder's affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue. Last season, Johnson averaged 18.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game for the Blue. He earned the honors of being named a D-League All-Star and All-NBA D-League First Team member.
Johnson received another shot to prove himself in the Orlando Summer League. He again starred for the team and finished with averages of 18.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Johnson showed an ability to dominate on both the offensive and defensive sides of the floor.
The solid play during his stint in the G-League and during the 2017 Summer League helped Johnson earn his deal with the Thunder.
Here are some highlights from this year's Summer League that showcase Johnson's dominance:
With the Johnson signing, the Thunder now have fourteen guaranteed contracts and could fill out their final roster space by signing Terrance Ferguson. That could leave point guard Semaj Christon in a sticky situation. Christon has an unguaranteed deal and may not return next season. Christon could sign back with Oklahoma City on a two-way contract.
With the Johnson signing, the Thunder have almost completely rounded out their roster and also gained some solid depth behind Steven Adams and Enes Kanter. Johnson is still a raw prospect but has shown flashes of potential. He still needs time to develop more with an NBA team. If Johnson continues to grow as a player, it makes it a lot easier for Sam Presti to unload Enes Kanter's contract to fill out the remainder of the roster.
According to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports' The Vertical, the Oklahoma City Thunder and former Kentucky Wildcat Dakari Johnson have agreed to a two-year deal.
A second-round pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Thunder, Johnson has spent both seasons of his NBA career playing in the G-League with the Thunder's affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue. Last season, Johnson averaged 18.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game for the Blue. He earned the honors of being named a D-League All-Star and All-NBA D-League First Team member.
Johnson received another shot to prove himself in the Orlando Summer League. He again starred for the team and finished with averages of 18.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Johnson showed an ability to dominate on both the offensive and defensive sides of the floor.
The solid play during his stint in the G-League and during the 2017 Summer League helped Johnson earn his deal with the Thunder.
Here are some highlights from this year's Summer League that showcase Johnson's dominance:
With the Johnson signing, the Thunder now have fourteen guaranteed contracts and could fill out their final roster space by signing Terrance Ferguson. That could leave point guard Semaj Christon in a sticky situation. Christon has an unguaranteed deal and may not return next season. Christon could sign back with Oklahoma City on a two-way contract.
With the Johnson signing, the Thunder have almost completely rounded out their roster and also gained some solid depth behind Steven Adams and Enes Kanter. Johnson is still a raw prospect but has shown flashes of potential. He still needs time to develop more with an NBA team. If Johnson continues to grow as a player, it makes it a lot easier for Sam Presti to unload Enes Kanter's contract to fill out the remainder of the roster.