MANHATTAN — Former Kansas State basketball guard Nate Johnson went undrafted during the 2026 NBA Draft, but it didn’t take him long to find a landing spot.
Johnson signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to the USA TODAY Network, citing sources. His agency confirmed the news late Wednesday night through its Instagram. An Exhibit 10 contract is a one-year, non-guaranteed NBA training camp deal for the league’s minimal salary.
Rare were the mock drafts that included Johnson as a possible selection, but there were a handful of teams he worked out for in the predraft process.
He played one season under Jerome Tang at Kansas State after spending the previous three at Akron, where he was named the 2024-25 MAC Player of the Year. He’s listed at 6-foot-3, and was considered one of K-State’s most consistent players during a tumultuous season.
Johnson is a capable player at both ends of the floor, having been the MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2024-25 and averaging in double digits in his final two seasons of college. He was a 40.8% 3-point shooter as a senior.
Kansas State still awaits its first NBA Draft selection since 2023, when the Oklahoma City Thunder picked Keyontae Johnson in the second round. The Wildcats have had two players selected since 2009.
Once training camp ends, Exhibit 10 players must either get signed to a two-way deal or be sent to the G League affiliate.
Former Kansas State forward Ugonna Onyenso, who played for the Wildcats as a junior and transferred to Virginia for his senior year, was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the second round with the 53rd overall pick. Afterward, he was traded to the New York Knicks and was then traded to the Detroit Pistons.
Nate Johnson’s known pre-draft workouts
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Detroit Pistons
- Indiana Pacers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Orlando Magic
- Utah Jazz
- Washington Wizards
Nate Johnson stats at Kansas State
- Games/starts: 32/32
- Avg. minutes: 26.9
- FG%: 44.7
- 3P%: 40.8
- 2P%: 48.7
- eFG%: 55.0
- FT%: 85.0
- ORB: 0.8
- DRB: 4.1
- TRB: 4.9
- AST: 4.6
- STL: 2.2
- TOV: 2.4
- PF: 2.4
- PTS: 12.8
Nate Johnson college career
Nate Johnson started his career with three seasons at Akron before playing his fourth and final year at Kansas State. While at Akron, he was named the 2024-25 MAC Player of the Year and the league’s defensive player of the year, and he was the MAC Tournament MVP. During that season, he averaged 14 points and led the Zips to the NCAA Tournament.
During his lone season at Kansas State, he was an every-night starter for a Kansas State team that finished 12-20 and fired its head coach midseason. He was one of the team’s most consistent players and a leader nonetheless throughout a tumultuous season.
Nate Johnson measurables
- Height: 6-3
- Weight: 215
- Position: G
- Age: 23
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Nate Johnson agrees to undrafted free agent deal with Oklahoma City
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