Aleksej Pokusevski Finds New NBA Home

The 17th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft recently hit the free agent market after the Oklahoma City Thunder waived intriguing 7-footer Aleksej Pokusevski. He was only on the market for a few short days, however, as the Charlotte Hornets have now scooped up the intriguing talent.

BREAKING: Charlotte Hornets have signed Aleksej Pokusevski to a one-year deal.

“Poku,” 22, had his role diminish greatly in OKC, as he averaged 1.2 PPG in 6.0 MPG in 10 games played. In his previous three years, he averaged 8 PPG & 5 RPG.

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It's a one-year deal for the man affectionately known as Poku. While OKC was in a rebuild, the rail-thin project was able to get some run with the Thunder, but now that they're a true contender, he wasn't able to crack the rotation this season. 

With Charlotte, he'll get that chance, as they are a team still squarely in the rebuild phase. The 7-foot, 200-pounder has a profoundly unique game, with the length to protect the rim, plus the playmaking skills of a point guard. He can also shoot the three. 

His game just might fit with the Hornets. With a pair of exciting top young stars in LaMelo Ball and rookie Brandon Miller, Poku will be able to get a chance to thrive. 

In 150 NBA games, Pokusevski has averaged 7.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and two assists. The highlight of his three+ seasons in OKC came with a superlative triple-double in 2022 that was a sight to see. 

Photo: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports