The Charlotte Hornets made another developmental move official, announcing that they have signed forward Michael Ajayi to a two-way contract.
Charlotte posted the announcement on X on July 6, writing that the team had signed Ajayi and tagging the Greensboro Swarm, the Hornets’ G League affiliate.
For Hornets fans, this is not just a back-end roster transaction. Ajayi arrives as a 6-foot-7, 228-pound forward with one clear NBA-ready trait — rebounding — and a college résumé that suggests he can do more than play as an energy big. NBA.com’s draft profile listed Ajayi at 6-foot-7 and 228 pounds and described him as a high-motor forward who can rebound, start the break and keep the ball moving as a connector.
Ajayi went undrafted out of Butler, but Charlotte is giving him a direct path into its development system. Butler announced that Ajayi will begin his professional career with the Hornets at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Michael Ajayi Gives Hornets a Rebounding Bet on a Two-Way Deal
Ajayi’s best selling point is production that translated across stops.
After earlier college stints at Pierce College, Pepperdine and Gonzaga, Ajayi had his best season at Butler in 2025-26. Butler said Ajayi averaged 16.4 points and 11.1 rebounds, earned All-Big East first-team honors and was an All-America honorable mention selection. His 11.1 rebounds per game ranked fifth nationally, his 19 double-doubles also ranked fifth nationally, and his 356 rebounds set a Butler single-season record.
That matters for Charlotte because rebounding is usually one of the easiest college skills to evaluate for effort and role buy-in. Ajayi does not need to be a high-usage scorer to make this deal worthwhile. On a two-way contract, the Hornets can find out whether his motor, frame and rebounding instincts hold up against NBA-caliber athletes without using a standard roster spot.
That is the proper runway for this kind of signing. Ajayi can get NBA camp reps, Summer League touches and G League minutes while Charlotte evaluates whether his rebounding and secondary playmaking can eventually fit around the team’s higher-priority pieces.
Why Ajayi Is More Than Just a Rebounder
Calling Ajayi a playmaker is not totally wrong, but it needs context. He is not coming in as a primary creator. The more accurate description is that he is a forward who can rebound, push in transition and function as a connector.
NBA.com’s draft profile highlighted that Ajayi grew up playing guard, which shows in his comfort pushing the ball after defensive rebounds and finding shooters off drives. The same profile noted that his ceiling rises if his perimeter shot returns.
That shooting piece is the swing skill.
Ajayi shot only 26.1% from three at Butler, according to NBA.com’s draft profile, but his broader college history gives evaluators something to work with. SI’s Gonzaga-focused write-up noted that Ajayi shot 47% from three during his breakout season at Pepperdine before struggling from deep at Gonzaga and Butler.
That inconsistency helps explain why he went undrafted despite the double-double production. It also explains why a two-way deal makes sense. If Ajayi rebounds and defends but does not shoot, his NBA role may be narrow. If the shot becomes respectable, his path gets more interesting because he can profile as a physical reserve forward who does the low-maintenance work around scorers.
Summer League Is Ajayi’s First Real Hornets Test
Ajayi should get an immediate chance to make an impression in July.
Summer League will show Charlotte whether his college strengths pop in a faster, more spaced game. The key questions are straightforward: Can he rebound outside his area against NBA length? Can he defend wings and forwards without fouling? Can he make quick decisions as a short-roll or transition passer? Can he punish defenses enough from the corners to stay on the floor?
Ajayi’s path also has a local-development component. The Hornets tagged the Greensboro Swarm in their signing announcement, and that is where much of his rookie season is likely to unfold if he remains on a two-way contract.
Two-way signings rarely change a team’s outlook overnight, and Ajayi should not be framed as a savior. But for a Hornets team still trying to build out dependable depth, he is a sensible upside swing: a productive college forward with size, rebounding, a strong motor and enough passing feel to be more than a specialist.
The signing will matter most if Ajayi proves that one elite college trait — his work on the glass — can travel with him to the next level.
Charlotte Hornets Announce Signing of New Two-Way Playmaker