Bruce Thornton isn’t the only former Ohio State men’s basketball player preparing for life in the NBA this summer.
While Thornton was taken with the first pick of the second round in the 2026 NBA Draft, several other former Buckeyes found their way into the plans for other NBA teams this summer. All are likely to see time in the NBA’s summer league, which gets underway July 3.
Here’s a look at which former Ohio State players will be vying for playing time once it does. Players are listed in alphabetical order.
Roddy Gayle – Detroit Pistons
After two seasons with Ohio State and two more at Michigan, Gayle has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Pistons.
An Exhibit 10 contract is one-year, non-guaranteed NBA training camp deal for the league minimum salary that allows teams to have a player in camp and retain their G League rights.
In four seasons, the 6-foot-4, 205-pound guard averaged 8.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists for the Buckeyes and Wolverines.
Meechie Johnson Jr. – Miami Heat
After two stints at both Ohio State and South Carolina, the 6-2, 172-pound guard has signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Heat.
Johnson played parts of three seasons with the Buckeyes and three more with the Gamecocks. In 148 career games, he averaged 11.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 33.0% from 3-point range on 4.9 attempts per game.
Felix Okpara – Washington Wizards
Like Gayle and Thornton, Okpara was part of the 2022 Ohio State recruiting class. He spent his first two seasons with the Buckeyes before transferring to Tennessee for his final two years of college.
Okpara was taken with the No. 46 pick in the draft and acquired by the Wizards. In four seasons, the 6-11, 220-pound center averaged 6.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 143 games for the Buckeyes and Volunteers.
Christoph Tilly – Oklahoma City
After one season at Ohio State, the former Santa Clara center signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Thunder.
Tilly battled injuries during the 2025-26 season with the Buckeyes and averaged 11.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 32 games. For his career, the 7-foot, 225-pound center averaged 9.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 118 games.
Ohio State men’s basketball beat writer Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @cdadamjardy.bsky.social or on Twitter at @AdamJardy.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Which former Buckeyes have been acquired by NBA teams this summer?
Reporting by Adam Jardy, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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By Adam Jardy, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
