Bryce Harris signs with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he earned this shot without ever leaving Howard University.
Howard University standout Bryce Harris signed an NBA Summer League contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder on June 25, 2026, after participating in a pre-draft workout with the organization earlier that month. The deal gives him a real opportunity to compete for a roster spot within the reigning NBA champions’ player development system. For Howard basketball, it is the latest chapter in one of the most loyal and accomplished careers the program has seen in decades.
Five Years, One Program, No Looking Back
In an era when the transfer portal has completely reshaped college basketball, Bryce Harris did something increasingly rare. He arrived at Howard in 2021 and stayed all five years, becoming one of the only true program cornerstones in the modern game.
His career began alongside talented teammates Elijah Hawkins and Steve Settle III, who helped lead Howard to a conference championship before both transferred following the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance. Harris chose a different path. He stayed, took on a bigger role, and became the face of Howard Bison basketball for the next four seasons.
“Howard embraced me first as a young player,” Harris said. “But also as a young student, from the program to the yard, as we would like to call it, with our student body. There’s a lot of culture on Howard University’s campus that makes you proud to put the jersey on.”
That loyalty paid off. Harris helped Howard reach the NCAA Tournament three times during his career and was part of the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win. Head coach Kenneth Blakeney has called him the most important recruit in program history.
A Senior Season for the Record Books
Harris saved his best for last. As a graduate guard during the 2025-26 season, he averaged 17.3 points on 47.9% shooting, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists across 35 games while connecting on 39% of his 3-point attempts. He led the MEAC in both scoring and rebounding, becoming the second straight Bison — and eighth overall — to win MEAC Player of the Year.
His college résumé reads like a program record book. He was named to the BOXTOROW HBCU All-American First Team, earned All-MEAC First Team and All-Defensive Team honors, picked up six MEAC Defensive Player of the Week awards, and crossed the 1,000-point and 700-rebound milestones for his career. In April, he won the Nolan Richardson Award, presented annually to the Division I player who best represents the heart and soul of his team. Off the court, Harris joined Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. as a sophomore and served as a student tour guide — staying just as connected to Howard’s campus as he was to its basketball program.
Why Bryce Harris Signs With the Oklahoma City Thunder Now
This is one of the best possible moments for this signing. The Thunder are coming off an NBA championship and have built a reputation for developing young talent into legitimate contributors. Harris had already worked out for the organization before the draft, giving the front office a firsthand look at his game before making the Summer League offer official.
Harris joins a Thunder Summer League roster that includes first-round picks Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz, second-round selection Otega Oweh, and a mix of undrafted free agents looking to carve out NBA careers. Oklahoma City opens Summer League play July 4 against the Memphis Grizzlies in Salt Lake City before heading to Las Vegas for matchups against the Lakers, Warriors, and Nuggets.
Part of a Bigger Moment for HBCU Basketball
Harris is not the only HBCU talent finding an NBA home this offseason. Tennessee State’s Aaron Nkrumah signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Denver Nuggets the same week, giving HBCU basketball two players with legitimate opportunities to crack NBA rosters this summer. Both players going undrafted did not close the door — it simply changed the path.
“The pathway from an HBCU to the league is as open as ever,” one ClutchPoints report noted following both signings.
What’s Next
Bryce Harris now heads to Summer League with everything to prove and nothing left to lose. He spent five years building a legacy at the only program that ever believed in him. Now he gets the opportunity to show the league what Howard already knew.
