Kentwood High grad Michael Ajayi signs with Charlotte Hornets
Published 3:55 pm Thursday, July 2, 2026
As a freshman in high school, Michael Ajayi was 5 feet 7 inches tall during his first year at Kentwood.
Now, as a 23-year old, Ajayi stands at 6 feet 7 inches tall and his meteoric rise on the court is really only comparable to his growth spurt.
Following his record-setting senior year at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, Ajayi reportedly signed a two-way contract as a free agent with the Charlotte Hornets, according to a June 24 report by Tony Jones of The Athletic.
The signing came following day two of the NBA draft (June 23-24) where Ajayi, a 2021 graduate of Kentwood, didn’t hear his name called, but knew there were other avenues he could take to fulfill his lifelong dream.
“Sometimes it is good to go undrafted,” Ajayi said during a phone interview. “The situation and fit isn’t always the same, Charlotte expressed their need for me and gave me an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
For his draft preparation he headed to California following the end of his college season. He worked out with Dillon Mitchell (Boston pick No. 40), Christian Anderson (Charlotte pick No. 18), Morez Johnson Jr. (Dallas pick No. 9), Aday Mara (Oklahoma City pick No. 12), Oziyah Sellers (New York Knicks undrafted free agent) and Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt).
Not a bad group to train with.
Ajayi finished his senior season at Butler and immediately began training to be an NBA prospect. Ajayi would later attend the NBA Draft Combine and the G-League Combine to help increase his draft stock. He was also interviewed by multiple NBA franchises with the hopes he would hear his name called or receive a phone call with the news.
“I cried after I got the call. I was so relieved and proud of myself and my family; my mom and my dad,” Ajayi said. “I felt all the work paid off after that call, especially coming from where we came from.”
Ajayi had 16 interviews with different teams which translated to 15 workouts. He traveled for a month straight going from team to team.
“It was a new experience for me because I had never traveled that much in that short amount of time,” Ajayi said.
That team ended up being Charlotte, a 2026 playoff team and one that has incredible upside in the Eastern Conference.
Ajayi was exceptional during his final collegiate season with the Butler Bulldogs. He set a single season rebounding record (356), snapping Darly Mason’s record (354) which was set in the 1972-73 season. He was a 2025-26 All-Big East first team player and was the fifth Bulldog to be given that honor since the school joined the Big East in 2013-14. He averaged 16.4 points and 11.1 rebounds per game and was fifth in the nation in rebounds per game. He had 19 double-doubles which was also fifth in the nation.
“It was really fun. I knew it was going to be a challenge, playing in the Big East is a physical league. You can’t be timid down there,” Ajayi said.
He was thrust into royal company early in his career with six consecutive double-doubles, the first Butler player to do that since Gordon Hayward.
Ajayi’s college career is a modern marvel and his tenacity and ability to continue to develop, makes him an easy player to root for.
He comes from a basketball family, one of four college basketball players, Michael playing in college was all he knew how to do. His sisters Nicole (Central Washington), Sharon (NWAC) and Jessica (University of San Diego) all played in college. His youngest sister, Jessica is one he is closely bonded with.
“I always told my mom that I was going to be an NBA player. She didn’t necessarily take it seriously, but I took it seriously. I knew I could take it to that level,” Ajayi said.
During the pandemic his dad built a basketball court in their backyard where he spent countless hours working on his game, perfecting his craft.
“I was there everyday and every night, pounding the ball and just shooting. I didn’t know what drills to do, I was just outside hooping,” Ajayi said.
His college career began at Pierce College in Lakewood, where he played one season. Immediately after he went to Malibu, California and played a season at Pepperdine and with the Waves and was First Team All-West Coast Conference. He averaged 17.2 points per game which was the second most in the conference and made 46.7 % of his shots from the floor.
He then played his junior season at Gonzaga. He only started 13 games for the Zags but made an appearance in 34 games for coach Mark Few.
The part of his game he is looking to improve the most is his 3-point shooting and finding consistency from the outside. Ajayi’s 3-point percentage fluctuated a lot when he was in college. At Pierce he shot 36%, at Pepperdine it was 47%, at Gonzaga he shot 18.2% and then at Butler it went back up to 26.1%.
“Getting it more consistent and shooting at a higher volume, my Division I three-point percentage was up and down. I just want to stay consistent. I am working relentlessly and tirelessly, everyday on my three-point shot. I know I am a good shooter, I just got to keep shooting,” Ajayi said.
But he made the biggest jump into the national scene when he put on the Butler uniform last winter. Playing big-time basketball on the east coast, in the Big East is what kids dream of. For Ajayi, it was fulfilling a promise to himself that he belonged on the biggest stages.
He will play in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas with Charlotte which will begin the first week of July. It hasn’t set in that he is an NBA player, Ajayi said. But once he puts the blue and purple on representing the Hornets, it will.
“I think it will set in when I play my first game. Right now I am just putting my head down and keep working, eventually it will hit me. But I am just grateful.”
