HBCU Basketball Stars Aaron Nkrumah, Bryce Harris Sign NBA Deals After 2026 Draft

Despite not being called in the 2026 NBA Draft, two HBCU basketball stars signed contracts to play this summer. Tennessee State’s Aaron Nkrumah and Howard’s Bryce Harris landed deals by Thursday morning, with both finding a place in an NBA organization and having a chance to prove that the pathway from an HBCU to the league is as open as ever.

TENNESSEE STATE’S G NKRUMAH HEADS TO DENVER

The TSU Tigers’ guard Aaron Nkrumah signed an Exhibit-10 contract with the Denver Nuggets, according to ClutchPoints NBA reporter Brett Siegel. He will compete for one of Denver’s two open two-way roster spots after standing out throughout the pre-draft process.

An Exhibit-10 is a one-year, non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal that covers training camp and the preseason and can convert into a two-way contract. If Denver waives Nkrumah and he reports to its G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, and plays for at least 60 days, he could earn a bonus worth up to $91,000.

Although Nkrumah did not play in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, he received an invitation to the NBA G League Elite Camp. The Tennessee State star responded with 31 points and three 3-pointers across two scrimmages. After proving his talent, the league granted him a spot at the NBA Draft Combine, competing against many of the brightest collegiate and international players of this year’s class. ESPN ranked Nkrumah No. 47 on its pre-draft board.

The Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year averaged 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.9 steals while shooting 43.8% from the field. He led the league in scoring and steals and carried Tennessee State to a 23-10 record and a share of the OVC regular-season title. The Tigers captured the program’s first OVC Tournament championship since 1994 and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 32 years.

Nkrumah is a 6-foot-6 playmaking guard from Worcester, Massachusetts. He took an unbeaten path to the NBA via Tennessee State. Before joining the Tigers, he was a Division III standout at Worcester State and then spent his final two seasons turning Tennessee State into a winner.

He joins a Tigers NBA lineage that includes Hall of Famer Dick Barnett and All-Star Anthony Mason. Also, being undrafted mirrors Robert Covington’s path, who reached the league the same way in 2013.

HARRIS AGREES TO DEAL WITH OKC

On Thursday, Howard University’s floor general, Bryce Harris, found a landing spot, agreeing to a Summer League deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to 247Sports reporter Dushawn London. The Bison guard had a pre-draft workout with Oklahoma City earlier this month.

Harris, the 2026 MEAC Player of the Year, had a great career at Howard under head coach Kenneth Blakeney. All five of his collegiate seasons were in Washington, D.C., with the Bison from 2021 through 2026.

As a graduate guard this past season, he averaged 17.3 points on 47.9% shooting, along with 6.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists over 35 games, adding 39% accuracy from 3-point range. He helped Howard reach the NCAA Tournament three times. This season, the Bison lost to Michigan, which would go on to win the NCAA National Championship.

Harris has been clear about why he stayed. “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.”

Both Nkrumah and Harris head to Las Vegas in July for an opportunity to make their case in the NBA Summer League, giving HBCU basketball a look on a national stage this offseason.

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