Another Auburn Tiger has found himself with a pathway to consistent NBA playing time, as on Monday, the Brooklyn Nets signed former Auburn forward Chaney Johnson to a two-way deal. Notably, he made this decision the day before he would be eligible as a free agent, meaning he is illustrating his loyalty to Brooklyn, as he once did to the Plains.For those who are not as tapped in with NBA contracts, a two-way deal is essentially a contract that allows the organization to use Johnson on either their NBA roster or G League roster at any time. Johnson has been with the Nets since he left Auburn following their 2024-25 Final Four run, where he contributed an average of 9.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He played in 38 games for the Tigers in that season, starting three and averaging 23.4 minutes played per game.Johnson’s 2024-25 season was certainly a step up from his first season out of Division Two basketball, though, similarly, in the 2023-24 season, he played in 35 total games, starting two of those. In that season, Johnson averaged 4.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.The former Tiger has beaten the odds again and again throughout his career. He transferred to Auburn after two standout seasons at Division Two University of Alabama-Huntsville and dominated in SEC play. He even went undrafted out of college, and has still managed to log more NBA playing time than many of the stars he faced off against in his two seasons with the Tigers.In his first year with the Nets, as well as his first year out of college, Johnson wasted no time making sure his impact was felt in the NBA. Despite his rookie status, Johnson managed to play in 17 games for the Nets and even earned his first career NBA start. Across those 17 games, Johnson averaged 8.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, a stat line eerily reminiscent of his performance in his final season with the Tigers, though now, he is doing it with less time per game and at a higher level.Johnson’s story is one Tiger fans should be immensely proud of. After all, he started his career as an unranked prospect, went to a Division II program just to have somewhere to showcase his abilities. Then, he transferred to an SEC program, where many thought he would not make an impact, was a crucial part of the Tigers’ Final Four run and is now logging significant playing time in the NBA despite going undrafted.Sign up for our free Auburn Tigers newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news!Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow