For the second straight year, Donta Hall will move from the NBA G League to the NBA. The Toronto Raptors are signing the former Alabama center to a 10-day contract, the Athletic reported on Thursday night.
Playing for the Ignite in the G League’s bubble season in Florida, Hall has averaged 8.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in nine games while averaging 23.5 minutes of playing time since the league’s season started on Feb. 10.
In 36 games with the Grand Rapids Drive last season, Hall averaged 15.4 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots. He earned selection to the NBA G League’s All-Rookie team and received second-team all-league recognition.
That led to two 10-day contracts with Grand Rapids’ NBA parent club, the Detroit Pistons. Hall played 48 minutes in four games for Detroit. He scored six points and collected 15 rebounds.
When the NBA returned from its hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Pistons didn’t qualify to join the teams completing the season in the bubble environment at Walt Disney World. But Hall was able to complete the season with the Brooklyn Nets.
Hall played in five of the Nets’ eight bubble games. He averaged 6.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 17.0 minutes per game. Hall played 20 minutes in Brooklyn’s three playoff games.
With one year of pro experience after four seasons at Alabama, Hall served as a veteran player on the Ignite, a first-year team launched by the NBA for elite prospects who are bypassing college and preparing for the draft as pros by playing together in the G League.
The Raptors host the Houston Rockets at 6:30 p.m. CST Friday in their next game. Toronto is playing its home games in Tampa, Florida, because of border restrictions and public-safety measures caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Raptors have a 16-17 record. Aron Baynes has been the starter at center and averaged 5.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Chris Boucher gets more playing time, though, and has averaged 13.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
At Luverne High School, Hall was a two-time All-State selection and the ASWA Class 2A Player of the Year in 2015, when he averaged 22.6 points, 18.1 rebounds and 12.0 blocks per game.
At Alabama, Hall made the SEC All-Defensive team twice and became the fifth Crimson Tide player with at least 1,000 points, 800 rebounds and 200 blocked shots.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.