The Toronto Raptors announced on Friday that they have signed G League Ignite forward Donta Hall to a 10-day contract.
The 6-foot-9, 232-pound versatile big man is expected to begin his contract with Toronto's affiliate Raptors 905 in the G League bubble, making his debut against the Greensboro Swarm on Friday night.
MORE: Fast facts on Donta Hall
Official: We've signed forward Donta Hall to a 10-day contract. Hall will join our G-League affiliate @Raptors905.
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) February 26, 2021
Deet » https://t.co/IjrrokVfaF pic.twitter.com/1H8KzHboKA
Hall appeared in nine games for the Ignite in the G League bubble, averaging 8.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 61.4 percent from the field.
When he joined the Ignite select team in January, head coach Brian Shaw admitted that he had never heard of Hall, but he liked what he saw.
“To be honest with you, I had no knowledge of Donta Hall before he got here,” Shaw told the media in a post-practice press conference back in January. "My bosses basically talked about bringing him in. I had to look at some footage of him with the Pistons, the limited time he was with them. Still didn’t know a lot about his game. When he got here, I was pleasantly surprised.”
Hall played in five games with the Detroit Pistons during the pre-hiatus regular season before joining the Brooklyn Nets for the NBA bubble, playing in four regular season games and three playoff games (against the Raptors, no less).
Hall only averaged 4.3 points and 4.2 rebounds in 17.0 minutes per game at the NBA level last season, but his G League production for the Pistons' affiliate Grand Rapids Drive is what drew attention to the 23-year-old as an option for the select team. Posting 15.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 1.4 steals and 1.0 assists in 38 G League games last season, Hall showcased the potential to one day earn a full-time spot in the NBA, and coach Shaw saw that right away when he got on campus with the Ignite.
“I really, really believe that we won’t have him long when we get in the bubble. I think that he’ll get a call-up from a team," Shaw said to the media unprompted. "He deserves and should be on an NBA roster. He blocks shots, rebounds, plays with energy, he actually can shoot the ball from the 3-point line.”
Shaw saw the future clearly, with Hall now campaigning to take the Raptors last open roster spot after signing a 10-day contract just a month removed from his previous head coach's statement.
The prospect's first opportunity to earn that spot will be Friday, February 26 at 7:30 p.m. ET when Raptors 905 take on the Swarm in the G League bubble.
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