LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — When Donta Hall agreed to join the G League Ignite, head coach Brian Shaw knew the 23-year-old would eventually return to the NBA this season.
On Friday, that became a reality after the Toronto Raptors announced that they signed Hall to a 10-day contract following a strong run with the Ignite in the G League bubble. Hall will play some games with the Raptors 905 before joining the Raptors in Tampa.
“I’m very happy for him,” Shaw said on Friday. “That was the goal for our guys to get a call-up, to be able to go play for one of the big teams. We were extremely happy for him. We all found out last night and wished him well. He played well and deserved it.”
Hall, in nine games this season with the Ignite, averaged 8.9 points, nine rebounds and 1.8 blocks on 61.4% shooting from the field. He often helped provide defense in the paint and proved to be versatile on both ends of the floor.
When the Ignite were constructed, the thought was to surround the high-profile prospects, such as Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga, with a strong veteran presence. The team signed Hall to help influence those players and his impact was felt by those younger players.
“Man, I was happy for him,” Green said. “He be doing his thing every game, getting boards and getting buckets. I’m excited for him. That’s a big bro. I’ll be seeing him soon. He is for sure going to be missed but I’m excited for him. He is going to go do this thing.”
Hall played nine games in the NBA last season, four with the Detroit Pistons and five with the Brooklyn Nets. He will likely spend a good portion of his 10-day contract with the 905, on a tryout period of sorts, but it will be a great chance for him to get acclimated to the organization.
“A great opportunity,” Hall said. “(I’m) blessed. I thank the man above, for sure. (I want to) bring the energy, keeping going and hustling. Being that hard hat on the floor.”
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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