Former Alabama Player Donta Hall Signs with the Brooklyn Nets

Former Alabama forward Donta Hall has signed with the Brooklyn Nets as a substitute player for the remainder of the NBA season.

Hall is a native of Luverne, Alabama and attended Luverne High School. While there he was a two time first team Class 2A All State selection and earned the Class 2A Player of the Year award his senior season. He was ranked as the 81st ranked player in the class of 2015 by ESPN.

Hall took control over the starting center role for the Crimson Tide during his final two years in Tuscaloosa. He averaged 10.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game over those final two seasons for the Tide.

He went undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft and subsequently signed with the Detroit Pistons and was assigned to their G-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive.

Hall appeared in 38 games, for the Drive, averaging 15.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. This earned him All-NBA G-League Second Team, NBA G-League All-Defensive Team, NBA G-League All-Rookie Team honors for their 2020 season.

While with the Drive, he was called up to play for the Pistons before the season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was only signed to a 10-day contract at the time of postponement so when the contract ran out he became eligible to sign with any NBA team.

The NBA allows teams to add substitute players to their rosters to replace players that voluntarily sit out the restart of the season in Orlando. Substitute players will receive a rest-of-season, minimum-salary contract and will become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.

A roster spot for Hall was created when Nets center Deandre Jordan opted out of the NBA's restart. Jordan opted out last month after testing positive for COVID-19. With Jordan opting out it left only one big man left on the Nets roster in center Jarrett Allen.