Nets: Donta Hall Signing is Brooklyn’s First Upside Play of Orlando Roster Scramble
By Jerry Trotta
The Brooklyn Nets signed former Alabama big man Donta Hall ahead of the NBA restart.
Sound the alarms, folks, because the Brooklyn Nets have finally made a signing that we can get behind.
Since finding out that the likes of DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince won’t be headed to Orlando for the NBA restart after testing positive for the coronavirus, the Nets have been scrambling to field a complete roster.
This is obviously far from an ideal scenario, but those efforts have resulted in deals with expendable veterans like Jamal Crawford, Michael Beasley and Tyler Johnson, who hold no future with the team.
Well, fans will be pleased to hear that the Nets went with youth in their latest signing. Per reports, former Alabama big man Donta Hall will feature for Brooklyn at Walt Disney World.
The Nets are signing Donta Hall to a rest-of-the-season, league sources say
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 9, 2020
Hall wasn’t selected in the 2019 NBA Draft, but he has since made the most of his opportunities. The 6-foot-9 stud was one of the G League’s most prolific players this past season, posting 15.4 points and 10.6 rebounds on 66.9% shooting across 30 games for the Grand Rapids Drive. That production was good enough to get him called up and in the lineup for four games with the Detroit Pistons.
Unfortunately, however, this uplifting narrative isn’t without controversy. Prior to signing Hall, the Nets were reportedly eyeing a deal with 33-year-old journeyman Amir Johnson to help bolster their front court. Imagine if they had brought in three players over 30 within the span of a week? Fans in Brooklyn would have lost their minds.
The Nets strongly considered Amir Johnson for their frontcourt vacancy, as @NYTSports reported earlier this week, but turned their focus to Hall after striking deals this week to sign veterans Michael Beasley and Jamal Crawford
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 9, 2020
The Nets obviously won’t last very long in the Eastern Conference playoffs, but the restart project will serve as a tryout of sorts for the Crimson Tide product.
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Who knows? Maybe Hall shines and earns a roster spot for next season. Even if he doesn’t play well, at least Brooklyn can say that it attempted to add to its young core instead of signing another aging veteran who will be released as soon as the season is over.