With the recent Thunder signing of Aaron Wiggins to a two-way contract, a magnifying glass had been placed on last year’s two-way prospects Josh Hall and Jaylen Hoard in regards to their future. As reported, it looks as if Hall will remain in the Thunder’s hands.
Per Spotrac’s Keith Smith, the Oklahoma City Thunder have extended a qualifying offer to Josh Hall. The move gives the Thunder first dibs on signing Hall in Free Agency while also allowing them to match any otherwise accepted deals.
The Thunder raked up $1.49 million in extending a qualifying offer to Josh Hall. Hall is the first two-way player in franchise history to not receive an upgraded contract in their contract year, but still, net a qualifying offer after the season.
Josh Hall entered the Thunder roster last season as a tantalizing prep school project, who despite being a former five-star, went undrafted in the class. The 6-foot-9 forward was anticipated to be a cornerstone piece of the Oklahoma City Blue last season, but nagging knee injuries combined with Health and Safety Protocol wiped Hall from the Orlando Bubble and only saw him compete in 21 NBA games.
In Hall’s 21 appearances with the Thunder, the 20-year-old averaged 4.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 18.0 minutes a night. Hall’s regular-season minutes were typically allocated in garbage time, though, his outputs seemed lackluster regardless. That negative stigma all changed in the Thunder’s final regular-season game as Hall put together the full package tallying 25 points and 10 rebounds in a 117-112 win.
Oklahoma City’s decision to retain Hall rides the lines of potential as the small forward’s blots of athleticism and ball-handling ability look to have piqued the interest of the Thunder in regards to next season.
It is unclear as to what sort of contract or buzz Josh Hall will receive in Free Agency, but Oklahoma City will be sleeping better knowing they’ll get the final call on Hall.