Former Spartan Earns Minor-League Opportunity in Motor City
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It was just last year that former Michigan State Spartans forward Malik Hall was making an impact in East Lansing but has since moved on to his professional career in the NBA's G League. Recent news broke that Hall will be heading back to Michigan to play in front of a familiar crowd.
The Motor City Cruise, the G League affiliate for the Detroit Pistons, announced on Friday that it has added Hall to its club. Hall will be just about 90 miles from where he spent his five-year collegiate career with the Spartans.
Welcome to Detroit, Malik!
— Motor City Cruise (@MotorCityCruise) January 17, 2025
OFFICIAL- We have acquired forward Malik Hall. pic.twitter.com/fk5OrYpw5X
Hall was originally drafted eighth overall in the 2024-25 NBA G League draft by the Greensboro Swarm, minor league affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets. He played just nine games for them this season, averaging 4.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game before being sent to the Cruise.
It has not been fully reported on how Hall was acquired by the Cruise, but there will be an added buzz in the building when he steps onto the floor from the Spartan faithful. Do not be surprised if Spartans head coach Tom Izzo makes an appearance to watch his former player.
Over his five seasons with the Spartans, Hall became one of 22 players in program history to record 1,000 points and 600 rebounds over their career. He averaged a career 8.2 points per game and a 50.4% field goal percentage, earning All-Big Ten honors in 2024.
Hall will join a pair of fellow former Big Ten stars on the Cruise, playing against both guys throughout his career. Former Penn State guard Lamar Stevens and Rutgers guard Ron Harper Jr. were two guys that gave the Spartans fits for several years and now will be teammates with Hall at the next level.
It will be a fresh start for Hall in a place that he is very familiar with. The Cruise play their home games at Wayne State University in downtown Detroit, exceptionally close to where he went to school and not too far from his hometown of Aurora, Illinois.
The Cruise currently hold a 3-5 record, ranking 20th in the league in rebounds per game. Hall will surely see considerable minutes to help boost that stat and give this team a big more physicality. He is added to a roster that has seven other forwards, including Harper.
There will be excitement surrounding Hall as he makes his return, but the biggest priority is finding success at the professional level. If he is able to spark some success within the Pistons organization, it could open opportunities for him to receive a two-way contract and maybe a big-league chance.
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