National Basketball Association

Memphis Grizzlies sign 22-year-old foward and D-Leauge All-Star Vince Hunter

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Memphis Grizzlies bolstered their preseason roster with the signing of Vince Hunter, a standout in the NBA D-League last year.

The Memphis Grizzlies’ roster is back at 20 players after the team announced the signing of forward Vince Hunter, 22, Sunday afternoon.

Hunter, a University of Texas-El Paso alumnus, played two years with the Miners, averaging 13.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 0.9 blocks and 1.5 assists per game with a .566 true shooting percentage.

After leaving UTEP, Hunter spent time overseas with Panathinaikos in Greece and locally with the Reno Bighorns in the NBA-Developmental League. Most recently, Hunter was on the Chicago Bulls’ roster. He has been a free agent since being waived on Oct. 4.

Dec 19, 2014; El Paso, TX, USA; UTEP Miners Vince Hunter (32) celebrates after scoring against the Arizona Wildcats at Don Haskins Center. Mandatory Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports

In Greece, Hunter played in 22 games between the A1 league and Euroleague.

Hunter excelled in the D-League, averaging 21.8 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game with Reno, a stat line that earned him a spot in the D-League’s All-Star game, where he dropped 12 points and seven rebounds off the pine in 14 minutes of playing time.

A big difference between Vince Hunter’s collegiate and D-League statistics, though, is his reduction in turnovers. At UTEP, Hunter averaged 3.2 turnovers per 36 minutes as opposed to just 2.2 per 36 minutes with Reno.

The advanced statistics speak to the quality of Hunter’s play with the Bighorns, as he was third in the league in win shares per 48 minutes (.229), third in rebounds per game and second in player efficiency rating (25.7).

He also excels at getting to the charity stripe, posting a .596 free throw rate and taking the ninth most free throws in the league last year.

Also, it looks like D.J. Stephens may have someone new to compete with in dunk contests.

This isn’t Hunter’s first time being around the Memphis Grizzlies’ organization, as he spent time with them during the 2016 NBA Summer League (as well as the Los Angeles Clippers).