Legends acquire P.J. Hairston

ByMARC STEIN
January 14, 2014, 1:20 PM

— -- Former North Carolina swingman P.J. Hairston, suspended by the NCAA last month for rules violations, will resume his basketball career in the NBA D-League with the Texas Legends.

The Legends, who currently hold the No. 1 turn in the D-League's player selection process, used that pick Tuesday to select the former Tar Heel.

The Legends welcomed Hairston to the team in a tweet Tuesday afternoon.

WELCOME PJ HAIRSTON! http://t.co/zw7mFqskrZ pic.twitter.com/YcGTtGcFwm

— Texas Legends (@TexasLegends) January 14, 2014

Hairston formally put his name in the D-League player pool last Friday. The Legends, owned by Dallas Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson and coached by former NBA veteran forward Eduardo Najera, are the Mavericks' D-League affiliate.

According to league rules, no NBA team can call Hairston up this season because he is eligible to enter the NBA draft this June. Thanasis Antetokounmpo, brother of Milwaukee Bucks rookie sensation Giannis Antetokounmpo, is in a similar situation this season with the D-League's Delaware 87ers, having committed to spending the entire season in the NBA's official developmental league before putting his name in the next NBA draft.

Hairston was the Tar Heels' top scorer last season as a sophomore, averaging 14.6 points per game. But school officials announced Dec. 20 that North Carolina would not seek Hairston's reinstatement from the NCAA after his suspension, which was triggered in part by the use of rental cars tied to a convicted felon.

Hairston, 21, released a statement Friday in which he said he has enrolled in an online course at North Carolina in addition to choosing the D-League over signing a contract overseas in hopes of improving his NBA Draft stock.

"I am excited to continue to pursue my degree at UNC while also pursing my dream of becoming a professional basketball player," Hairston said.

Hairston was expected to be North Carolina's go-to guy as a junior but did not play in a single game this season after an investigation into potential rules violations for his use of rental vehicles tied to former felon and party promoter Haydn "Fats" Thomas.

Said North Carolina coach Roy Williams in a recent statement: "I am extremely disappointed for P.J., his family and our team as he will no longer be playing basketball at North Carolina. P.J. made mistakes and I was very disappointed by his actions and now he is suffering the very difficult consequences. He is not a bad kid; he just made some mistakes."

ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman reported last week that Hairston, according to several NBA executives, could play his way into the first round of the draft in June with strong play in the D-League. One NBA general manager told Goodman that Hairston, at present, is considered a fringe first-rounder.

Hairston formally put his name in the D-League player pool last Friday. The Legends, owned by Dallas Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson and coached by former NBA veteran forward Eduardo Najera, are the Mavericks' D-League affiliate.

According to league rules, no NBA team can call Hairston up this season because he is eligible to enter the NBA draft this June. Thanasis Antetokounmpo, brother of Milwaukee Bucks rookie sensation Giannis Antetokounmpo, is in a similar situation this season with the D-League's Delaware 87ers, having committed to spending the entire season in the NBA's official developmental league before putting his name in the next NBA draft.

Hairston was the Tar Heels' top scorer last season as a sophomore, averaging 14.6 points per game. But school officials announced Dec. 20 that North Carolina would not seek Hairston's reinstatement from the NCAA after his suspension, which was triggered in part by the use of rental cars tied to a convicted felon.

Hairston, 21, released a statement Friday in which he said he has enrolled in an online course at North Carolina in addition to choosing the D-League over signing a contract overseas in hopes of improving his NBA Draft stock.

\"I am excited to continue to pursue my degree at UNC while also pursing my dream of becoming a professional basketball player,\" Hairston said.

Hairston was expected to be North Carolina's go-to guy as a junior but did not play in a single game this season after an investigation into potential rules violations for his use of rental vehicles tied to former felon and party promoter Haydn \"Fats\" Thomas.

Said North Carolina coach Roy Williams in a recent statement: \"I am extremely disappointed for P.J., his family and our team as he will no longer be playing basketball at North Carolina. P.J. made mistakes and I was very disappointed by his actions and now he is suffering the very difficult consequences. He is not a bad kid; he just made some mistakes.\"

ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman reported last week that Hairston, according to several NBA executives, could play his way into the first round of the draft in June with strong play in the D-League. One NBA general manager told Goodman that Hairston, at present, is considered a fringe first-rounder.

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