Kahuku High School graduate and rookie center Tolu Smith has signed a two-way contract with the Detroit Pistons and has been added to the team’s roster ahead of their matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.
Smith, who excelled at Mississippi State, has been a standout for Detroit’s G League affiliate this season, averaging 17.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game through nine appearances.
The 24-year-old, a former Hawaii state player of the year, is on the cusp of making history. If he sees action in an NBA regular-season game, Smith would become just the second Hawaii high school graduate to do so. The first was Hilo native Red Rocha, a two-time All-Star in the 1950s with the Baltimore Bullets and Syracuse Nationals.