Pro Hogs:

Qualls to play for Pelicans in summer league

University of Arkansas basketball player Michael Qualls talks to the media Wednesday evening at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville after announcing that he will be entering the NBA draft.

Former Razorback Michael Qualls will have a shot at his breakthrough moment into the NBA this summer.

Qualls, a Louisiana native, agreed to a deal to play for the New Orleans Pelicans’ summer league team, which will play July 8-18 in Las Vegas in the largest of the NBA’s three summer leagues.

Qualls declared for the 2015 NBA Draft after averaging 15.9 points and 5.3 rebounds as a junior. His size, tremendous athleticism and development as a shooter made him a potential “3-and-D” prospect in the NBA, which led to a second-round projection by most draft pundits. But he went undrafted after tearing his ACL during a pre-draft workout with the Phoenix Suns.

The Oklahoma City Thunder signed Qualls during the summer, then allocated him to their D-League team, the Oklahoma City Blue, after waiving him in October.