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D-League leading scorer Heslip spurns Turkish club, believes NBA call-up coming

Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

The lightning-fast pace at which the D-League's Reno Bighorns play is doing wonders for the stock of some of their players.

Playing at a pace of 120.5 possessions per game that would be the most extreme tempo the NBA or D-League had ever seen, some Bighorns players have been the beneficiaries of inflated numbers. Shots still have to be made, but when a player plays in a game that has 20 more possessions than most, there are additional opportunities for numbers.

Just ask Brady Heslip, the Canadian currently leading the D-League with 27.1 points a night. In just 31.2 minutes, Heslip is filling the basket, shooting 48.2 percent from the floor and 49.4 percent on threes.

Those numbers may have him on the verge of signing in the NBA for the first time. Heslip was close to leaving the D-League last week to sign with Turkish club Banvit, but he's decided to stick it out in Reno for a while longer, under the belief he's close to landing with an NBA club, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.

Heslip was in training camp with the Sacramento Kings, who are the exclusive affiliate franchise of Reno, and the Kings have an open roster spot. Heslip is free to sign with any team, though, and could have multiple suitors after Jan. 5, when teams can sign players to 10-day contracts. Teams in need of shooting should inquire, as Heslip's 49.4 3-point mark in Reno is backed up by a 43.7 percent career mark over three seasons at Baylor.

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