SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Former Santa Clara men's basketball stars Johnny O'Neil and Adama-Alpha Bal recently joined the professional ranks in the NBA G League after first signing NBA Exhibit 10 contracts.

O'Neil first signed an Exhibit 10 with the New Orleans Pelicans in mid-September and was promptly waived to designate him as an affiliate player with the Birmingham Squadron. A month later, the New York Knicks did the same with Bal, who signed his Exhibit 10 on Oct. 16^th and was promptly waived to send him to the Westchester Knicks.

Both players are eligible to earn a bonus worth up to $85,300 on top of their regular G League salaries if they spend at least 60 days with their respective teams.

O'Neil and Bal were teammates for the last two seasons at Santa Clara. O'Neil played in 67 career games in those two seasons where he averaged 9.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. In 2023-24, he averaged 11.1 points per game and was the lone Bronco to start all 33 games.

Bal had an outstanding two seasons in the red and white, earning First Team All-WCC honors in both 2023-24 and 2024-25. He averaged 13.7 points and 3.1 assists in 60 career appearances. In 2023-24, in addition to earning all-conference honors, he earned a spot on the NABC All-Region Second Team after averaging 14.4 points per contest.

Both players join the G League after short stints of international experience. O'Neil signed with the Leicester Riders in the British Basketball League while Bal played for Sig Strasbourg in his native France.