Daniel Orton

Daniel Joseph Orton (born August 6, 1990) is an American former professional basketball player. He is a 6-foot 10-inch, 265-pound center who played college basketball for the University of Kentucky.

High school career

Orton played for Bishop McGuinness High School in Oklahoma City. Bishop McGuinness won the class 4A state championship Orton's freshman, sophomore, and junior year. During his senior season, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, cutting his final season of high school basketball short. He averaged 14 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks per game as a junior.

Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Orton was listed as the No. 4 center and the No. 22 player in the nation in 2009.

He was recruited to the University of Kentucky by Billy Gillispie; however, Gillispie was fired following Orton's senior season. Orton kept his commitment to Kentucky after John Calipari was hired by the university.

College career

Orton was a reserve on the 2009–10 Kentucky Wildcats basketball team, where he averaged 3.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 13.2 minutes per game. On May 8, 2010, Orton hired an agent and declared himself eligible for the 2010 NBA Draft.

Professional career

With the 29th overall picking the first round of 2010 NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic selected Daniel Orton. On July 1, 2010, Orton signed his rookie contract with the Magic. On December 1, 2010, it was announced that Orton would be sent to the New Mexico Thunderbirds of the NBA Development League. In his second game for the Thunderbirds, Orton suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Orton made his NBA debut on January 27, 2012, in a Magic loss to the New Orleans Hornets.

On April 15, 2012, in a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Orton scored a career-high 11 points while also recording 5 steals, 4 rebounds, and 3 blocks. In 16 games, he averaged 2.8 points per game. He played his first career playoff game against the Indiana Pacers.

On August 4, 2012, Orton was signed by the Oklahoma City Thunder. On October 27, 2012, Orton was released by the Oklahoma City Thunder, after losing out to DeAndre Liggins for the final roster spot during the pre-season. However, he was re-signed by the team on October 31, 2012, after the team had sent center Cole Aldrich to the Houston Rockets in a trade that also involved James Harden. The Thunder assigned Orton to the NBA D-League's Tulsa 66ers several times during the 2012–13 season. Google for more about Daniel Orton.