When the NBA created the G League Ignite program in 2020, it was essentially pitched as the NBA’s pipeline from prep to pro.
The Ignite program was supposed to be a way for the most talented high school basketball players in the world to earn a legitiamte salary for their talents while competing at a high level and preparing for the NBA.
Just four years later, the program is reportedly dying.
The NBA is shutting the program down after this season, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports.
Sources: The NBA is shutting down the G League Ignite team after this season, canceling the development squad of elite draft prospects and veterans that launched in 2020.
Full details at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/7KAYBVX1lI
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 21, 2024
It’s been a long time coming for things to get to this point. But this is probably the right decision. Let’s dive into how we got here.
Launched in 2020, the G League Ignite was the NBA’s plan to allow top high school prospects to get paid while playing in the G League and preparing for the NBA Draft. The league began offering G League contracts worth $100,000+ to major hoops talents who did not want to play college basketball.
Initially, the G League Ignite had success with names like former Kentucky Wildcats recruits Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga, who played for Ignite for a season, then became NBA lottery selections. This year’s Ignite team features former 5-star recruits Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland, but the team is currently 6-40.
(Photo by KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images)
Well, not exactly. Adam Silver talked about this a few weeks ago during All-Star Weekend.
At that time, Silver said, the NBA was in the process of “reassessing Team Ignite.” Apparently, the NBA was questioning whether there was still a need for the team considering the overarching landscape surrounding it.
“Because now some of those same players who didn’t want to be one-and-done players because they felt it was unfair and they wanted the ability not just to earn a living playing basketball but to do commercial deals that weren’t available to them at college, to hire professional agents, an opportunity that wasn’t available to them at college, they now — all of those same opportunities have become available to them.”
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Well, yes. That was part of it. But the emergence of name, image and likeness rights for college athletes is only part of the reason the program is going away.
There’s also the Overtime Elite League, which has presented the best high school basketball players with another option to get paid, learn and still advance to the next level. We just saw it happen with Ausar and Amen Thompson over the summer.
There are just more options available to players now. Apparently, the NBA sees that as a reason to stop its program.
No. Not at all. Paying players was certainly part of it, but getting players prepared for the NBA was at the crux of the G League Ignite experience. The program was supposed to provide players with the best path to the NBA.
That and the money were supposed to go hand-in-hand. Andscape’s Marc Spears wrote this about the program back in 2021:
“The NBA started the G League Ignite program on April 16, 2020, and the team debuted during the 2020-2021 season. The Ignite allows selected teenage stars to forgo college basketball and get paid during a season of developmental basketball and limited G League games in preparation for the NBA draft once eligible. These teenagers are likely paid in the range of $125,000 to $500,000, playing with veteran players and have a coaching staff and environment with NBA ties and direction.“
The players were paid, but the high-level prospects just weren’t there.
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
A handful certainly came in through the draft and performed well. Jonathan Kuminga (2021) and Jalen Green (2021) seem to be the best examples at this point. They’re both solid starters who have carved out key rotational roles.
After being taken in the second round, Jaden Hardy (2022) has also carved out a niche role for himself with the Dallas Mavericks.
On the flip side, though, Scoot Henderson was supposed to be the program’s crown jewel but he’s struggled so far this year. And this year’s G League Ignite team is 2-28 with prospects who haven’t managed to stick out in a weaker draft class.
The more that time has gone by, the less justifiable the program has seemed.
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I think that’s a bit too harsh considering how the landscape of college basketball has shifted since then.
No, the Ignite hasn’t produced the star players we thought it would. But it has given us some solid rotational players in the NBA. On top of that – and maybe most importantly – it shifted the landscape for upcoming basketball prospects.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that shortly after the Ignite came to be, the Overtime Elite league blossomed, and the NCAA decided to move forward with NIL rights for student-athletes.
At the very least, this program forced a bit of progress. And, overall, that’s a good thing.
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