Shams Charania recently announced that the NBA G-League Ignite Team will shutdown after the conclusion of the 2023-2024 G-League schedule.
The Start of the Ignite Team
The NBA G-League began in 2008 and has been an avenue for college and international prospects to show their skills and bid to be drafted or signed to a team roster. This changed with the introduction of the Ignite team, which allowed elite high school prospects to take another route to the league besides playing in college or overseas.
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
In April 2020, the G-League announced a raised salary for elite prospects and a one-year development program outside of its traditional G-League team structure. The prospects, alongside veteran players, trained and played 15 games against other G-League teams, foreign national teams, and NBA academies.
The NBA Select Team Lands Stars in First Season
On the same day, the G-League’s new development program was announced, Jalen Green, the highest-ranked player in the 2020 high school class according to ESPN, became the first player to join the NBA G-League Ignite, earning $500,000. Green was soon joined on the team by fellow five-star recruits Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix, and Kai Sotto of the Philippines. In July, Jonathan Kuminga, the highest-ranked player in the 2021 high school class, reclassified to the 2020 class and signed with the Ignite. In their first season, the Ignite team was successful in the shortened season, putting up an 8-7 record overall before losing in the quarterfinal round to the Raptors 905 in the G-League Playoffs.
The successful season led to Jalen Green being selected 2nd overall by the Houston Rockets and Johnathan Kuminga being selected 7th overall by the Golden State Warriors. The Washington Wizards also drafted Isiah Todd with the first pick in the second round, but he has struggled to stay in the NBA. However, Green has been a consistent scorer and leader for a Rockets team looking to make a run for the playoffs. Kuminga has had a prosperous young career with the Warriors, winning a championship with Golden State in 2022 as a role player. Today, Kuminga can be viewed as one of the key starters for the Warriors in the 2023-24 NBA Season.
Jonathan Kuminga has been on a tear in the month of March! ⚡️ #IgniteAlum
he’s averaging 20.6 PPG on nearly 50-40-90 shooting splits in less than 29 MPG. pic.twitter.com/d4YMyLX0Ls
— NBA G League Ignite (@gleagueignite) March 14, 2024
Subsequently, the G-League Ignites’ success drew attention as an alternative path to the NBA besides college basketball. Multiple media outlets speculated that Jalen Green’s decision to forgo college as one of the top prospects in the nation would threaten the NCAA. However, soon after the first season, the NCAA decided on July 1, 2021, to approve a name, image, and likeness policy allowing student-athletes to monetize their fame by seeking endorsement opportunities. This change would ultimately lead to the G-League Ignite team’s demise.
NBA G-League Ignite’s Second Season Stalls Out
In the Ignite’s second season, they still faced challenges due to COVID-19, as they were only allowed to play in an early-season tournament, the Winter Showcase. This season, the Ignite team was led by only a few high school stars, signing 5-star recruit Jaden Hardy and Scoot Henderson, who was too young to enter the draft after the season, along with Dyson Daniels, a young star from Australia, and former college student MarJon Beauchamp. In the team’s 12 games, they held only a 6-6 record. As the team struggled, so did the draft stock of many of the prospects, as Dyson Daniels would end up being selected 8th overall by the New Orleans Pelicans. MarJon Beauchamp was also a first-round selection drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 24th overall pick. The team’s main star high school recruit, Jaden Hardy, was selected in the second round with the 37th pick by the Mavericks but so far has found success in Dallas.
Ignite Team Move to Las Vegas for Final Seasons
G League Ignite just keeps on making history! With 4 players selected in tonight’s #NBADraft presented by State Farm, 10 different Ignite alumni have been drafted since the program’s
inception ahead of the 2021 NBA Draft. This is the most of any program over that time frame. pic.twitter.com/1oeMrySTpL— NBA G League Ignite (@gleagueignite) June 23, 2023
The Ignite team struggled in its third season as it moved from California to Las Vegas. Led by Scoot Henderson, who was selected 3rd overall in the previous draft, the Ignite team was disappointed with an 11-21 record on the season and a 4-14 record in the early-season tournament. Due to the team’s poor performance, the other prospects, Leonard Miller, Sidy Cissoko, and Mojave King, were all drafted in the second round of last year’s draft.
21 PTS 👏 7 REB 👏 4 AST
Matas Buzelis was everywhere tonight! he went off for his seventh 20+ point game of the season against Salt Lake City. pic.twitter.com/6aaEJsnM7q
— NBA G League Ignite (@gleagueignite) March 23, 2024
It was announced on March 21, 2024, that the NBA would shutdown the franchise after the end of the 2023–2024 NBA G-League season. Though the team has multiple top prospects this year, along with former draftee Isiah Todd, the team has an abysmal 4-29 record. Though the record is down, the draft stock of some has gone up, with Ron Holland and Matt Buzeluis both projected as top 10 picks, with Ron Holland even being discussed as a potential player to be selected anywhere from 3rd to 10th in the draft. Other players, such as Tyler Smith and Izan Almansa, have been projected to be late first-round selections. However, all these players still have opportunities to rise or fall as they go through the remainder of the drafting process. Still, for some, the final season for the G-League Ignite team leaves them stranded to decide whether to go overseas or try their luck in a college setting.
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