Late last week, NBA G League President Sharif Abdul-Rahim officially announced that the league would end Ignite after this season, marking the end of a short-lived era for the developmental program.
Formed in 2020, the Ignite team was designed to provide elite draft prospects with an alternative route to the NBA, distinct from college basketball and other professional leagues. Rather than take classes at a university or go overseas, the team offered a season purely to hone their basketball skills and earn salaries and sponsorship income.
In the team's first three seasons, it developed 10 NBA players, including four top-10 picks in Scoot Henderson, Jaylen Green, Jonathan Kuminga and Dyson Daniels.
This season, the team has two top-10 prospects in Ron Holland and Matas Bouzelis, two of the hottest recruits in their class.
With the advent of name, image and likeness in college basketball, Ignite's salary structure has become somewhat outdated, coupled with the fact that it doesn't necessarily raise the stock of many promising players.
“Four years ago, we started Ignite to fill a void in the basketball world, and we are proud to have contributed to that ecosystem,” Abdulrahim said. “With the changing landscape across youth and college basketball, now is the perfect time to take this step. General Manager Anthony McClish, Head Coach Jason Hart and his staff, and each and every one of us in an Ignite jersey, “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our players. As always, the G League's commitment to developing the NBA's top talent and helping players achieve their NBA dreams remains steadfast.”
Currently, the Overtime Elite, who have Armen and Orser Thompson as top picks in the 2023 NBA Draft, are the top option for prospects looking to go straight to the pros in the United States.
The Ignite has four games remaining on its 2023-24 season schedule.
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