The NBA has announced that it plans to shutdown the G-League Ignite program following the conclusion of the 2023-24 season.
The Ignite team, which is struggling through its 2nd full season in the G-League after two COVID modified campaigns, currently sports a 2-29 record and sits comfortably in last place. Following 8-7, 9-18, and 11-21 seasons, the team has had difficulty adapting to the changing landscape of college basketball and its NIL deals which have lured some of the top talent back to the collegiate ranks.
Originally created in 2020 to offer the top high school prospects with a viable alternative to prepare for a professional career in basketball, the Ignite program will now be shuttered following 4 seasons.
“The decision to end the program comes amid the changing basketball landscape, including the NCAA’s Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) policy and the advent of collectives and the transfer portal,” NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim said in the league’s press release Thursday.
“Four years ago, we started Ignite to fill a void in the basketball landscape, and I’m proud of the contributions we were able to make to that ecosystem. With the changing environment across youth and collegiate basketball, now is the right time to take this step.”
The G-League Ignite team has had its share of success stories throughout the years. Current NBA mainstays Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Dyson Daniels, Scoot Henderson, and Leonard Miller are amongst the graduates of the program who were drafted to the NBA.
As a result, the Ignite team was the most successful program in the world at placing players into the NBA. However the league’s decision will now likely put top prospects back into the collegiate system for the foreseeable future.
Recent discussions between the NBA and the players association indicated that there was some interest in once again lowering the minimum draft age back to 18. Star NBA players such as Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady and dozens more were all previously selected directly from high school.
However under the current NBA collective bargaining agreement, the minimum age remains 19, meaning players will need to go with the “one and done” route at a post secondary institution.
“I’m not sure what the future of Team Ignite will be because before I felt there was a hole in the marketplace we were filling. Now my focus is turning to earlier development of those players,” commissioner Adam Silver told reporters at NBA All-Star weekend.
The league’s most recent CBA took effect on July 1st 2023 and will run until the conclusion of the 2029-30 season. However modifications can be made to the draft process if all parties are in agreement. For now however, expect to see the stars of tomorrow taking their talents to the NCAA.
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