NBA shutting down G League Ignite
The NBA is pulling the plug on the G League Ignite following the 2023-24 season, G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim announced Thursday.
The developmental team was established in 2020 as an alternate pathway to the Association for pre-draft-eligible prospects.
"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," said Abdur-Rahim in a statement. "With the changing environment across youth and collegiate basketball, now is the right time to take this step."
Jalen Green of the Houston Rockets, Jonathan Kuminga of the Golden State Warriors, and Scoot Henderson of the Portland Trail Blazers are among the notable players that have come through the program.
The NCAA's adoption of name, image, and likeness policies that allow student-athletes to earn money cast doubt on the future of the Ignite.
"I'm not sure what the future of Team Ignite will be, because before there was a hole in the marketplace that we thought we were filling ... and now my focus is turning to earlier development of those players," NBA commissioner Adam Silver told reporters at All-Star Weekend.
The Ignite are 6-40 this season despite having first-round NBA prospects Matas Buzelis, Ron Holland, and Tyler Smith on their roster.