NBA G League Ignite, a team owned and operated by the NBA, will shut down at the end of the 2023-24 season.
The league confirmed the news in a statement while citing “the changing basketball landscape including the NCAA’s Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) policy and the advent of collectives and the transfer portal” as the primary reason for its decision.
NBA launched its Ignite program in 2020 as a way to offer high school graduates an alternative to attending college before becoming draft-eligible. The biggest draw for players who chose Ignite was the fact that they could get lucrative contracts, some reportedly worth up to $1 million. However, with the introduction of the NIL policy, college basketball players can now be compensated while also getting the student experience.
Despite folding, NBA G League Ignite can be considered a success. A number of high school top prospects signed with the team in recent years and ended up being a high draft pick. The list includes Houston Rockets’ Jalen Green and Golden State Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga, who were selected in the 2021 NBA Draft, and Portland Trail Blazers’ Scoot Henderson, who was the third-overall selection in the 2023 NBA Draft.
