NBA commissioner casts doubt on future of G League Ignite

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The NBA created G League Ignite so young prospects could earn a living. Commissioner Adam Silver isn’t sure it’s still necessary.

The Ignite team began play in 2020 as an alternative to college basketball for top prospects. Players could earn as much as $500K to play for Ignite, which stocked their team with a mix of veterans and star high schoolers. The young players got high salaries, scholarships to Arizona State University, and life skills classes, as a way to prepare players for careers in the NBA.

But the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted those plans, and Ignite played only limited games, first in a “bubble” tournament in Orlando and then at the league’s Winter Showcase in the second year. At the same time, new state laws and NCAA rule changes allowed players to earn money by selling their name, image and likeness rights (NIL). Suddenly, players could get comparable Ignite money simply for playing college basketball.

The success rate of Ignite players in the NBA hasn’t been great. Players like Jonathan Kuminga and Jalen Green are only now starting to make an impact in their third NBA seasons, while players like Daishen Nix, Michael Foster Jr. and Kai Sotto all went undrafted.

With Ignite’s financial incentives no longer necessary and its development model showing mixed results, the future of the team is in doubt. The NBA wanted to create an alternative development model for college basketball. Now that college basketball has changed, it may have run its course. 

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