G-League Ignite Abolished

[WuTang_CMB]

good idea at the time but NCAA caught up with NIL

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[YogurtProducer]

Good idea - just horribly executed.

If you want to get prospects in the G-League you have to let the league draft teenagers and have those kids play with their respective clubs G-League team.

[MiamiSPX]

good idea at the time but NCAA caught up with NIL

You said it, some of these kids are making way more with their NIL deals, than they would in the G League.

[LoveMyRaps]

Right decision.

With the exception of Kuminga, most of their guys (Green & Scoot) have significantly underperformed.

[TheGeneral99]

Once the NCAA finally let college athletes make money it didn't really make sense anymore.

[Tofubeque]

It was a success in that it landed high enough recruits to force the NCAA's hand on NIL finally.

I wouldn't say any of those recruits have particularly been success stories, as guys like Green Kuminga and Scoot clearly hit the league underdeveloped. Maybe the GLeague's environment of no defense, no stakes and lots of losing wasn't that good for them. But who knows, it wasn't a large sample of players in the end.

[TheGeneral99]

Right decision.

With the exception of Kuminga, most of their guys (Green & Scoot) have significantly underperformed.

Hard to say significantly underperformed...Green has actually looked pretty good recently and in March he's been averaging 27, 6 and 3 on 50%fg and 40%3fg. He just had 42 points and 10 rebounds the other night.

Scott is still a 20 rookie, the jury is still out on him...can't make a definitive analysis of him.

[YogurtProducer]

It was a success in that it landed high enough recruits to force the NCAA's hand on NIL finally.

I wouldn't say any of those recruits have particularly been success stories, as guys like Green Kuminga and Scoot clearly hit the league underdeveloped. Maybe the GLeague's environment of no defense, no stakes and lots of losing wasn't that good for them. But who knows, it wasn't a large sample of players in the end.

It also was solely 19 year olds and not 4 year seniors. Most guys that long come in underdeveloped

[ArthurVandelay]

I wonder if Australian League continues with their Shooting Stars program.

[HangTime]

It wasn't even a good idea at the time they introduced it.


What they should do is let those kids enter the NBA Draft, and their contracts have an additional year, at the beginning, worth like 1/3 of of the following years contract.

For example
If your the first pick

Year 1 - $3.5M
Year 2 - $10M
Year 3 - $12M (Team option)
Year 4 - $15M (team option)
Year 5 - $18M (team option)

That first year, he can only play with the g-league affiliate.

The team can let do everything else NBA related, except play in the games.
practice, travel, etc.

[Badonkadonk]

It was a success in that it landed high enough recruits to force the NCAA's hand on NIL finally.

I wouldn't say any of those recruits have particularly been success stories, as guys like Green Kuminga and Scoot clearly hit the league underdeveloped. Maybe the GLeague's environment of no defense, no stakes and lots of losing wasn't that good for them. But who knows, it wasn't a large sample of players in the end.

I think that's the true legacy of the G-League Ignite, that it forced the NCAA to acknowledge the reality that these kids could (and should) be making money somewhere, and if the NCAA can't pull its head of its own ass, then something else will emerge. NIL really killed something that shouldn't have had to have been born in the first place.

The "success" or "failure" of guys who went through Ignite is irrelevant. For one, the sample size too small to draw any conclusions. Secondly, how would you even quantify the impact or difference of a guy just sitting out a year, going to play with the Ignite, going to play in Europe until eligible etc.? You can't. Everybody develops differently.

[adubmac]

It was a success in that it landed high enough recruits to force the NCAA's hand on NIL finally.

Ignite and even the G League had nothing to do with the NIL, which came about due to Ed O'Bannon's law suit. No one cared about a few kids skipping college ball.

I think people also need to understand that college basketball is an after thought to football, which literally drives everything for the NCAA.

[Psubs]

What about those that aren't smart enough to get a decent SAT score? They should be allowed to turn pro in America. I guess go the the NBL like Terrence Ferguson.

[johanliebert]

What about those that aren't smart enough to get a decent SAT score? They should be allowed to turn pro in America. I guess go the the NBL like Terrence Ferguson.

When has that stopped some kids from playing D1 ball.

[Kevin Willis]

It was a success in that it landed high enough recruits to force the NCAA's hand on NIL finally.

Ignite and even the G League had nothing to do with the NIL, which came about due to Ed O'Bannon's law suit. No one cared about a few kids skipping college ball.

I think people also need to understand that college basketball is an after thought to football, which literally drives everything for the NCAA.

They're indirectly related even though you're correct NIL wasn't a reaction to the Ignite, they both started around the same time for different reasons. G-League Ignite was around so that kids can be paid if they wanted to get paid. The advancement of NIL basically ended the need for the Ignite. Now let's say the NIL deal didn't happen or wasn't a success, would the Ignite succeed? Don't know but it would still be around for sure. Ignite was supposed to bring quality players in the league that might not be NCAA worthy for grades or needed money because of family situation. It also prevented the abuse of sponsors that was running rampant where college players ended up expensive cars, clothes, etc.

Yes all-sports are an after thought to football but this NIL deal impacted all sports. Even top runners have decided to stay longer in college because of their deals. They wanted to be paid but felt they weren't ready for real world responsibilities. Even gymnasts and volleball players are making good money. If you're hot, talented and personable the sport doesn't matter - you can make good money.

Looking at the Ignite players that made the league:

Year Drafted Round Pick Player Team
2021 1 2 Jalen Green Rockets
2021 1 7 Jonathan Kuminga Warriors
2021 2 31 Isaiah Todd Wizards
2022 1 8 Dyson Daniels Pelicans
2022 1 24 MarJon Beauchamp Bucks
2022 2 37 Jaden Hardy Mavericks
2023 1 3 Scoot Henderson Trail Blazers
2023 2 33 Leonard Miller Timberwolves
2023 2 4 Sidy Cissoko Spurs
2023 2 47 Mojave King Pacers

2021 - 2 good players
2022 - 2 good players (Beauchamp might be alright)
2023, 2024 - too early / can't tell

Every year at least 3 players are drafted from the Ignite. Out of those 3 players at least 2 are at least serviceable. From one team, that's not a failure. It's better than any college team - including Kentucky and Duke - for yearly production in that span. But the time has come for it to end because the quality level is dipping and they don't know how to handle them properly.

BTW - even this year G-League Ignite will have at least 3 players drafted. Again.

[Anticon]

An interesting concept that mainly existed to cover the arbitrary one year no income period from the NBA age limit and the old NCAA income restrictions.

Now that the latter is gone, there's less need, but I think they'll still be players that look for a non-college option, like the Thompson twins in the Overtime Elite. For some players college will be more risk and responsibility than they're interested in, and I suppose there will be some that have academic issues that limit their college choices.

[2019nbachamps]

Nba should allow 18 year olds back into the draft

[wegotthabeet]

It wasn't even a good idea at the time they introduced it.


What they should do is let those kids enter the NBA Draft, and their contracts have an additional year, at the beginning, worth like 1/3 of of the following years contract.

For example
If your the first pick

Year 1 - $3.5M
Year 2 - $10M
Year 3 - $12M (Team option)
Year 4 - $15M (team option)
Year 5 - $18M (team option)

That first year, he can only play with the g-league affiliate.

The team can let do everything else NBA related, except play in the games.
practice, travel, etc.

Good idea, but why not just eliminate the Bird Collegiate Rule?

Wouldn’t that be the best of both worlds? Let prospects enter the draft and go back to college. Seems so simple.

[Badonkadonk]

It was a success in that it landed high enough recruits to force the NCAA's hand on NIL finally.

Ignite and even the G League had nothing to do with the NIL, which came about due to Ed O'Bannon's law suit. No one cared about a few kids skipping college ball.

I think people also need to understand that college basketball is an after thought to football, which literally drives everything for the NCAA.

What? The O'Bannon lawsuit was over using players likeness to profit, which has everything to do with why NIL was ultimately born. The NCAA used to feverishly shut down all forms of financial compensation for players (gifts or otherwise) until they were forced to do otherwise.

In fact, several in the industry call O'Bannon the father of the NIL now lol

https://spry.so/insights/ed-obannon-father-of-nil/

[HangTime]

It wasn't even a good idea at the time they introduced it.


What they should do is let those kids enter the NBA Draft, and their contracts have an additional year, at the beginning, worth like 1/3 of of the following years contract.

For example
If your the first pick

Year 1 - $3.5M
Year 2 - $10M
Year 3 - $12M (Team option)
Year 4 - $15M (team option)
Year 5 - $18M (team option)

That first year, he can only play with the g-league affiliate.

The team can let do everything else NBA related, except play in the games.
practice, travel, etc.

Good idea, but why not just eliminate the Bird Collegiate Rule?

Wouldn’t that be the best of both worlds? Let prospects enter the draft and go back to college. Seems so simple.

If I remember right, that rule was only for guys going into their Senior year in college.

So, that decision would have be made by the NCAA.

But also, wouldn't you want the guy to be in your team's system, for that one year, instead of in college?