The G League Ignite Has Failed to Develop NBA Players

Before NIL deals, a domestic option was missing for top high school basketball prospects to develop and get paid.

The NBA watched as R.J. Hampton (No. 5 in 2019) and LaMelo Ball (No. 21 in 2019) skipped college for Australia’s National Basketball League. In the past, Brandon Jennings (No. 1 in 2008) went to Italy, and Emmanuel Mudiay (No. 5 in 2014) played in China for $1.2 million.

THE G LEAGUE IGNITE

The NBA’s response was the G League Ignite, a team created to give elite prospects pro experience and salaries.

The roster would be a mix of veterans and recent high school graduates. The first team had Jarrett Jack, Amir Johnson, and Norris Cole all appear on the Ignite as NBA vets.

Jalen Green was the first star of the Ignite. Green, ranked No. 2 in 2020, would sign a one-year contract that was reportedly over $500,000. The inaugural roster also included Jonathan Kuminga (No. 4) and Isaiah Todd (No. 20).

Green and Kuminga were top-10 picks in 2021. Todd was first in the second round.

Dyson Daniels, MarJon Beauchamp, Jaden Hardy, and Scoot Henderson were on the team in its second year. Hardy was No. 2 in the 2021 class, and Daniels played in Australia.

The Ignite was created because prospects went to Australia, and now, they were taking prospects from the NBL. Three were selected in the 2022 NBA draft: Daniels went eighth, Beauchamp went 24th, and Hardy went 37th.

Henderson was not drafted because he signed a two-year, $1 million deal at 17 and became the youngest pro in the U.S. He was picked third overall in 2023, making it four Ignite players taken that year— a record.

In their final season, the Ignite landed two top-five prospects, Ron Holland and Matas Buzelis. However, the team was a massive disappointment, with a record of 2-32.

Holland led the team in points per game and was drafted fifth overall, the fifth Ignite player to be drafted in the top 10. Buzelis was a projected top 10 pick but fell to 11th.

HOW IGNITE PLAYERS HAVE DONE IN THE NBA

Teams showed hesitation with Ignite prospects. Green was taken No. 2 after Cade Cunningham, college basketball’s top freshman. Henderson was projected second behind Victor Wembanyama but was passed over for college standout Brandon Miller.

International players were also favored. Josh Giddey was drafted ahead of Kuminga. In 2024, the top four picks were internationals or college freshmen before Holland II was taken fifth.

Draft slides were common. Hardy, once ranked No. 2 in high school, fell to the second round. Buzelis, a consensus top-six pick before the draft, fell outside the top 10.

NBA scouts have been proven correct so far. Green has been largely overshadowed by the players selected around him.

Green was selected to be a franchise player after James Harden was traded the season prior, but he hasn’t been the best player on his team from his draft class. Alperen Sengun was selected 16th overall in 2021 and was an All-Star this season.

This is rising to the surface because of Green’s inconsistent play in this year’s playoffs. Green has been outscored by the other four starters on his team in five of the seven games.

Kuminga, who is also in that playoff series, only played when Jimmy Butler was hurt. He was out one game with an illness, but has been a healthy scratch in three games of the series.

Todd, the third Ignite player in that draft, only played two NBA seasons before going to play overseas.

Daniels was on the same trajectory as Todd before getting traded to the Hawks in the offseason. He averaged 4.8 points in 20 minutes in two years with the Pelicans.

In year three, Daniels has taken a gigantic leap. He led the league in steals, averaged 14 points per game, and was awarded the Most Improved Player of the Year.

Beauchamp has struggled, playing for three teams this season and ending back in the G League. Hardy has become a reliable bench player in Dallas.

Henderson is Ignite’s biggest disappointment, which is ironic because he was the only player to play on the team for two years before getting drafted.

Henderson has only started 42 of the 128 games he has played in, a controversial decision by the Blazers’ coaching staff. It is too early to tell for Holland and Buzelis.

WHERE THE IGNITE FAILED

The Ignite succeeded at most of the things it was made for. The Ignite kept top high school talent in the states, allowing them to play in a professional league and get paid. It failed at developing the players— the purpose of the one year between high school and the NBA.

Daniels, Henderson, and Beauchamp are examples of the trend of Ignite players having a bad first two years in the league. This isn’t to say rookies should be great players right when they touch the court in the NBA, but Ignite players have been particularly disappointing.

Compared to peers selected nearby or with similar picks in past drafts, Ignite players haven’t shared similar success.

After the 2023-24 season, the team was shut down, unable to compete with rising NIL deals and falling short of expectations.