The NBA is stopping G-League development team Ignite, as Shams Charania of The Athletic reports. The team, founded in 2020, was created to allow players to reach the NBA without entering the NCAA. However, with the NCAA’s recent addition of the transfer portal and the Name/Image/Like (NIL) policy, the need for the Ignite quickly disappeared. Adam Silver openly questioned his future during his press conference in NBA All-Star Weekend.
THE Portland Trail Blazers chose Ignite’s Scoot Henderson third in 2023 NBA Draft. Henderson spent one year with the G-League team, averaging 16.5 points on 43% shooting (27.5% from three), with 5.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists. He finishes a disappointing first seasonnot ranked in the top ten of the The NBA Rookie Ladder.
Three other top ten picks made the team:
- Jalen Green, Rockets, 2021 No. 2 pick
- Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors, pick No. 7 2021
- Dyson Daniels, Pelicans, 2022 No. 8 pick
The Ignite are 6-40 this season. Two players, Ron Holland and Matas Buzelis, are among the potential top ten picks in most mock drafts.
Ignite’s closure does not affect any other G-League teams, like Portland’s Rip City Remix, which finished the season in playoff contention.
