When the NIL deal was implemented in college sports, everything changed. A lot of it was for the better. College athletes are finally now able to be paid for their name, image and likeness. Prior to the NIL, they were not getting paid at all. This is where the NBA G-League Ignite team came in.
The Ignite was created in 2020 as an alternative to college basketball. The team was different from other G-League teams, it was solely meant as a development program for NBA prospects. Young prospects were even offered salaries up to $500,000. Players such as Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga and Scoot Henderson played for the Ignite. With college sports bringing in the NIL deal, this significantly hurt the Ignite. Players can get the full college experience while getting paid, which the G-League simply cannot keep up with.
Some people think that the end of the Ignite is a good thing. Some of their players did not develop well. Isaiah Todd, who was a five star prospect in high school, became the first player to ever sign with the Ignite. He has been on and off of rosters ever since and has a career average of 1.6 PPG in the NBA. Daishen Nix, another five star recruit in high school, has also been a journeyman and has a career average of 3.7 PPG in the NBA. Other rising programs such as Overtime Elite have gotten in the way of the G-League Ignite as well.
The quick downfall of the G-League Ignite is telling. Ultimately, it was a major lesson for upcoming players. The NBA should be praised for offering the Ignite as an alternative to college. Now that college players can be paid, there’s no need for the Ignite squad. In the end, Adam Silver paved the way for some young talents, and that will never be forgotten.
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