According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the NBA has officially decided to shut down its G League Ignite team. The Ignite will, however, play the remaining four games on their schedule. Currently, the Ignite own a 2-28 record, the worst in the G League this season. According to an official statement from NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim cited changes in the “basketball landscape” as the biggest motive behind this decision.
The decision to end the program comes amid the changing basketball landscape, including the NCAA’s Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) policy and the advent of collectives and the transfer portal.
In February, commissioner Adam Silver spoke about reassessing the existence of the Ignite:
I’m not sure what the future of Team Ignite will be, because before there was a hole in the marketplace that we thought we were filling before doing that, and now my focus is turning to earlier development of those players.
NBA Officially Shutting Down Popular G League Team
NBA G League Ignite History
The NBA launched the Ignite team in 2020. The Ignite appealed to elite high school basketball talents who wanted to receive compensation and play NBA-level basketball before declaring for the draft. In essence, the addition of the Ignite introduced a possible replacement for players who did not want to play college basketball.
Currently, there have been 10 Ignite alumni who heard their names called in the NBA Draft. This includes players such as Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Dyson Daniels, and Scoot Henderson.
G League Ignite just keeps on making history! With 4 players selected in tonight’s #NBADraft presented by State Farm, 10 different Ignite alumni have been drafted since the program’s
inception ahead of the 2021 NBA Draft. This is the most of any program over that time frame. pic.twitter.com/1oeMrySTpL— NBA G League Ignite (@gleagueignite) June 23, 2023
An interesting dynamic about the Ignite is that, although they were most appealing to NBA hopefuls, there were plenty of veterans who suited up for the team as well. This includes long-time players like Jarrett Jack, Amir Johnson, and two-time NBA Champion Norris Cole, who is currently rostered.
Ignite Players to Keep an Eye On
Although the Ignite is coming to an end, the team rosters a few guys who are just getting started in the game. Two of the most intriguing names on the roster are Ron Holland and Matas Buzelis.
Holland is an 18-year-old forward who led the Ignite in scoring this season, averaging 20.6 points per game. Additionally, Holland averaged 6.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Due to a thumb injury, Holland had his season cut short. Even so, the Texas native is one of the top prospects of the 2024 NBA Draft.
6’8 Ron Holland is only 18 years old and is averaging 20 points 6.5 rebounds and 2.6 steals in the G league Ignite 🔥 he should be talked about way more especially defensively which I know teams will love about him in his first year with the strides he’s making offensively 🎥… pic.twitter.com/9fBN86wlok
— Swish Cultures (@swishcultures_) March 21, 2024
As for Buzelis, the Lithuanian forward is another top prospect for this year’s draft. The 19-year-old is averaging 13.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. Buzelis has a lot of potential and could become a consistent contributor to an NBA team.
