The NBA is shutting down the G-League Ignite developmental team, as reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic. The team, founded in 2020, was created as a path for players to reach the NBA without entering the NCAA. However, with the NCAA’s recent addition of the transfer portal and the name/image/likeness (NIL) policy, the need for the Ignite vanished rapidly. Adam Silver openly questioned its future during his press conference at NBA All-Star Weekend.
The Portland Trail Blazers picked the Ignite’s Scoot Henderson third in the 2023 NBA Draft.