High school senior Jalen Green has signed to play in the NBA G League next season, league President Shareef Abdur-Rahim announced today. Green is ranked by ESPN as the No. 1 basketball recruit in the Class of 2020.
Green, a guard from Prolific Prep in Napa, Calif., brings an impressive basketball résumé to the NBA G League, including his status as a consensus five-star recruit and a 2020 McDonald’s All-American. As a member of the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team, Green earned gold medals at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 and 2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cups and the 2017 FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship. He was named MVP of the 2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup in Argentina.
It’s a bold move. And in a normal situation, it would probably be smarter for a player to play college hoops and stand out there rather than entering the G League, which is much stronger competition. But in this case, the NBA and G League are changing the game, and giving top prospects a reason to no longer go the one-and-done college route.
And in Green’s case, this sounds like a smart move.
Some details from ESPN.com, are here:
California high school star Jalen Green, the No. 1 prospect in the 2020 ESPN 100, is making the leap to a reshaped NBA professional pathway program — a G League initiative that sources say will pay elite prospects $500,000-plus and provide a one-year development program outside of the minor league’s traditional team structure.
Green — a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft — announced Thursday that he is bypassing college to become the professional pathway’s first participant, a decision that likely clears the way for more commitments from elite prospects…
The NBA’s talks remain stalled with the National Basketball Players Association on an agreement to end the one-and-done draft model, leaving this revamped pro pathway program as a bridge to what is believed will be the eventual elimination of the rule requiring American players to wait a year after high school graduation before entering the draft.
“We’re thrilled to welcome a player and a person of Jalen’s caliber to the NBA G League,” said Abdur-Rahim. “He represents the next generation of NBA players, and we couldn’t be more excited to have him develop his professional skills in our league. Jalen will learn from an NBA-caliber coaching and player development staff as he begins his professional basketball journey in the NBA G League.”
