Category: G League

G League blog

Instead of playing college hoops, HS senior Daishen Nix signs with G League

High school senior Daishen Nix has signed to play in the NBA G League next season, it was announced today by NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Nix is ranked by ESPN as the top player in Nevada and No. 20 in the nation in the Class of 2020.

Nix comes to the NBA G League from Trinity International School in Las Vegas, Nev., where he was named a 2020 McDonald’s All-American. He joins fellow consensus five-star recruits Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd in signing to play in the NBA G League for the 2020-21 season.

Per ESPN.com, “Nix is the third player to join the G League from the 2020 class, following No. 1 prospect Jalen Green and five-star forward Isaiah Todd, both of whom made the decision earlier this month. Nix is the first player to renege on a signed letter of intent to join the G League.”

And per the Los Angeles Times, regarding the G League, “the league offers high school graduates the opportunity to essentially have a year-long paid apprenticeship in a professional environment, complete with access to facilities, coaches, trainers and player development experts. One of the sites being considered as home base for the select team is the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks.”

In the G League, Nix will have the opportunity to accelerate his on-court development as he learns NBA-style basketball while also focusing heavily on life skills development for his professional career.

Details of the new team Nix, Green and Todd will play for, which will be unaffiliated with any existing NBA G League franchise or NBA team, are forthcoming.

Instead of playing college hoops, high school senior Isaiah Todd signs with G League

High school senior Isaiah Todd has signed to play in the NBA G League next season, it was announced today by NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Todd is ranked by ESPN as the top player in Virginia and No. 13 in the nation in the Class of 2020.

The NBA G League gives top young prospects a chance to begin their professional careers while receiving mentorship and life skills training.

A forward at Word of God Christian Academy in Raleigh, N.C., Todd was named a McDonald’s All-American and Jordan Brand Classic selection this year.

“We’re excited to have Isaiah begin his professional career in the NBA G League,” said Abdur-Rahim. “With his skill and drive to succeed, I’m confident that he will thrive in the NBA G League and use all of our available resources to prepare for the next stage in his career.”

Todd joins fellow five-star recruit Jalen Green in signing to play in the NBA G League for the 2020-21 season. The two have played together on the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team, winning a gold medal at the 2017 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship.

In the NBA G League, Todd will have the opportunity to accelerate his on-court development as he learns NBA-style basketball alongside veterans of the professional game while focusing heavily on life skills development. Details of the new team Todd and Green will play for, which will be unaffiliated with any existing NBA G League franchise or NBA team, are forthcoming.

High school senior Jalen Green signs to play in G League next season

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.”