The G League Ignite team brands itself as a way for top basketball prospects to earn a wage and have a chance to be drafted into the NBA. However, the rise of NIL deals in college basketball could put a damper on its effect. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made news with his 2024 opinion on Ignite.
Adam Silver discusses NBA G League Ignite's future
The rise of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals has allowed college athletes to generate additional income. Some of college sports' most popular stars are worth millions of dollars. For example, USC basketball guard Bronny James has deals worth over $5 million.
Another example is Colorado football quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who reportedly has an annual NIL valuation of at least $4 million.
Meanwhile. LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne and LSU women's basketball forward Angel Reese have valuations ranging from $1.5 to 3.5 million.
The NBA G League Ignite team was partially created for pre-draft players to be able to get paid to play basketball before entering the draft. It was another route top prospects could go outside of college.
However, the Ignite salary range of $100,000 to $500,000 does not compare to the earnings of the top college NIL athletes. Thus, Adam Silver is “reassessing” the status of the Ignite program, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps.
Silver is not sure what the future of the program holds, yet, one thing has become clear. The introduction of NIL deals to the college basketball landscape has removed the lack of earning potential factor from its lure.
Nevertheless, Ignite players may not earn as much as top college athletes on NIL deals, but it still provides an excellent opportunity for those who want to pursue professional basketball. It will be interesting how the NBA handles the program amid news of ever-increasing college athlete income opportunities.
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