Top high school prospect Jalen Green made waves when it was announced that he would bypass the NCAA and go pro. With the NBA’s G-League, that is.
It’s been a while since there’s been any good news to be had in the NBA, and top high school prospect Jalen Green provided the basketball world with just that on Thursday afternoon. According to ESPN’s Jonathon Givony, Green will be heading to the NBA’s G-League instead of playing college basketball:
Ahead of a 1pm eastern formal announcement, Jalen Green has started to inform college suitors that he plans to enter the NBA/G League's professional pathway program, sources tell ESPN. He is ESPN's #1 prospect in the 2020 high school class.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 16, 2020
The NBA has been working to do away with the one-and-done rule, effectively requiring high school players to play a year of college basketball. Other leagues around the world, Australia’s National Basketball League in particular, have no such requirements and have reaped the benefits with players like LaMelo Ball and R.J. Hampton opting to go overseas and make a competitive salary rather than languishing for free in the NCAA.
Green’s decision to bypass not just the NCAA but Australia as well in favor of the G-League’s professional pathway program could have major ripple effects in the way all three entities do business when it comes to elite young prospects.
In the early days of this program, Green isn’t the only youngster heading to a not-yet-located Southern California city to learn and develop in the G-League. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, five-star recruit Isaiah Todd will be heading that way as well:
Five-star prospect Isaiah Todd, who decommitted from Michigan, is expected to sign an NBA G League deal and join the new Southern California team featuring Jalen Green, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 16, 2020
As we wrap our heads around these announcements, let’s take a closer look at the implications of this groundbreaking new development.