The 18-year-old will enter into the NBA G League professional pathway program introduced in October 2018.
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Five-star prospect Jalen Green announced on Instagram Live Thursday afternoon with Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports that he will bypass college basketball and will instead opt to play in the NBA G League next season.
Green was weighing offers from several schools, including Auburn, Memphis and Oregon, and was initially expected to commit to one of those programs. However, speculation began to swirl over the past week that Green may decide to play professionally.
To add fuel to the ongoing speculation, Green began teasing on social media that he narrowed his three options down to Auburn, Memphis and the professional route. By Thursday morning, Green started informing college suitors that he was going to play in the G League.
“I think the main reason for this is I wanted to get better, I wanted to develop a better game so that way I can be ready for the NBA,” Green said. “I think this is the best route to prepare myself to get one step closer so I can be ready when that time comes.”
Green will be the first player to enter into the G League professional pathway program, a plan introduced in October 2018 as an alternative to playing collegiately. Players will earn $125,000 in the program under the new “Select Contract” worth up to $125,000 though Green could reportedly earn as much as $500,000 next season.
Several of the top high school prospects have recently opted to bypass college recently and play professionally, including LaMelo Ball and R.J. Hampton. They each spent the 2019-20 season in the National Basketball League in Australia and are expected to be first-round picks in the NBA Draft.
Green is set to make an official announcement on his decision at noon CT on his Instagram page. The 6-foot-5, 170-pounder’s decision — while unconventional — was not a huge surprise, as chatter surrounding his basketball future trended toward the professional route in recent days leading up to his decision, especially after five-star power forward Isaiah Todd made headlines when he decommitted from Michigan earlier this week to pursue playing professionally overseas next season.
Momentum is reportedly building that Green could bypass playing college basketball and opt to go overseas instead.
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Five-star prospect Jalen Green announced on social media this week that he is moving up his decision date to Thursday when he is expected to commit to a school for next season.
Green said in an interview last month that he was targeting April 15 to make his official decision but opted to move that date up. The 18-year-old is weighing offers from Auburn, Memphis and Oregon among others.
According to Gary Parrish of CBS Sports, though, Green is apparently beginning to lean toward skipping college altogether. In the event he doesn’t commit to a school, he would likely play professionally instead.
It’s starting to sound like both Memphis and Auburn fans will be disappointed when Jalen Green makes an announcement Thursday. The "skipping college” talk is certainly gaining momentum.
Several of the top high school prospects have opted to bypass college recently.
Players like LaMelo Ball, R.J. Hampton, Didi Louzada Silva and Terry Armstrong are among those that skipped college in order to play professionally in the National Basketball League in Australia. By choosing to play in the NBL, players can begin to be paid sooner and it can help better prepare for the NBA Draft after facing tougher competition abroad.
While nothing is official yet with Green, it appears as though he is not a lock to play collegiately next season, something that may not be as surprising as it once was.
Green was initially going to make his announcement on Christmas Day but has pushed back that date until next month.
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Five-star prospect Jalen Green told Marc Spears of The Undefeated that he is targeting April 15 to make a decision on his collegiate future ahead of next season.
Green is the No. 3 overall prospect of the 2020 class, according to 247Sports. He has visited schools like Kentucky, Oregon, Memphis, Auburn and Florida State among others. He initially wanted to announce his commitment on Christmas Day but pushed it back to see how those schools performed this season.
Of course, when Green may eventually play is still undecided with the coronavirus spreading across the United States. The pandemic has canceled several prep sporting events, including the 2020 McDonald’s All American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic, games Green was set to participate in.
Green was disappointed when those events were scrubbed.
“I was hurt. I am not going to lie. Those are all games you dream about as a senior,” Green told Spears. “When I found it was canceled, it was heartbreaking, low-key. But I’m good. Everything happens for a reason. They’re not going to bring it back, but just to be announced as a player selected for that is cool. So, I have that honor.”
While Green waits to make his decision, the Prolific Prep star will stay busy taking online courses and working out when can but the coronavirus outbreak has made it difficult for athletes to stay in the gym.
With the NBA trade deadline approaching, there may be some swaps of picks in the 2021 NBA Draft, which is considered to be a strong class.
With the NBA trade deadline approaching, there may be some swaps of picks in the 2021 NBA Draft, which is considered to be a strong class.
Now that the rosters for the McDonald’s All-American Game have been announced and the Hoophall Classic is complete, top prospects are emerging as future stars in the league.
This list does not include any of the top international prospects who will likely be selected in 2020 like Killian Hayes and Theo Maledon. It also does not mention any of the top returning players in the nation as it will be unclear who will opt to play in the NBA and it is still tough to predict at this point.
Instead, it offers an introduction to the current high school seniors and the international
All statistics are updated through February 3, 2020 and are pulled from D1Circuit.com, MaxPreps and RealGM unless stated otherwise.
1. Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State (Committed)
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Guard, 6-foot-7, 18 years old, Montverde Academy (Florida)
Cade Cunningham is currently the anchor for Montverde Academy, which is being called the best high school team of all-time. They are currently ranked as the top school in the nation. The point forward is so good that an NBA scout recently told Yahoo’s Krysten Peek he would likely be the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft if he were eligible. That indicates he might already be the best player who is not currently in the league. For proof: Cunningham averaged 18.0 points and 8.5 assists per 36 minutes at the U19 World Cup, trailing just one player for total assists (40) during the tournament. With his size and his playmaking ability, he is already showing flashes of becoming a future franchise cornerstone.
2. Jalen Green, Uncommitted
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Guard, 6-foot-5, 17 years old, Prolific Prep (California)
Jalen Green is an incredibly explosive athlete who has improved as a shooter over the past few years as well. The scorer has become a more consistent and reliable option on the floor, offering an attacking mentality that will continue to develop as his competition continues. One of his crowning achievements thus far: He took home tournament MVP during the U17 World Cup in 2018, leading the United States to the gold medal behind 15.7 points per game. He averaged 7.7 three-pointers per 40 minutes during this competition, showing he is a fearless shooter. His natural stroke from the free-throw line shows that his three-point percentage will likely increase within time, too.
3. Evan Mobley, USC (Committed)
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Big, 7-foot-0, 18 years old, Rancho Christian (California)
Evan Mobley was 2019’s Gatorade Player of the Year in California and came into the summer as the highest-rated player on RSCI, which compiles all of the rankings on recruiting sites like 247 Sports and Rivals. The versatile big brags a 7-foot-5 wingspan with a 40-inch vertical leap, a rare measurement combination. He has recently been listed as a small forward, however, which Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo says “points to the dissonance” between his current identity and the best eventual fit in the NBA for someone his size. Still, there is arguably more to like about Mobley’s potential than that of 2020 projected lottery big man James Wiseman.
4. Scottie Barnes, Florida State (Committed)
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Forward, 6-foot-8, 18 years old, Montverde Academy (Florida)
Scottie Barnes currently plays alongside Cunningham at Montverde Academy and has a lot to offer as he continues to develop. He is a stat-sheet stuffer capable of putting up impressive lines for points and rebounds as well as assists. Like Cunningham, he has a point-forward mentality which is elevated by the fact that he is also measured with an incredible 9-foot-1 standing reach. Barnes can be a plug-and-play option for almost any team on both offense and defense in the NCAA and eventually in the NBA. That was an especially attractive trait for him for Team USA in the U19 World Cup, where he was a strong facilitator from the elbow. He assisted on 16.8 percent of scores for his team when he was on the floor despite never acting as his offense’s primary playmaker.
5. Ziaire Williams, Uncommitted
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Wing, 6-foot-8, 18 years old, Sierra Canyon (California)
Ziaire Williams is currently playing high school basketball at the high-profile Sierra Canyon. While he had to sit out the first few months of his senior year because of transfer rules, he has been a force to be reckoned with already. But that was no surprise for those who have followed the prospect. Williams led his AAU team (which also briefly included the aforementioned 2021 projected lottery pick Jalen Green) in points as well as rebounds and assists per game on the U17 circuit. The prospect has shown he is an above-average finisher near the rim, which will be important as he continues his growth. The Stepien’s Ross Homan also believes Williams can become the best shooter in this class. It will be fascinating to monitor his collegiate decision as he is the highest-rated recruit without an NCAA commitment yet.
