Faculty basketball recruiting: No. 1 total 2021 prospect Jonathan Kuminga spurns college for G League

The G League’s foray into offering a brand recent and formidable different route for high-flight recruits to manufacture themselves for the NBA reached recent heights on Wednesday as 5-important person prospect Jonathan Kuminga, the No. 1-ranked recruit within the Class of 2021, launched he’ll bypass college and join the G League’s legit route snatch out program. 

The G League program is a section of the NBA‘s developmental league, but consists basically of high-profile, high college possibilities who spurned college. They operate below the NBA’s umbrella but compete outside the traditional structure of different G League groups. 

Kuminga’s announcement serves as a proper reclassification that makes him eligible for the 2021 NBA Draft moreover as a reminder that this system, accrued in its infancy, stays an handsome option for blue-chip recruits somewhat than going in a single more nation or attending college.

“I leer possible as an NBA participant,” he talked about on Instagram asserting his resolution. “So with the G League, they might perhaps lend a hand me loads extra than college. They are going to show me straightforward study the components to salvage start on the court docket and reach my unbiased to be drafted in 2021.”

Part of the charm with this system stems from its willingness to present money equivalent to other programs in a single more nation whereas offering the luxury of competing within the states. Fixed with The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Kuminga’s deal is within the $500,000 range.

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Kuminga is the fourth 5-important person recruit to determine to taking part in for the Find out team subsequent season in what has been a momentous few months as this system gets off the bottom. He’s one of essentially the most well-identified gamers joining the team, too, with he and Jalen Inexperienced — both projected high-5 picks within the 2021 NBA Draft — headlining the recent circulation. 

His resolution leaves a assortment of faculty programs who pursued him within the dirt, but Texas Tech in suppose will doubtless be licking its wounds. The Red Raiders had been belief to be the accepted if he indeed opted to head to varsity in section because his brother, Joel Ntambwe, is a participant on Chris Beard’s roster.

Here’s a take for the G League program because it makes a push to manufacture its program and possess credibility. Kuminga and Inexperienced are near-locks to be high-10 picks subsequent season barring injury, and the flexibility a Three hundred and sixty five days from now for this system with a function to hang that as a bullet-point on the resume must lend a hand entice future recruits to put collectively their lead.