Mojave King signs with G League Ignite for 2022-23 season
Mojave King will continue his basketball journey with the G League Ignite after signing a contract for the 2022-23 season. according to ESPN’s Jonathan Giveny.
The 20-year-old turned down multiple offers to play college basketball from Arizona, Baylor, Oregon and Virginia before deciding to play in Australia’s NBL with the Adelaide 36ers and Cairns Taipans for the past two seasons.
Mojave King, a 20-year-old draft prospect from Australia, has signed with G League Ignite, his agent Daniel Moldovan told ESPN. King averaged 18 points and 3.3 assists per game in New Zealand’s NBL this summer. He is another NBA Academy graduate who joins Ignite.
— Jonathan Giveny (@DraftExpress) August 8, 2022
King is the second player from Canberra’s NBA Global Academy to play for the Ignite, following in the footsteps of Dyson Daniels, who was drafted No. 8 in the 2022 NBA Draft.
The Ignite, which will play its home games this season in Henderson, Nevada, has proven to be a breeding ground for success in its brief existence, with alumni including Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, MarJon Beauchamp and Daniels.
King is the sixth player to join the Ignite program for next season, alongside Scoot Henderson, Leonard Miller, Efe Abogidi, Sidy Cissoko and Shareef O’Neal.
G League Ignite players in the NBA draft
The G League Ignite has quickly become a powerful breeding ground for NBA draft picks.
Six players were drafted into the NBA by Ignite, including three top 10 picks.
| Year | player | Choose | team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Jalen Green | 2 | rockets |
| 2021 | Jonathan Kuminga | 7 | warrior |
| 2021 | Isaiah Todd | 31 | dollar |
| 2022 | DysonDaniels | 8th | pelicans |
| 2022 | Mar Jon Beauchamp | 24 | dollar |
| 2022 | Jaden Hardy | 37 | outsider |
Additionally, Daishen Nix, who was undrafted in 2021 after playing for the Ignite, signed with the Huston Rockets after playing with the Philadelphia 76ers in the Summer League.
What is NBA G League Ignite?
G League Ignite offers prospective draft players the opportunity to play against other G League teams, receive NBA coaching while playing with experienced players, learn the ins and outs of being a professional basketball player before entering the NBA draft .
As an alternative to college basketball or playing professionally abroad, Ignite players renounce their amateur status by signing a pro contract with the program.
G League Ignite Salary
The maximum contract prospects can sign with Ignite is worth up to $500,000 per year, but not all players on the list will make that much.
Shareef O’Neal, son of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, is believed to have signed a “six-figure” contract to play with the Ignite next season after failing to be called up.
After playing for the Lakers in the Summer League, Shareef O’Neal – the son of Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal – has signed a six-figure deal with the NBA G League Ignite, sources say @TheAthletic @Stadion.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 25, 2022
In addition to the contract itself, players are eligible to sign endorsement deals once they turn pro.