G League Ignite has been growing momentum and it’s seemed to hit another level with the decision of Scoot Henderson. Henderson is a high school junior who is skipping his senior year to join the G League Ignite team, becoming the youngest professional basketball player in U.S basketball history. Henderson was a top ten player in the class of 2022 and has graduated a year early to satisfy the G league requirements.
He will need to play for Ignite for two years as he won’t be eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft next year. He’s currently only 17 and won’t turn 19 until 2023 keeping him ineligible. Henderson becomes the first junior to make the jump after numerous 2020 senior recruits were the first wave to join Ignite.
Scoot Henderson is skipping his senior year of high school and signing a $1M contract with the NBA G League Ignite Elite team. @thereal013, 17, is believed to be the youngest pro player in U.S. basketball history.
Per @ShamsCharania.
? @SLAM_HS pic.twitter.com/cQaKh77Vjm
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 21, 2021
Henderson is extremely talented with top-notch explosiveness and extreme length. Defensively his length is a major factor with his 6’9″ wingspan on his 6’3″ body. He’s also got great strength for a junior in high school and will get the chance to really work on his body over the next two years with school no longer an issue. His shooting is respectable but not a strength but his playmaking and finishing around the rim are. He won’t get the college experience and exposure there but scouts will certainly flock to see him and any others that join him over the next two years.
