If you thought the NBA was getting younger by the year, you haven’t seen anything yet.
According to ESPN, five-star recruit Dink Pate has officially signed with the NBA’s G League Ignite, and he just turned 17 last month.
The Dallas native is now officially the youngest professional basketball player in US history, leading projected second-overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft class, Scoot Henderson, by five weeks.
Pate is expected to be a top recruit once his time comes.
NEWS: Dink Pate, a five-star recruit in 2024, has signed a two-year deal with G League Ignite, he told ESPN. Pate, who is graduating high school at 17, becomes the youngest-known American professional basketball player ever.
STORY: https://t.co/rSVQ8IJpKC pic.twitter.com/6tXyZBonvZ
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 17, 2023
He finished all coursework for his junior and senior years to graduate a year early and focus entirely on getting ready to become the next NBA superstar.
Nonetheless, unlike some other youngsters who decide to take this path, he won’t be another one-and-done kind of guy in the G League.
The NBA requires that players are at least 19 years of age during the calendar year of the NBA Draft, so Pate won’t be eligible for the class of 2024.
The combo guard will move to Las Vegas soon to start getting ready for the future, teaming up with other elite prospects London Johnson, Thierry Darlan, Babacar Sane, and Matas Buzelis.
Standing at 6-foot-8, he’s more of a point forward at this point, and he hasn’t even stopped growing yet.
He’s also an elite shooter for his age, not to mention a solid playmaker and shot-creator at all three levels.
Pate reportedly considered committing to Alabama or Arkansas before pursuing a career in the G-League.
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