Report: Scoot Henderson has played his last game with the G League Ignite
Scoot Henderson, the projected No. 2 pick in the 2023 NBA draft, will not play in the remainder of the season with the G League Ignite, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
The decision to shut Henderson down was reportedly made by the league as officials believe the 19-year-old has showcased enough of his game to be a high pick. The Ignite, who are out of the playoff picture, have only five games left in the regular season.
Rumors swirled earlier in the season when Henderson missed 11 games (nasal fracture, concussion) that he could opt to shut his season down early. However, Henderson and the team pushed back against those reports and the dynamic guard eventually returned on Dec. 27.
Henderson went on to play in 19 more games after that point, and was among seven G League players to appear in the NBA Rising Stars game on Feb. 17. He also competed in the G League Next Up game two days later as part of All-Star Weekend.
Scoot Henderson, projected No. 2 pick in the 2023 NBA draft, has been shut down by the G League for the remainder of Ignite's season, a league official told ESPN. Ignite is unlikely to make the playoffs and the G League feels Henderson has shown enough this season.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) March 14, 2023
Henderson first signed with the Ignite in May 2021, becoming the youngest professional basketball player in United States history at 17 years old. He was ranked as the No. 10 prospect in his class at the time after a decorated high school career in Marietta, Georgia.
He averaged 14 points, five rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals last season with the Ignite alongside Dyson Daniels, MarJon Beauchamp and Jaden Hardy. He competed in the Rising Stars game for the first time along with three other G League players.
Henderson solidified his draft stock in October in front of 200-plus executives and scouts against Victor Wembanyama and Metropolitans 92 in Henderson, Nevada. He missed the second game, but dazzled in the first matchup with 28 points.
Henderson continued that run from that opening game and dazzled throughout the year with the Ignite. He established himself as a dynamic scoring guard and has all of the tools — on and off of the court — to be a potential franchise-changing guard at the next level.
He finished the season by averaging 17.6 points, 6.6 assists and 1.2 steals on 44.4% shooting from the field in 25 games. He registered 12 20-point games and became one of four players this season to record at least 20 points, 14 assists and seven rebounds in a game.
Henderson is on the verge of becoming yet another high draft pick from the Ignite. The program has helped send several players to the NBA in just three years with Henderson the latest looking to make the jump.
