Dyson Daniels, the No.
The 18-year-old Daniels, considered the best non-draft-eligible young prospect in Australia, is the first highly touted player the G League Ignite have landed from outside the United States high school system, representing a shift in the program’s recruitment.
Chinese prospect Fanbo Zeng, who previously committed to play for Gonzaga after attending Windermere Prep in Florida, also announced that he’ll be joining the Ignite via a statement posted on his Weibo account in April.
Daniels is currently training with the Australian national team in its preparations for the FIBA U19 World Cup, which starts on July 3 in Latvia.
As an international prospect, Daniels is not bound by the same rules as U.S.-high school-based players who become automatically eligible for the next NBA draft immediately upon signing a professional contract, and thus has the option of spending multiple years with Ignite if he so chooses.
“My aim is to be one and done,” Daniels said.
Daniels is the first major prospect Ignite have landed out of the NBA Global Academy, having spent the past two years developing in Canberra at the Australian Institute of Sport.
“I’m not too sure who exactly I’ll be playing against, but I know that it’s going to be tough competition and there’s going to be challenges to face.