Highest Paid G League Players Right Now

Yes, G League players get paid. Besides a decent salary, they earn extra money from additional bonuses, prize money, endorsement deals, and two-way contracts.

How Much Do G League Players Make? The G-League players make $125,000 per season which can reach over a million dollars depending upon the player's skill.

Basketball athletes are subjected to high-earning endorsement deals. However, some of them sign up for sponsorship contracts for better exposure in the market. 

A two-way contract is possible in the league. It means that the players can play for G League as well as the NBA. It provides more opportunities for the players to generate money.

There is a concept of assigning players in the organization. The NBA teams can send young players (less than 3 years of service) to play with their minor affiliates in the G League. The athletes receive the contracted amount from the NBA team.

The players can generate extra revenue through the prize money. If they perform well in the matches and secure the championship, they receive additional income. As per Sporting News, the winning team receives $100,000 which is split between the players.

Lastly, the organization provides the players with travel stipends and housing costs. They do not have to spend a dime on accommodation, meals, and transportation.

NBA G League Ignite

NBA G League Ignite is a developmental team inside the league itself. The players of the ignite team are not eligible for the NBA before the completion of the program.

However, they can get hold of academic scholarships and skill-developing opportunities. The main motto of the team is to help potential athletes develop their skills and fetch them to NBA. 

The program is made as an alternative to college basketball. The recruits of the ignite team earn anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000 a year. 

Moreover, they receive incentives for playing games, attending life skills programs, and participating in events organized by the community and coordinated by the G league.

Highest earning G League player list comprises Dink Pate, London Johnson, Scoot Henderson, Sterling Henderson Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, and Daishen Nix.

NBA G League players salary ranges between $40,000 to over $1 million. The athletes who have received over a million dollars are Dink Pate and London Johnson.

Among the two, Dick is the most-paid player in the minor league. The news was disclosed by his stepfather Joey Moss while talking with the Dallas News.

Pate is a four-star recruit of the Pinkston High School. He let go of the university and directly signed a deal with the league to enhance his skills.

No university could provide him the exposure and knowledge about the playing techniques than the Ignite. Pate wants to turn pro and become a No. 1 pick.

Dick signed a two-year deal with the Ignite. As a top high-school recruit, he has surpassed London Johnson in yearly earnings.

London Johnson

London is a point guard who signed a one-year deal worth $1 million on 3 October 2022. He formerly competed for Norcross High School.

Johnson led the team to earn Georgia's 7A State title. He also played on behalf of Jamaica in the 2021 FIBA Centrobasket U17 and secured the All-Star Five title.

Standing at 6 feet 4 inches, London played 30 games in the 2022-23 season with the Ignite. Born on 6 June 2004, he will remain with the team in the 2023-24 season.

Jalen Green

Green signed a $600,000 deal with the league's development team on 16 April 2020. He was the first player to join the Ignite after its formation.

Jalen was selected by the Huston Rockets in the 2021 draft. He became the first in the NBA to be directly drafted out of the G-League.

Green has played 143 games for the team in the two seasons. Until now, he has recorded 3.6 rebounds per game, 3.2 assists per game, and 19.9 points per game.

Scoot Henderson

Scoot is a professional basketball athlete in the NBA. He was contracted by the Ignite for 2 seasons on 21 May 2021 in a deal worth $1 million.

The 19-year-old Henderson competed in the league until the 2022-23 season. In 2022, he got a multi-year endorsement deal from the sportswear brand Puma.

Scott became eligible for the NBA in 2023 when he turned 19 years old. He was picked by the Portland Trail Blazers as 3rd overall pick in the first round.

Jonathan Kuminga

Congolese player Jonathan signed a $500,000 deal with the team on 15 July 2020. He made his debut in a winning game against the Santa Cruz Warriors.

Kuminga became eligible for NBA in 2021 and he was picked by the Golden State Warriors. He won the NBA Championship with the team in his rookie year.

Jonathan represented Congo in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers. He has played 137 regular and 26 playoff games with the Warriors in two NBA seasons.

Daishen Nix

Daishen is a 21-year-old point guard. He was associated with the Ignite of the G-League for a season. The player was bound to a $300,000 one-year contract.

Nix formerly played for the Trinity International School. He was named to the McDonald's All-American Game which got canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Daishen recorded 1.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 3.7 points per game in his 2-seasons career. He has appeared in 81 regular season games and zero playoffs.

NBA G League coach salary is $238,781 on average as per Zip Recruiter. It is significantly less when compared to the paycheck of mentors from the NBA.

Since the G League is a minor league, it does not generate as much revenue as its major affiliate NBA. However, it pays a decent amount to its athletes and trainers.

In the National Basketball Association, Monty Williams of the Detroit Pistons is the most-paid mentor. He receives a yearly income of a whopping $13.05 million.

Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs is in the second number. He earns an annual payment of $13 million for his contribution to the team.

The income of the head coaches of the G league is currently under wraps. The lead mentors of the tournament along with their teams are listed below:

• Paul Hewitt: Ontario Clippers
• Petar Bozic: Austin Spurs
• TJ Saint: Birmingham Squadron
• Mike Gerrity: Cleveland Charge
• Mike Williams: Capital City Go Go
• Steve Gansey: College Park Skyhawks
• Coby Karl: Delaware Blue Coats
• Tom Hankins: Fort Wayne Mad Ants
• Jason Hart: G League Ignite
• Andre Miller: Grand Rapid Gold
• Jordan Surenkamp: Greensboro Swarm
• Jeff Newton: Iowa Wolves
• Joe Barrer: Lakeland Magic
• Ronnie Burrell: Long Island Nets
• Alex Barlow: Maine Celtics
• Jason March: Memphis Hustle
• Ramon Diaz Sanchez: Mexico City Capitanes
• DJ Bakker: Motor City Cruise
• Kameron Woods: Oklahoma City Blue
• Eric Khoury: Raptors 905
• Kevin Burleson: Rio Grande Valley Vipers
• Scott Morrison: Salt Lake City Stars
• Seth Cooper: Santa Cruz Warriors
• Kasib Powell: Sioux Falls Skyforce
• Miles Simon: South Bay Lakers
• Bobby Jackson: Stockton Kings
• George Galanopoulos: Texas Legends
• Desagana Diop: Westchester Knicks
• Henry Domercant: Windy City Bulls
• Chaisson Allen: Wisconsin Herd