We’ve seen basketball athletes take several different routes, hoping to someday land in the NBA, from enrolling in college to players going overseas after high school and, even more recently, signing with a G League team.
According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, that’s the option Dink Pate opted to take, inking a contract with the G League Ignite at the age of 17. This makes Pate the youngest known American professional basketball player in the sport’s history.
He is five weeks younger than Scoot Henderson, who also joined the G League Ignite at the age of 17 in 2021 and is now projected to be a top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
But who is Pate? He’s a native of Dallas, Texas, who has developed into a five-star recruit at shooting guard. Standing at 6-foot-8, Pate has the background of a point guard who has developed a knack for perimeter shooting while being an excellent dribbler.
While Pate admitted he also considered enrolling at Alabama or Arkansas, he’s intrigued by the opportunity with the G League, having seen the success of previous athletes such as Jalen Green, who was the second overall pick in 2021.
Since he won’t turn 19 until 2025, Pate won’t be eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft and thus will be playing with the Ignite for two seasons until he can enter his name in the 2025 NBA Draft. In other words, NBA scouts will have two years to evaluate Pate’s skillset, determining where he fits in the NBA.