Darius Bazley, a projected top-10 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, has announced that he is decommitting from Syracuse in order to play in the G League.
Bazley, a five-star recruit and a McDonald's All American, has told Yahoo Sports that he plans to commit to a rigorous professional workout regimen in preparation to join current and former NBA players in the G League.
According to Yahoo, players in the G League have base salaries of $19,500 or $26,000, and Bazley’s decision to forego the traditional route to the NBA will give the G League its first test in handling a premiere prospect.
He tells Yahoo Sports:
“I’m aware that this might start a trend and that’s one of the reasons why I am doing this,” Bazley told Yahoo Sports. “I’m outspoken and I like to speak on things. This is me speaking through my actions, speaking through my character. This is going to happen down the road and become more common. But someone has to start the fire — and I believe I’m going to do that, and it’s very important to me."
“Whenever I’m at basketball camps, I never hear any discussion about going from high school to the G League. But I believe now, there will be discussion about it. Not only are you getting paid to play the sport you love, but you’re getting the development that you need and want. You don’t have to worry about going to class, and don’t get me wrong, education is important and I’m going to still take classes at my own pace. But I’ll be around NBA games, focus on my body and focus on my development 24/7, without having to worry about anything else. This is strictly basketball. That’s what I want.”
Bazley, 17, is a 6'9 small forward form Cincinnati, Ohio who had offers from Cincinnati, Ohio State, Georgetown, Florida and Syracuse, the school that he committed to last July. 247Sports.com, ranks him eighth overall in the class of 2019 and the fourth best at his position in the country.