On Friday, Phoenix Hillcrest Prep senior forward Michael Foster announced that he will be signing with the G League Ignite next season.
Foster is the No. 14 ranked high school player in 2021 by 247Sports and No. 5 player at his position. As a 6-foot-9 dominant forward, he received multiple offers including Georgia, Kansas, LSU, Oklahoma State, USC, UCLA, and more.
“I’m super ready to learn the NBA game and train like an NBA player from NBA guys while playing for NBA G League Ignite,” Foster said in a news release. “It’s a great opportunity for me. It’s the golden path right now.”
As a junior, Foster averaged 26.3 points, 13.4 rebounds and 6.1 blocks. Throughout his senior season, he averaged 32.2 points and 18.4 rebounds as a senior while earning McDonald’s All-American honors. He helped lead Hillcrest to a 32-3 record.
Foster is the first player to sign on for the Ignite’s second season. The G-League is not the typical route top prospects go, however, Foster believes this direction is the right choice for him.
“I’ve seen multiple double and triple teams for the last three years,” said Foster. “I’m really looking forward to be at a level where I can just play against one guy most times. I don’t feel like I’m missing out on any development not going to college. I’m going somewhere that’s trying to prepare me for my goal, so why skip out on that?”
In his statement, Foster said if he had chosen the college route, he would’ve picked Georgia.
“I love everything they did with Anthony Edwards,” Foster said of Georgia. “When I went there, they made sure I was the main focus. I just love everything they’re doing right now.”
With Foster now headed to Ignite next season, he’s expected to receive a salary in the $300,000 range according to ESPN.
“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Mike to Ignite,” G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim said in a statement. “He is not only a talented basketball player with a really bright future as a professional, but he’s a great young man with a strong work ethic.”
In 2020-21, coach Brian Shaw’s Ignite squad made the G League playoffs with an 8-7 record. The team features elite prospects Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Daishen Nix and Isaiah Todd. Green and Kuminga are projected as potential top-five selections in the 2021 NBA draft.
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