A Dallas high school basketball player is becoming the youngest professional basketball player in the United States.
Pinkston High School’s Dink Pate, a 17-year-old junior, has decided to reclassify from the Class of 2024 to the Class of 2023 and sign with G League Ignite of the NBA’s developmental league.
The 6-foot-8 point guard announced his decision on Twitter on Tuesday, complete with a letter thanking his family, coaches, and interested colleges and a caption that read:
“With much pray[er], thought, consideration, and council I have chosen to reclassify up from the class of 2024 to the class of 2023. I will forgo college and sign with the NBA G-League IGNITE⚡️and enter into the 2025 NBA Draft!!!”
G League Ignite consists of elite high school players who decide to forego college and dedicate themselves to becoming NBA players by playing pro basketball. It was established to create more opportunities for players to stay in the United States rather than having to find opportunities to play pro basketball elsewhere.
“The whole idea of why I started playing basketball was to be a pro,” Pate told ESPN. “G League Ignite brings me one step closer to my dream. It’s all about the development of my game. I want to thank coach Jason Hart and G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim for choosing me. I’m going to keep working to the best of my ability to prove that I can play in the NBA.”
Pate was ranked as the No.2 player from Texas in the 2024 recruiting class and the No.13 player in the nation after averaging 20.3 points per game and earning the District 13-4A Most Valuable Player Award. He had 33 college offers and has chosen to reclassify and turn pro.
He is five weeks younger than the previous youngest player (Scoot Henderson) was when he decided to turn pro two years ago. Henderson is now a projected top-three pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Because the NBA requires players to be turning 19 the year they enter the NBA Draft, Pate will not be eligible to enter the NBA until 2025.
According to Bleacher Report, Pate is expected to make his pro debut in the NBA Summer League this July.