Rafael Barlowe sits down with G League Ignite rookies Tyler Smith and Dink Pate to discuss their unique journey to the 2024 and 2025 NBA draft.

Smith was a top ranked recruit that opted to play in the OTE Ignite league over the traditional high school route. While playing for OTE, Smith was overshadowed by Amen and Ausar Thompson and slid under the radar. This season, Smith looks to re-establish himself as one of the top NBA prospects in front of scouts and executives.

Pate is a 17 year old rookie who will be the face of the 2025 Ignite draft class. At 6'8", Pate has excellent size for a point guard and is expected to play a significant role on the Ignite this season despite being the youngest professional basketball player in the US. Pate shares his story of how he ended up playing professionally this season instead of playing out his senior year in high school.

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