"I think it's a waste of time" - Tracy McGrady explains why it's pointless for young players to play in the G-League

Yahoo

17-06-2025

"I think it's a waste of time" - Tracy McGrady explains why it's pointless for young players to play in the G-League originally appeared on Basketball Network.
The G-League is a professional basketball league that serves as the NBA's developmental platform for players, coaches, referees, and even front-office personnel. It is basketball's version of the Minor League in baseball, where players hone their skills and earn experience with the hopes that they will one day get a call-up from the mother teams.
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But while the G-League has helped many players reach their goals and fulfill their dreams, Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady thinks it's just a waste of time for these youngsters.
"A lot of these guys are spending their time in the G League. For me, I think it's a waste of time because the G League isn't really paying money like that," said McGrady. "I think it's 30, 25, 35 thousand dollars what they're paying or something like that, versus overseas where you can make a real good living. You know, hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even some leagues are paying a million dollars."
Pat Bev signed a two-year $4 million deal to play in Israel
Currently, the standard G-League contract is $40,500.00 for a five-month season. Players drafted and assigned to the G-League on a two-way contract make much more at $578,576, but only 60 players are drafted per class. Still, that's peanuts compared to the $1.157 million minimum salary a player with zero experience makes if he is signed to the NBA.
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Big man Ariel Hukporti of Germany, the last player taken in the 2024 NBA Draft at No.58, signed a standard contract with the New York Knicks worth $5.7 million for two years with a guarantee of $1.064 million. Hukporti ended up playing 217 minutes across 25 games for the Knicks.
Meanwhile, former L.A. Clippers guard Patrick Beverley signed a two-year $4 million deal with Hapoel Tel Aviv BC of the Israeli Basketball League last year. Pat Bev had a decent season, averaging 10.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. Beverley, however, left Hapoel last February after negotiating a mutual termination of the contract. Still, he easily cleared the $1 million mark playing in Israel.
Most youngsters still trust the G-League process
Despite the disparity in pay, most NBA aspirants still go the G-League route when it comes to fulfilling their dreams, and many have been successful. In the last nine NBA seasons, at least 30 G-Leaguers received a call-up from their mother teams. This number is impressive, considering there are only 60 players picked in the NBA Draft every year. Also, a record 50 percent of players in the NBA during the 2023-24 season had G League experience.
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Most notably, the most successful G-Leaguer in the NBA today is OKC Thunder guard Alex Caruso, who won a championship with the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers. Caruso was named to the All-Defensive first team in 2023 and second team in 2024. AC signed a four-year $81 million extension deal with the Thunder last December. Another successful G-Leaguer in the NBA is Miami Heat sharpshooter Duncan Robinson, who inked a five-year $90 million contract with the Miami Heat in 2021.
T-Mac makes sense from the financial point of view. However, most continue to trust the G-League process, and the success stories of Caruso and Robinson inspire them even more to work harder.
Related: Tracy McGrady thinks Jamaal Tinsley has better handles than Kyrie Irving: "Probably the best I've seen"
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.