Phoenix Hillcrest Prep senior forward Michael Foster told The Undefeated on Instagram Live on Friday that he will be joining the G League Ignite next season.
Foster is currently the seventh ranked high school player in the 2021 ESPN Class of 100. The 6-foot-8, 215-pounder chose joining the G League Ignite over his final two college choices in Florida State and Georgia or going to play professionally overseas.
The G League Ignite took part in their inaugural season during the 2021 G League Bubble with top prospects who turned down playing in college for negotiated six-figure salaries. Foster averaged 32.2 points, 18.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists for Hillcrest Prep as a senior during the 2020-21 season. With the Milwaukee native leading the way, Hillcrest earned a 37-1 record last season.
Foster was listed as the 32nd best prospect in the 2022 NBA Draft by ESPN.com’s Jonathan Givony in a mock draft released Monday. Foster is expected to receive a salary from the Ignite in the $300,000 range, a source told The Undefeated.
“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Mike to Ignite,” G League president Shareef Abdul-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.”
The Ignite’s roster last season included heralded Class of 2020 prep stars Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Daishen Nix and Isaiah Todd. Green and Kuminga are currently projected as potential Top 5 selections in the 2021 NBA Draft after playing for the Ignite.