Jalen Green -- the No. 1 high school prospect in the 2020 class, who took part in a private workout with Warriors superstar Steph Currry in late August 2018 -- announced Thursday morning that he was signing a contract to play in the NBA G League next season.
In the process, we learned details of a new program the NBA is launching.
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SIGN UP HERE On Thursday night, Warriors coach Steve Kerr and executive vice president of basketball operations Kirk Lacob were asked about the news during separate radio appearances on KNBR 680.
"Until 15 minutes ago, I had never heard of him (Green)," Kerr said with a laugh. "I didn't know anything about this story. Not my department to know future draft picks ... I think it's good. I think this is a positive step. If the NBA can provide a better experience in the G League for players who don't want to go to college -- I think it's a great option.
"The G League has been getting better and better. The NBA has done a better job of sourcing it, funding it. And really every team has done a better job of improving their respective affiliates. I really hope that this becomes an option that players can take and it clears up some of the mess that exists now in the college game.
"The more options for the players, the better. All these guys deserve to travel whatever path they want."
On Friday morning, the G League secured a second committment to the program.
Isaiah Todd -- ESPN's No. 13 ranked high school recruit in the country, who decommitted from Michigan earlier this week -- will be teaming up with Green.
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As G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski:
"We have kids leaving the United States -- Texas and California and Georgia -- to go around the world to play, and our NBA community has to travel there to scout them. That's counterintuitive. The NBA is the best development system in the world, and those players shouldn't have to go somewhere else to develop for a year. They should be in our development system."
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"This was one of the ideas that we had as a league -- how can we continue to build out a great minor league and development league, and really give players the best chance to succeed in the NBA?" Lacob said. "And we looked at leagues in Europe who are signing incredibly young players -- things that aren't even allowed with the labor laws in the US.
"It's really about -- if you're going to be professional -- building towards a professional career. I think this is a great opportunity for a lot of young players. I've said for years -- when we give out advice to players -- if you want to go into the draft or not, it shouldn't be about whether you're gonna be this pick or that pick. It's about whether you want to be a professional basketball player now or whether you love college -- that's what should matter.
"If you have enough belief in yourself, go and do what you want to do and eventually you're gonna make it. It's the second contract that matters more than the first.
"I think this is a terrific program. I don't think it's gonna be for every player ... we don't have a ton of details yet of how everything is going to work. But I think it's a huge, huge step in the right direction. We're giving basketball players more options and I think that's great."
[RELATED: Lacob acknowledges Warriors could trade down in draft]
It is great. It sounds awesome and it's only the beginning.
You'd have to assume it only will get better as the NBA puts in more and more resources to ensure its success.
