April 16 (UPI) -- Jalen Green -- the top high school basketball recruit in the country -- will skip college to play in the NBA's G League.
Green, 18, announced the decision Thursday. He will enter the G League's professional pathway program. Sources told The Athletic, Sports Illustrated and ESPN that Green will receive at least $500,000 to participate in the program.
"This has been a crazy and excited experience for me and my family, with a lot of opportunities that came," Green said in a video posted to his social media platforms. "But the ultimate goal is to get to the NBA."
Green, a senior at Prolific Prep in Napa, Calif., was the No. 1 prospect in the 2020 ESPN 100 rankings. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard was the only player in the top eight who had not signed or committed to a college.
Green averaged 31.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and five assists per game during his senior season.
The G League professional pathway program launched in 2018. The league also offered Green a scholarship if he wants to obtain a college degree.
Green is expected to be an option for the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He considered Auburn, Memphis, Oregon, Florida State, USC and Fresno State before he decided to bypass college basketball.
Green posted a video Wednesday night to tease the decision while wearing a Memphis hat and showing at an Auburn shirt. Green also wore a shirt with a logo for Australia's National Basketball League, which has secured commitments from previous top high school basketball prospects.
Green told Yahoo Sports that Memphis would have been his college choice.
