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The NBA G League released its forty prospect roster for its ninth annual Elite Mini-Camp, set to take place on May 14th and 15th in Chicago. Over the years, this platform has provided countless promising athletes with the chance to up their stock in the offseason, further resulting in opportunities during NBA Summer League and respective free agent mini-camps in the weeks to come.
This year’s roster is headlined by NBA vets like Archie Goodwin and KJ McDaniels. Goodwin averaged 19 points in 34 minor league contests this past season. Despite being just 23 years old, he’s a veteran of four NBA campaigns. McDaniels logged 16.2 points and 7 rebounds in 31 games. He too is a well seasoned big league vet, having competed in three seasons of his own. The guard is 25 years old. What should this tell basketball fans? Despite being around the block a few times, both Goodwin and McDaniels understand the value the Elite Mini-Camp provides. They are both relatively well known commodities, but still have the chance to prove themselves all over again. It’s a huge scouting opportunity for NBA and G League personnel alike.
Click here for the rest of the roster, which includes the likes of Xavier Rathan-Mayes, James Young, Daniel Dixon, and Ladontae Henton, to name a few more.
The G League strategically schedules its Elite Mini-Camp at this given time, so that personnel coming into Chicago for the NBA Draft Combine can conveniently stay for the week, make one trip, and have the chance the scout available talent. In some cases, minor league athletes with a season or two under their belt are better prepared to make an impact on the professional level than the promising draft prospects set to be available.
The timing of this event also puts pressure on the participating athletes, as choosing to compete can also mean they must forgo offseason gig opportunities to be there. The camp begins one day after Mother’s Day, much like the National Tryout has previously taken place on Father’s Day. All in all, the G League knows how to weed out prospects with waning interest and really come up with a pool of athletes who are truly dedicated to their craft. They want to be there.