NBA G League guard Dink Pate commits to Providence

The NBA G League pipeline to NCAA basketball continues.

Dink Pate, a guard with the G League’s Westchester Knicks, has committed to Providence, a major pickup for new coach Bryan Hodgson, who was previously the head coach for South Florida. ESPN was first to report the news.

Pate is in the same situation as Santa Clara forward Thierry Darlan, the first former G League player to be granted NCAA eligibility. Like Darlan, Pate opted to go straight from high school to the G League Ignite, skipping college altogether. Originally introduced as a G League development team, Ignite offered NBA hopefuls an alternate path to the pros, with the opportunity to make money along the way. With the introduction of Name, Image and Likeness in the NCAA — and now, direct revenue-sharing with athletes — the Ignite’s advantage evaporated, and the team soon folded.

Pate, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound guard from Dallas, was the No. 30 recruit in the 2023 class according to ESPN’s high school rankings. ESPN reported that Pate turned down two-way and 10-day NBA contracts over the last year to maintain his college eligibility. He’s currently averaging 16.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists for Westchester. Pate also participated in the 2025 NBA Rising Stars event during All-Star weekend, playing for Team G League.

Pate is the second major offseason acquisition for Hodgson, hired last month from South Florida to replace the recently fired Kim English. Earlier this week, Miles Byrd, a guard from San Diego State, committed to Providence. Byrd, the 2026 Mountain West defensive player of the year, is ranked No. 10 in The Athletic’s list of best players available in the portal.