The NBA’s G League is creating a new venture as an alternative to the one-and-done route for the best American basketball prospects, it was announced Thursday.

As part of a newly formed professional path starting in the summer of 2019, the G League will offer “Select Contracts” worth $125,000 to elite prospects who are at least 18 years old but not yet eligible for the NBA draft.

While changes to the NBA’s age limit likely won’t be implemented until the 2022 draft, the league considers this a response to such criticism.

“The broader basketball community has called for the NBA to enhance our G League offerings,” Turner told ESPN. “We believe this is an answer to that call. We believe this is a thoughtful and responsive answer.”

Players will be eligible to sign a Select Contract if they turn 18 by Sept. 15 prior to the season in which they would play. While there is no maximum age for a player to be eligible for a Select Contract, the contracts are not available to players who have gone through an NBA Draft.

The NBA G League’s 18th season tips off on Nov. 2nd with a record 27 teams. The 50-game regular season runs through March with the playoffs taking place in April. For the 2018-19 season, NBA G League rosters are made up of players signed to NBA two-way contracts, players signed to NBA G League contracts and NBA players on assignment in the NBA G League.