The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
's (NBA) official
minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA Development League (NBA D-League) from 2005 until 2017.
The league started with eight teams until NBA commissioner
David Stern announced a plan to expand the NBA D-League to 15 teams and develop it into a true
minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...
farm system
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
, with each NBA D-League team affiliated with one or more NBA teams in March 2005. At the conclusion of the
2013–14 NBA season, 33% of NBA players had spent time in the NBA D-League, up from 23% in 2011. As of the
2020–21 season, the league consists of 30 teams, 28 of which are either single-affiliated or owned by an NBA team, along with the
NBA G League Ignite exhibition team.
In the 2017–18 season,
Gatorade
Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries. The beverage was first develop ...
became the title sponsor of the D-League, and it was renamed the NBA G League.
History
National Basketball Development League (2001–2005)
The league began its play as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) in the 2001–02 season; the original eight franchises
were all located in the
southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...
(specifically in
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
,
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
,
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
, and
Georgia).
NBA Development League (2005–2017)
In 2005, the league's name was changed to NBA Development League (NBA D-League)
as part of the new collective bargaining agreement with the NBA and a bid to appeal to more fans by showing their connection to the major league.
In the same offseason, Southwest Basketball, LLC led by
David Kahn was granted permission by the league to operate four new teams. Southwest Basketball then purchased three existing franchises and one expansion team: the
Albuquerque Thunderbirds,
Austin Toros
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
,
Fort Worth Flyers
The Fort Worth Flyers were a minor league basketball team in the NBA Development League (D-League) based in Fort Worth, Texas. They began play in the 2005–06 season and were shut down for the 2007–08 season.
Franchise history
In 2005, Sout ...
and the
Tulsa 66ers
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
.
The
Arkansas RimRockers
The Arkansas RimRockers were a minor league basketball team based in North Little Rock, Arkansas, which played in the American Basketball Association and the NBA Development League.
Season by season
Franchise history
The RimRockers began play ...
were also added from the
ABA for the 2005–06 season. In February 2006, the D-League expanded to
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
for the first time with the addition of the
Bakersfield Jam. Two months later, the league announced that four teams from the
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball m ...
were joining the league: the
Dakota Wizards,
Sioux Falls Skyforce,
Idaho Stampede, and a team originally slated for CBA
expansion
Expansion may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''L'Expansion'', a French monthly business magazine
* ''Expansion'' (album), by American jazz pianist Dave Burrell, released in 2004
* ''Expansions'' (McCoy Tyner album), 1970
* ''Expansio ...
, the
Colorado 14ers
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of th ...
. Shortly after, the league announced expansion teams in the
Anaheim Arsenal
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star.
Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...
and the
Los Angeles D-Fenders
LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to:
Science and technology
* Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation
* Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers
* Level of significance, a measure of statistical significance ...
. The D-Fenders became the first D-League team to be directly owned by an NBA parent team, the
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
.
However, the westward expansion contributed to the contraction of the NBA-owned
Roanoke Dazzle
The Roanoke Dazzle were an NBA Development League team based in Roanoke, Virginia, U.S.. In operation from the inaugural D-League season of 2001–02 through the 2005–06 season, the Dazzle marked the return of professional basketball to Roanoke ...
and
Fayetteville Patriots
The Fayetteville Patriots were an NBA Development League team based in Fayetteville, North Carolina, United States. Its logo design features a bald eagle's head and a basketball in the middle of a capital letter "P" with stars and stripes filling ...
for that season. The
Florida Flame suspended operations due to arena scheduling difficulties. After the 2006–07 season, there would be no more teams in the southeastern United States until the 2016 expansion team, the
Greensboro Swarm.
After the 2006 to 2009 expansions, the league membership was fairly consistent with only a few relocations and suspensions. In 2009, the
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
entered into the first single-affiliation partnership, called the hybrid model, with the
Rio Grande Valley Vipers. This began a wave of NBA and D-League teams entering into single-affiliation agreements of both the hybrid and parent-team owned varieties. With more NBA involvement, the league once again began to expand and spread its footprint.
By 2015, the last multiple-affiliate team, the
Fort Wayne Mad Ants, was purchased by the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
leading to the first season where all D-League teams were affiliated with only one NBA team. As there were no longer any unaffiliated D-League teams left, the remaining NBA teams began purchasing expansion franchises or hybrid partnership teams and placing them near the parent team. In 2015, the
Toronto Raptors placed their own team,
Raptors 905
The Raptors 905 are a Canadian professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Mississauga, Ontario, and are affiliated with the Toronto Raptors. Raptors 905 began play in the 2015–16 season and play their home games at Paramount Fi ...
, in the
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel, and York. In total, the region contains 25 urban, suburban, and rural municipalities. The Greater T ...
in
Mississauga, Ontario
Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...
.
In 2016, the D-League expanded by three more NBA parent club-owned teams for the largest D-League expansion since 2007. The Charlotte Hornets created the
Greensboro Swarm, the
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The t ...
created the
Long Island Nets, and the
Chicago Bulls created the
Windy City Bulls
The Windy City Bulls are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, and are affiliated with the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls play their home games at Now Arena, from Chicago. It became the thirte ...
.
NBA G League (2017–present)
In the
2017–18 season, the D-League entered into a multi-year partnership with
Gatorade
Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries. The beverage was first develop ...
and announced it would be rebranded as the NBA Gatorade League,
which was officially shortened to "NBA G League" prior to the season. It also continued its membership changes with the relocation of the
Erie BayHawks to
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal c ...
, as the
Lakeland Magic
The Lakeland Magic are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Lakeland, Florida, and are affiliated with the Orlando Magic. The Magic began play in the 2017–18 season and play their home games at the RP Fundin ...
, a
new Erie BayHawks franchise; and expansions in the
Agua Caliente Clippers
The Ontario Clippers, formerly known as the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Ontario, California, and are affiliated with the Los Angeles Clippers. The team began play in ...
in
Ontario, California
Ontario is a city in southwestern San Bernardino County in the U.S. state of California, east of downtown Los Angeles and west of downtown San Bernardino, the county seat. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire metropolitan area, ...
(now known as the Ontario Clippers); the
Memphis Hustle in
Southaven, Mississippi; and the
Wisconsin Herd
The Wisconsin Herd are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and are affiliated with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Herd play their home games at Oshkosh Arena.
History
On June 29, 2016, it was anno ...
in
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat. The city had a population of 66,816 in 2020, making it the ninth-largest city in Wisconsin. It is also adjacent to the Town of Oshkosh.
History
Oshkosh was ...
. The Los Angeles D-Fenders would also re-brand to the
South Bay Lakers.
In December 2017, the NBA and the
live streaming
Livestreaming is streaming media simultaneously recorded and broadcast in real-time over the internet. It is often referred to simply as streaming. Non-live media such as video-on-demand, vlogs, and YouTube videos are technically streamed, but no ...
website
Twitch announced that they would broadcast G League games on Twitch. Games have also been aired on the ESPN Plus subscription service.
For the 2019–20 season, the G League will begin to offer select contracts to players that are not yet eligible to enter the
NBA Draft. Since 2006, players that are not at least nineteen years old by the end of the calendar year have been ineligible, creating what became known as the "one-and-done" rule where players joined a
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
team for one season and would then leave for the NBA. The new select contract is to be an alternative for players who do not want to or cannot attend a college, worth up to $125,000 for a season. The league launched its prospects team, the
NBA G League Ignite, in 2020.
Following the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
-curtailed
2019–20 season, the G League postponed the start of the
following season. In January 2021, the league announced it would play all games at
Walt Disney World
The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, th ...
in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...
, using the same isolation bubble as the
2020 NBA Bubble
The 2020 NBA Bubble, also referred to as the Disney Bubble or the Orlando Bubble, was the bio-secure bubble at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, that was created by the National Basketball Association (NBA) to protect its play ...
. Many teams opted out of participation, with 17 of the 28 teams from the 2019–20 season plus the new Ignite prospects team choosing to take part in the abbreviated bubble season beginning in February 2021.
Teams
Current teams
Team ownership and NBA affiliations
Ownership models vary across the NBA G League. Growing willingness among NBA organizations to invest in the G League has led to two main models: direct ownership of G League teams by parent NBA clubs and single-affiliate partnerships in which the G League team remains independently owned while the parent club runs and finances basketball operations.
Parent club direct ownership began in 2006 when the
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
bought their own NBA D-League franchise, originally known as the Los Angeles D-Fenders and since 2017–18 as the
South Bay Lakers. This was followed by the
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...
purchasing the
Austin Toros
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
(now the Austin Spurs) in 2007, and the
Oklahoma City Thunder purchasing the
Tulsa 66ers
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
(now the Oklahoma City Blue) in 2008. This led to more NBA teams to either purchase existing franchises or create expansion teams in order to have their own single-affiliation teams. In 2011, the Cleveland Cavaliers purchased the
New Mexico Thunderbirds
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
to become the Canton Charge and the
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
purchased the
Dakota Wizards, with the Warriors moving the Wizards a year later to become the
Santa Cruz Warriors
The Santa Cruz Warriors are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Santa Cruz, California, and are affiliated with the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors play their home games at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Prior to ...
. In 2013, the
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
purchased the inactive
Utah Flash Orem, Utah
Orem
Orem, Utah
Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the northern part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is approximately south of Salt Lake City.
Orem is one of the principal ...
and moved them to
Newark, Delaware
Newark ( )Not as in Newark, New Jersey. is a small city in New Castle County, Delaware, New Castle County, Delaware, United States. It is located west-southwest of Wilmington, Delaware, Wilmington. According to the 2010 United States Census, ...
as the
Delaware 87ers
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
(now the Delaware Blue Coats, and playing in that state's largest city of
Wilmington). In 2014, the
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
became the seventh team to fully own and operate their own NBA D-League affiliate in the
Westchester Knicks. In 2015, the
Toronto Raptors created their own expansion franchise, the
Raptors 905
The Raptors 905 are a Canadian professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Mississauga, Ontario, and are affiliated with the Toronto Raptors. Raptors 905 began play in the 2015–16 season and play their home games at Paramount Fi ...
. In 2017, the Timberwolves purchased the
Iowa Energy and renamed the team the
Iowa Wolves
The Iowa Wolves are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Des Moines, Iowa, and are affiliated with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves play their home games at the Wells Fargo Arena and compete in the Western ...
.
In 2009, the
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
and
Rio Grande Valley Vipers pioneered the single-affiliate partnership, also known as the hybrid model. In November 2010, the
New Jersey Nets and
Springfield Armor
Springfield may refer to:
* Springfield (toponym), the place name in general
Places and locations Australia
* Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast)
* Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council)
* Springfield, Queensl ...
announced they would enter into a single-affiliate partnership that began in 2011–12. In June 2011, the
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
and
Erie BayHawks announced they would be singly-affiliated. In May 2012, the
Portland Trail Blazers entered into a single-affiliation partnership with the
Idaho Stampede. The following month, the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
and
Maine Red Claws announced a single-affiliation partnership. In June 2013, the
Miami Heat announced that they had entered into a single-affiliated partnership with the
Sioux Falls Skyforce. In July 2013, the
Sacramento Kings and
Reno Bighorns
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...
(now the Stockton Kings) entered into a single-affiliation. The Stampede ended their affiliation with the Trail Blazers after the 2013–14 season and in June 2014 announced their affiliation with the
Utah Jazz. The Armor moved to
Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, after the 2013–14 season and affiliated with the
Detroit Pistons. From 2014 to 2017, the
Memphis Grizzlies had a single-affiliation with the
Iowa Energy. In 2015, the last multiple affiliate team, the
Fort Wayne Mad Ants, was purchased by the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
making the
2015–16 season the first with all teams having single-affiliations.
In some cases, the hybrid affiliation led to the parent team buying their affiliate's franchise outright. On March 24, 2015, the Utah Jazz purchased their affiliate, the Idaho Stampede, and after one more season in Boise relocated the team to
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
. On April 11, 2016, the
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
purchased their affiliate, the
Bakersfield Jam, and announced the immediate relocation of the team to
Prescott Valley, Arizona, as the
Northern Arizona Suns
The Motor City Cruise are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Detroit, Michigan, and are affiliated with the Detroit Pistons. The Cruise play their home games at Wayne State Fieldhouse. The franchise began play a ...
beginning with the 2016–17 season.
In 2021, the team relocated to Detroit after being purchased by the Pistons, becoming the
Motor City Cruise
The Motor City Cruise are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Detroit, Michigan, and are affiliated with the Detroit Pistons. The Cruise play their home games at Wayne State Fieldhouse. The franchise began play a ...
. On October 20, 2016, the
Sacramento Kings bought the majority ownership of their affiliate of the previous eight seasons, the Reno Bighorns, and would eventually move the team to
Stockton, California
Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. Stockton was founded by Carlos Maria Weber in 1849 after he acquir ...
as the Stockton Kings after the 2017–18 G League season. On December 14, 2016, the Magic purchased their affiliate, the Erie BayHawks, with the intention to relocate the team to
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal c ...
, in 2017.
In 2017, the
Miami Heat purchased the controlling interest in the
Sioux Falls Skyforce after being its primary affiliate since 2013. In July 2019, the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
acquired its affiliate,
Maine Red Claws.
Parent club ownership:
*
Austin Spurs (by the
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...
)
*
Birmingham Squadron (by the
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...
)
*
Capital City Go-Go (by the
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast D ...
)
*
Cleveland Charge
The Cleveland Charge are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Cleveland, Ohio, and are affiliated with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team plays its home games at the Wolstein Center in downtown Cleveland.
The fra ...
(by the
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
)
*
College Park Skyhawks (by the
Atlanta Hawks)
*
Delaware Blue Coats
The Delaware Blue Coats are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Wilmington, Delaware, and are affiliated with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Blue Coats play their home games at Chase Fieldhouse. The team was founde ...
(by the
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
)
*
Fort Wayne Mad Ants (by the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
)
*
Greensboro Swarm (by the
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...
)
*
Iowa Wolves
The Iowa Wolves are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Des Moines, Iowa, and are affiliated with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves play their home games at the Wells Fargo Arena and compete in the Western ...
(by the
Minnesota Timberwolves)
*
Lakeland Magic
The Lakeland Magic are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Lakeland, Florida, and are affiliated with the Orlando Magic. The Magic began play in the 2017–18 season and play their home games at the RP Fundin ...
(by the
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...
)
*
Long Island Nets (by the
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The t ...
)
*
Maine Celtics
The Maine Celtics (formerly the Maine Red Claws) are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Portland, Maine, and are affiliated with the Boston Celtics. The Maine Celtics play their home games at the Portland Expo B ...
(by the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
)
*
Memphis Hustle (by the
Memphis Grizzlies)
*
Motor City Cruise
The Motor City Cruise are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Detroit, Michigan, and are affiliated with the Detroit Pistons. The Cruise play their home games at Wayne State Fieldhouse. The franchise began play a ...
(by the
Detroit Pistons)
*
Oklahoma City Blue (by the
Oklahoma City Thunder)
*
Ontario Clippers
The Ontario Clippers, formerly known as the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Ontario, California, and are affiliated with the Los Angeles Clippers. The team began play in ...
(by the
Los Angeles Clippers)
*
Raptors 905
The Raptors 905 are a Canadian professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Mississauga, Ontario, and are affiliated with the Toronto Raptors. Raptors 905 began play in the 2015–16 season and play their home games at Paramount Fi ...
(by the
Toronto Raptors)
*
Salt Lake City Stars (by the
Utah Jazz)
*
Santa Cruz Warriors
The Santa Cruz Warriors are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Santa Cruz, California, and are affiliated with the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors play their home games at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Prior to ...
(by the
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
)
*
Sioux Falls Skyforce (with the
Miami Heat)
*
South Bay Lakers (by the
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
)
*
Stockton Kings
The Stockton Kings are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Stockton, California, and are affiliated with the Sacramento Kings. The Kings play their home games at the Stockton Arena and compete in the G League' ...
(by the
Sacramento Kings)
*
Westchester Knicks (by the
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
)
*
Windy City Bulls
The Windy City Bulls are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, and are affiliated with the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls play their home games at Now Arena, from Chicago. It became the thirte ...
(by the
Chicago Bulls)
*
Wisconsin Herd
The Wisconsin Herd are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and are affiliated with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Herd play their home games at Oshkosh Arena.
History
On June 29, 2016, it was anno ...
(by the
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...
)
Single affiliation/hybrid model:
*
Grand Rapids Gold
The Grand Rapids Gold are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and are affiliated with the Denver Nuggets. The Gold play their home games at Van Andel Arena. They began play as the Anaheim ...
(with the
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
)
*
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (with the
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
)
*
Texas Legends (with the
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
)
NBA teams without an exclusive affiliate:
*
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
*
Portland Trail Blazers
G League teams without an exclusive affiliate:
*
Capitanes de Ciudad de México
*
NBA G League Ignite
Future expansion teams and locations
Expansion in the league was slow for the first years, but has rapidly increased since the movement towards single-affiliate teams has become the norm.
Confirmed expansion and relocations
On October 24, 2018, the Pelicans announced plans to place their G League team in
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...
, to play in
Legacy Arena located in the
Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex
The Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex (formerly known as Birmingham–Jefferson Civic Center) is a sports, convention and entertainment complex located in Birmingham, Alabama. The Sheraton Birmingham and Westin Birmingham are located on t ...
by 2021 or 2022. As the arena needed to be renovated, the Pelicans' affiliate began play the 2019–20 season as the
Erie BayHawks after the Atlanta Hawks' affiliate moved to College Park. The team was confirmed to relocate for the 2021–22 season and the BayHawks ceased operations following the 2020–21 season when it could not obtain a fourth franchise and NBA partner.
On December 7, 2017, NBA commissioner
Adam Silver announced that he was looking into having a G League expansion team in
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
potentially as early as 2018. In September 2019, Raúl Zárraga of NBA Mexico stated that the league is working on adding a team in Mexico for the 2020–21 season. On December 12, 2019, NBA commissioner
Adam Silver announced that current
Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional team,
Capitanes de Ciudad de México will be joining the G League in the 2020–21 season on a five-year agreement. During the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, a normal 2020–21 season did not occur and the Capitanes were not mentioned as members for the G League's 2021 season.
They announced they still plan on joining in 2021–22. It would be the NBA's first official team in Mexico after testing the market with exhibition and regular season games in the city.
On July 29, 2020, the
Detroit Pistons announced that they had purchased the
Northern Arizona Suns
The Motor City Cruise are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Detroit, Michigan, and are affiliated with the Detroit Pistons. The Cruise play their home games at Wayne State Fieldhouse. The franchise began play a ...
from the
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
and will move the team to Detroit to play in the new
Wayne State Arena
Wayne State Fieldhouse is a multi-purpose arena in Detroit. It serves as the home of the Wayne State Warriors (NCAA Division II) men's and women's basketball teams and the Motor City Cruise of the NBA G League. The arena is owned by Wayne State U ...
for the 2021–22 season as the
Motor City Cruise
The Motor City Cruise are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Detroit, Michigan, and are affiliated with the Detroit Pistons. The Cruise play their home games at Wayne State Fieldhouse. The franchise began play a ...
.
Defunct / relocated teams
Team timeline
*Tan = Current teams
*Blue = Former teams or former names
*Green = Announced future teams
DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy
ImageSize = width:1170 height:auto barincrement:25
PlotArea = width:1025 top:0 left:25 bottom:20
Period = from:01/01/2001 till:01/01/2023
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7)
id:line value:black
id:bg value:white
PlotData=
width:20 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:powderblue from:07/01/2001 till:06/01/2005 text:Asheville Altitude
Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad River, French Broad and Swannanoa River, Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and ...
(2001–05)
bar:1 color:powderblue from:07/01/2005 till:06/01/2014 text:Tulsa 66ers
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
(2005–14)
bar:1 color:tan1 from:07/01/2014 till:end text: Oklahoma City Blue (2014–present)
bar:2 color:powderblue from:07/01/2001 till:06/01/2004 text: (North) Charleston Lowgators (2001–04)
bar:2 color:powderblue from:07/01/2004 till:06/01/2006 shift:60 text: Florida Flame (2004–06)
bar:3 color:powderblue from:07/01/2001 till:06/01/2005 text: Columbus Riverdragons (2001–05)
bar:3 color:powderblue from:07/01/2005 till:06/01/2014 text:Austin Toros
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
(2005–14)
bar:3 color:tan1 from:07/01/2014 till:end text: Austin Spurs (2014–present)
bar:4 color:powderblue from:07/01/2001 till:06/01/2006 text:Fayetteville Patriots
The Fayetteville Patriots were an NBA Development League team based in Fayetteville, North Carolina, United States. Its logo design features a bald eagle's head and a basketball in the middle of a capital letter "P" with stars and stripes filling ...
(2001–06)
bar:5 color:powderblue from:07/01/2001 till:06/13/2003 text:Greenville Groove
The Greenville Groove were a National Basketball Development League (NBDL) team based in Greenville, South Carolina. Playing their home games at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena, the Groove was a charter franchise of the league, which had four tea ...
(2001–03)
bar:6 color:powderblue from:07/01/2001 till:06/01/2005 text:Huntsville Flight
Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...
(2001–05)
bar:6 color:powderblue from:07/01/2005 till:06/07/2011 text: Albuquerque / New Mexico Thunderbirds (2005–11)
bar:6 color:powderblue from:07/07/2011 till:06/01/2021 shift:100 text: Canton Charge (2011–2021)
bar:6 color:tan1 from:07/01/2021 till:end text:Cleveland Charge
The Cleveland Charge are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Cleveland, Ohio, and are affiliated with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team plays its home games at the Wolstein Center in downtown Cleveland.
The fra ...
(2021–present)
bar:7 color:powderblue from:07/01/2001 till:06/13/2003 text:Mobile Revelers
The Mobile Revelers were a National Basketball Development League (NBDL) team based in Mobile, Alabama. Playing their home games at the Mobile Civic Center, the Revelers was a charter franchise in the 2001–2002 NBDL season, 2001-02 season and fo ...
(2001–03)
bar:8 color:powderblue from:07/01/2001 till:06/01/2006 text:Roanoke Dazzle
The Roanoke Dazzle were an NBA Development League team based in Roanoke, Virginia, U.S.. In operation from the inaugural D-League season of 2001–02 through the 2005–06 season, the Dazzle marked the return of professional basketball to Roanoke ...
(2001–06)
bar:9 color:powderblue from:07/01/2005 till:06/01/2007 text:Fort Worth Flyers
The Fort Worth Flyers were a minor league basketball team in the NBA Development League (D-League) based in Fort Worth, Texas. They began play in the 2005–06 season and were shut down for the 2007–08 season.
Franchise history
In 2005, Sout ...
(2005–07)
bar:10 color:powderblue from:07/01/2005 till:06/01/2007 text:Arkansas RimRockers
The Arkansas RimRockers were a minor league basketball team based in North Little Rock, Arkansas, which played in the American Basketball Association and the NBA Development League.
Season by season
Franchise history
The RimRockers began play ...
(2005–07)
bar:11 color:powderblue from:07/01/2006 till:06/01/2009 text:Anaheim Arsenal
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star.
Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...
(2006–09)
bar:11 color:powderblue from:07/01/2009 till:06/01/2014 text:Springfield Armor
Springfield may refer to:
* Springfield (toponym), the place name in general
Places and locations Australia
* Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast)
* Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council)
* Springfield, Queensl ...
(2009–14)
bar:11 color:powderblue from:07/01/2014 till:07/01/2020 text:Grand Rapids Drive
The Grand Rapids Gold are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and are affiliated with the Denver Nuggets. The Gold play their home games at Van Andel Arena. They began play as the Anaheim ...
(2014–21)
bar:11 color:tan1 from:07/01/2021 till:end text:Grand Rapids Gold
The Grand Rapids Gold are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and are affiliated with the Denver Nuggets. The Gold play their home games at Van Andel Arena. They began play as the Anaheim ...
(2021–present)
bar:12 color:powderblue from:07/01/2006 till:06/01/2010 text:Los Angeles D-Fenders
LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to:
Science and technology
* Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation
* Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers
* Level of significance, a measure of statistical significance ...
(2006–10, 2011–2017)
bar:12 color:powderblue from:07/09/2011 till:06/01/2017
bar:12 color:tan1 from:07/01/2017 till:07/01/2020 text: South Bay Lakers (2017–present)
bar:12 color:tan1 from:07/01/2021 till:end
bar:13 color:powderblue from:07/01/2006 till:06/01/2016 text: Bakersfield Jam (2006–16)
bar:13 color:powderblue from:07/01/2016 till:07/01/2020 text: NAZ Suns (2016–2020)
bar:13 color:tan1 from:07/01/2021 till:end text:Motor City Cruise
The Motor City Cruise are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Detroit, Michigan, and are affiliated with the Detroit Pistons. The Cruise play their home games at Wayne State Fieldhouse. The franchise began play a ...
(2021–present)
bar:14 color:powderblue from:07/01/2006 till:06/01/2009 text:Colorado 14ers
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of th ...
(2006–09)
bar:14 color:tan1 from:07/01/2010 till:07/01/2020 text: Texas Legends (2010–present)
bar:14 color:tan1 from:07/01/2021 till:end
bar:15 color:powderblue from:07/01/2006 till:06/01/2012 text: Dakota Wizards (2006–12)
bar:15 color:tan1 from:07/01/2012 till:end text:Santa Cruz Warriors
The Santa Cruz Warriors are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Santa Cruz, California, and are affiliated with the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors play their home games at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Prior to ...
(2012–present)
bar:16 color:powderblue from:07/01/2006 till:06/01/2016 text: Idaho Stampede (2006–16)
bar:16 color:tan1 from:07/01/2016 till:end text: Salt Lake City Stars (2016–present)
bar:17 color:tan1 from:07/01/2006 till:07/01/2020 text: Sioux Falls Skyforce (2006–present)
bar:17 color:tan1 from:07/01/2021 till:end
bar:18 color:tan1 from:07/01/2007 till:end text: Fort Wayne Mad Ants (2007–present)
bar:19 color:powderblue from:07/01/2007 till:06/01/2017 text: Iowa Energy (2007–2017)
bar:19 color:tan1 from:07/01/2017 till:end text:Iowa Wolves
The Iowa Wolves are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Des Moines, Iowa, and are affiliated with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves play their home games at the Wells Fargo Arena and compete in the Western ...
(2017–present)
bar:20 color:tan1 from:07/01/2007 till:end text: Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2007–present)
bar:21 color:powderblue from:07/01/2007 till:06/18/2011 text:Utah Flash Orem, Utah
Orem
Orem, Utah
Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the northern part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is approximately south of Salt Lake City.
Orem is one of the principal ...
(2007–11)
bar:21 color:powderblue from:07/01/2013 till:06/01/2018 text:Delaware 87ers
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
(2013–2018)
bar:21 color:tan1 from:07/01/2018 till:end text:Delaware Blue Coats
The Delaware Blue Coats are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Wilmington, Delaware, and are affiliated with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Blue Coats play their home games at Chase Fieldhouse. The team was founde ...
(2018–present)
bar:22 color:powderblue from:07/01/2008 till:06/01/2017 text: Erie BayHawks (2008–2017)
bar:22 color:tan1 from:07/01/2017 till:end text:Lakeland Magic
The Lakeland Magic are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Lakeland, Florida, and are affiliated with the Orlando Magic. The Magic began play in the 2017–18 season and play their home games at the RP Fundin ...
(2017–present)
bar:23 color:powderblue from:07/01/2008 till:06/01/2018 text:Reno Bighorns
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...
(2008–2018)
bar:23 color:tan1 from:07/01/2018 till:07/01/2020 text:Stockton Kings
The Stockton Kings are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Stockton, California, and are affiliated with the Sacramento Kings. The Kings play their home games at the Stockton Arena and compete in the G League' ...
(2018–present)
bar:23 color:tan1 from:07/01/2021 till:end
bar:24 color:powderblue from:07/01/2009 till:07/01/2020 text: Maine Red Claws (2009–2021)
bar:24 color:tan1 from:07/01/2021 till:end text:Maine Celtics
The Maine Celtics (formerly the Maine Red Claws) are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Portland, Maine, and are affiliated with the Boston Celtics. The Maine Celtics play their home games at the Portland Expo B ...
(2021–present)
bar:25 color:tan1 from:07/01/2014 till:end text: Westchester Knicks (2014–present)
bar:26 color:tan1 from:06/29/2015 till:end text:Raptors 905
The Raptors 905 are a Canadian professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Mississauga, Ontario, and are affiliated with the Toronto Raptors. Raptors 905 began play in the 2015–16 season and play their home games at Paramount Fi ...
(2015–present)
bar:27 color:tan1 from:07/01/2016 till:end text: Greensboro Swarm (2016–present)
bar:28 color:tan1 from:07/01/2016 till:end text: Long Island Nets (2016–present)
bar:29 color:tan1 from:07/01/2016 till:07/01/2020 text:Windy City Bulls
The Windy City Bulls are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, and are affiliated with the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls play their home games at Now Arena, from Chicago. It became the thirte ...
(2016–present)
bar:29 color:tan1 from:07/01/2021 till:end
bar:30 color:tan1 from:07/01/2017 till:end shift:0 text:Agua Caliente Clippers
The Ontario Clippers, formerly known as the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Ontario, California, and are affiliated with the Los Angeles Clippers. The team began play in ...
(2017–present)
bar:31 color:powderblue from:07/01/2017 till:06/01/2019 shift:-60 text: Erie BayHawks (2017–19)
bar:31 color:tan1 from:07/01/2019 till:07/01/2020 shift:0 text: College Park Skyhawks (2019–present)
bar:31 color:tan1 from:07/01/2021 till:end
bar:32 color:tan1 from:07/01/2017 till:end shift:0 text: Memphis Hustle (2017–present)
bar:33 color:tan1 from:07/01/2017 till:07/01/2020 shift:0 text:Wisconsin Herd
The Wisconsin Herd are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and are affiliated with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Herd play their home games at Oshkosh Arena.
History
On June 29, 2016, it was anno ...
(2017–present)
bar:33 color:tan1 from:07/01/2021 till:end
bar:34 color:tan1 from:07/01/2018 till:07/01/2020 shift:0 text: Capital City Go-Go (2018–present)
bar:34 color:tan1 from:07/01/2021 till:end
bar:35 color:powderblue from:07/01/2019 till:06/01/2021 shift:-70 text: Erie BayHawks (2019–2021)
bar:35 color:tan1 from:07/01/2021 till:end shift:0 text: Birmingham Squadron (2021–present)
bar:36 color:tan1 from:07/01/2021 till:end shift:0 text: Capitanes de Ciudad de México (2021–present)
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:1 start:2002
Player allocations
NBA G League players generally do not sign contracts with the individual teams, but with the league itself. G League team rosters consist of a total of 12 players, 10 (or fewer) being G League players and two (or more) NBA players. The rosters are made up in a number of ways: the previous years' players, players taken in the G League draft, allocation players (meaning players who are assigned to a team with which they have a local connection, such as a
University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
player being assigned to the
Austin Spurs) and
NBA team assignments. Each team also has local tryouts, and one player from the tryouts is assigned to the team.
The minimum age to play in the G League is 18, unlike the NBA which requires players to be 19 years old and one year out of high school in order to sign an NBA contract or be eligible for the draft. The base annual salary is US$35,000 plus housing and insurance benefits. Players who are called up for NBA get bonuses totalling up to US$50,000.
The tallest player ever to be assigned was
Hasheem Thabeet at 7'3", the second player selected in the
2009 NBA draft
The 2009 NBA draft was held on June 25, 2009, at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, the National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eli ...
. The tallest player to ever play in the G League was England's
Paul Sturgess at 7'8", who played with the
Texas Legends during the 2013–14 season.
Draft
The NBA G League Draft occurs each season and is the major source from which teams build their rosters. Team rosters are made up of returning players (players who were on the team during the previous season), players waived by an NBA team who are designated as an ''
affiliate player'' to their respective G League affiliate, allocated players (players who have local significance), and drafted players. The 8 round draft utilizes a
serpentine format, meaning the order alternates in each round; Team A who selected first in Round 1 will select last in Round 2, while Team B who selected last in Round 1 will get the first pick in Round 2. Round 3 was added in 2014,
The league holds an annual Player Invitational, where prospects hope to earn eligibility for the upcoming draft.
Draft rights player rule
Since 2014–15, an NBA team that declines to sign an NBA draft pick can have them sign directly with their G League affiliate. Previously, an unsigned NBA pick could not be protected by the organization's G League affiliate, and the player might have ended up on the G League team of another organization.
Affiliate players
Players waived by an NBA team during training camp and up until the start of the regular season can be designated as ''affiliate players'' and allocated to the NBA team's G League affiliate. Each team is allowed four affiliate players. These are players that an NBA team is interested in developing in their own system. The affiliate players, however, still remain as free agents that any NBA team can sign.
Assignment
Standard assignment
Each NBA team can assign two first-year or second-year players who are under a standard NBA contract to its affiliated G League team. If more than two NBA players are assigned to a team, the team must reduce the number of G League players to keep the total roster size to 12. An NBA player will continue to be paid his NBA salary and will continue to be included on his NBA team's roster on the
inactive list
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in the ...
while playing in the G League.
NBA teams can call up players as many times as they choose, and there is no limit to the number of times an NBA player with three years or less experience can be assigned to the G League. Starting in 2011–12, veteran NBA players could be assigned with their consent. The first example of such was with
Yi Jianlian
Yi Jianlian ( ; born October 27, 1987) is a Chinese professional basketball player for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He has also played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Milwauk ...
, who the
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
assigned to the
Texas Legends for two games.
Two-way contract
The 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement for the NBA, which took effect with the 2017–18 season, included changes allowing each NBA team to sign two players on
two-way contracts. Those players spend most of their time on the team's G League roster, but can freely move to their respective NBA team for up to 45 days in the regular season, as well as be a part of the team's roster before the start of the season (including NBA training camps) and after the conclusion of the G League's regular season (though they are not allowed to be on a team's playoff roster or play in a playoff game). Only players with four or less years of NBA experience are eligible for two-way contracts.
Unlike other G League players, who can be called up by any NBA team, two-way players can only be called up by their contracted NBA team. Players under two-way contracts are not counted against the NBA team's regular roster limit, and can be assigned to a G League affiliate for development while also getting a larger salary whenever they are called up to the parent team. For teams that do not have a one-to-one affiliation with a G League team, a process similar to the "flexible assignment" rule is being used to determine the placement for their own two-way contracts in the G League until every team has their proper affiliation underway.
In addition, salaries for two-way players are much higher than those for regular G League players. As of the 2017–18 season, G League players who are not on two-way contracts earn either $19,500 or $26,000 during the league's season.
By contrast, two-way players' salaries while in the G League, which are pro-rated according to the number of days the player is with his G League team, are based on an annual salary between $50,000 and $75,000, and while these players are with their NBA team, they will earn a pro-rated portion of the NBA minimum rookie salary (which was $815,615 in the 2017–18 season).
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, two-way players in 2020–21 were initially allowed to play up to 50 games in the NBA. Late in the season, restrictions were further lifted, allowing them to play more than 50 games as well as being eligible for the NBA playoffs.
Successful NBA call-ups
Many former NBA draftees, waived players and
undrafted players have played in the NBA D-League.
Bobby Simmons
Bobby Simmons (born June 2, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player. In his career he played for five NBA teams. He won the NBA Most Improved Player Award in 2005.
College career
After graduating from Chicago's Neal F. Sime ...
,
Aaron Brooks, and
Pascal Siakam
Pascal Siakam (born 2 April 1994) is a Cameroonian professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Siakam played college basketball for the New Mexico State Aggies and was named the Western At ...
are the only former D-League players to win an NBA end-of-season award; all won the
Most Improved Player Award with Simmons getting it with the
Los Angeles Clippers in
2004–05, Brooks earning it with the
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
in
2009–10 and Siakam receiving it with the Toronto Raptors in the 2018-19 NBA season.
Khris Middleton became the first former D-League player to be named an NBA All-Star when he was selected to participate in the
2019 All-Star Game.
In the
2008 NBA draft, the
Idaho Stampede's
Mike Taylor was drafted 55th by the
Portland Trail Blazers. He became the first player from the NBA D-League to be drafted by an NBA team. He was subsequently traded and signed a rookie contract with the
Los Angeles Clippers. In the
2014 draft, two D-League players were selected for the first time:
P. J. Hairston
Samuel Peterson "P. J." Hairston Jr. (born December 24, 1992) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina. He finished his soph ...
was drafted 26th (which was also the first time a D–League player was drafted in the first round in the NBA) and
Thanasis Antetokounmpo
Athanasios Rotimi "Thanasis" Antetokounmpo, (born Adetokunbo; July 18, 1992) is a Greek-Nigerian professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at 6 feet and 7 inches, he plays the ...
was the 51st pick.
Other noteworthy D-League call-ups include 2019 NBA Champion
Jeremy Lin
Jeremy Shu-How Lin (born August 23, 1988) is a Taiwanese-American professional basketball player who last played for the Guangzhou Loong Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He unexpectedly led a winning turnaround with the Ne ...
;
Hassan Whiteside; 2011 NBA champion
J. J. Barea
José Juan Barea Mora (born June 26, 1984) is a Puerto Rican former professional basketball player and coach. He played college basketball for Northeastern University before joining the Mavericks in 2006 and becoming only the seventh Puerto Ric ...
; 2014, 2019 and 2020 NBA champion
Danny Green; 2015, 2017 and 2018 NBA champion
Shaun Livingston
Shaun Patrick Livingston (born September 11, 1985) is an American professional basketball executive and former player. Livingston entered the league directly out of high school and was selected fourth by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2004 NBA dr ...
; and 2017 NBA champion
Matt Barnes
Matt Barnes (born March 9, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Barnes was drafted in the second round of the 2002 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. He ...
.
Annual events
All-Star Game
The league held its first All-Star game February 17, 2007, at the
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
,
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
. It was part of the
NBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas. As with the NBA's showcase game, a fan vote determined the starting lineup for each team. The East won, 114 to 100, with
Pops Mensah-Bonsu
Nana Papa Yaw "Pops" Mensah-Bonsu (born 7 September 1983) is a British basketball executive and former player. He played college basketball for George Washington University and professionally for five NBA teams as well as clubs in Spain, France, ...
named the game's MVP.
The
second annual All-Star game was held on February 16, 2008, at the
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is located in Downtown New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. The lower end of building one is located upriver from Canal Street, New Orleans, Canal Street on the banks of the Mississippi River. It is name ...
in
. The Blue team beat the Red team, 117–99, and
Jeremy Richardson
Jeremy Terrell Richardson (born March 1, 1984) is an American professional basketball player. He is a 6'7", 210 lb. swingman and he has played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers, Memph ...
was named the MVP. In addition to the NBA D-League All-Star Game, the league debuted its
first Dream Factory Friday Night events, which modeled after the NBA All-Star Saturday Night events. The events consists of Three-Point Shootout (won by
Adam Harrington), Slam Dunk Contest (won by
Brent Petway
Brenton LaJames "Brent" Petway (born May 12, 1985) is an American esports player of Panathinaikos eSports and a retired professional basketball player. Because of his leaping and dunking ability, he has been given the nickname "Air Georgia". Thi ...
) and game of
H-O-R-S-E
Variations of basketball are games or activities based on, or similar in origin to, the game of basketball, in which the player utilizes common basketball skills. Some are essentially identical to basketball, with only minor rules changes, while ...
(won by
Lance Allred
A lance is a spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior or cavalry soldier (lancer). In ancient and medieval warfare, it evolved into the leading weapon in cavalry charges, and was unsuited for throwing or for repeated thrusting, unlike sim ...
).
The
2009 D-League All-Star game was held on February 14, 2009, at the
Phoenix Convention Center in
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
. The Red Team defeated the Blue Team, 113–103, and
Blake Ahearn
Blake Ahearn (born May 27, 1984) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Missouri State.
Hig ...
and
Courtney Sims
Courtney Sims (born October 21, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. He is a 6'11" (211 cm) tall center.
Early career
Sims played his college ball at the University of Michigan, graduating in 2007, and previously atten ...
were named co-MVPs. Along with the All-Star game, the NBA D-League ran their
second annual Dream Factory Friday Night events. H-O-R-S-E was won by
Will Conroy
William James Conroy (born December 8, 1982) is an American professional basketball player and coach.
Amateur career
Conroy attended and played competitively at Garfield High School in Seattle, and played college basketball at the University of ...
of the
Albuquerque Thunderbirds. The Three-Point Shootout was won by
Blake Ahearn
Blake Ahearn (born May 27, 1984) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Missouri State.
Hig ...
of the
Dakota Wizards, and the Slam Dunk Contest was won by
James White of the
Bakersfield Jam.
The
2010 D-League All-Star game was held on February 13, 2010, at the
Dallas Convention Center
The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center (KBHCCD) (formerly Dallas Convention Center) is a convention center in the Convention Center District of downtown Dallas, Texas.
The "Dallas Memorial Auditorium" was a standalone multipurpose arena, de ...
in
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
. The Western Conference team defeated the Eastern Conference Team, 98–81.
Bakersfield Jam center
Brian Butch
Brian Butch (born December 22, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. He is currently working as a radio color commentator for the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA G League. He was a center on the 2003 McDonald's All-American baske ...
, who scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, was named as the MVP of the game. The NBA D-League also ran their
third annual Dream Factory Friday Night events. The inaugural Shooting Stars Competition was won by a team of
Pat Carroll
Patricia Ann Carroll (May 5, 1927 – July 30, 2022) was an American actress and comedian. She was known for voicing Ursula in ''The Little Mermaid'' and for appearances in CBS's ''The Danny Thomas Show'', ABC's ''Laverne & Shirley'', and NBC' ...
,
Trey Gilder
George "Trey" Gilder III (born January 24, 1985) is an American professional basketball player for Indios de Mayagüez of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played college basketball for McNeese State, Tyler Junior College and Northwester ...
and
Carlos Powell
Ricardo Auturo "Carlos" Powell (born August 29, 1983) is an American basketball player, who last played for Trotamundos de Carabobo of the Liga Profesional de Baloncesto in Venezuela.
He is notable for receiving the NIT Most Valuable Player awar ...
. The Three-Point Shootout was won by
Andre Ingram
Andre Ingram (born November 19, 1985) is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for American Eagles men's basketball, American University, where he finished his four-year career as the school's fifth all-time lead ...
of the
Utah Flash Orem, Utah
Orem
Orem, Utah
Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the northern part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is approximately south of Salt Lake City.
Orem is one of the principal ...
, and the Slam Dunk Contest was won by
Dar Tucker
Darquavis Lamar "Dar" Tucker (born April 11, 1988) is an American-Jordanian professional basketball player. He played college basketball at DePaul University.
High school
Tucker attended Arthur Hill High School, in Saginaw, Michigan, where he pl ...
of the
Los Angeles D-Fenders
LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to:
Science and technology
* Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation
* Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers
* Level of significance, a measure of statistical significance ...
.
The game continued until 2017, with games continuing to be held during
NBA All-Star Weekend at the same site. In 2018, it was replaced by a game between G League all-stars and the
Mexico national team held in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. After that, this contest did not return in any form.
NBA G League Showcase
The league stages an annual NBA G League Showcase in which all of the league's teams play each other in a "carnival" format. The showcase was first played in 2005 was originally intended solely as a scouting event for NBA general managers and scouts, but evolved into a four-day event in which each team plays two games apiece. From 2005 to 2017, 15 players were called-up or recalled during or immediately following the Showcase.
As of 2019, the event's location was the
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of ...
. Because of limited space at the conference center site, all games are played
without spectators, although TV and Internet coverage is available for all games. The 2019 showcase was a series of mini-tournaments in which the winning team shared a $100,000 grand prize.
Before Las Vegas, host cities were
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it ...
(2005),
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville () is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a major U.S. Army installation northwest of the city.
Fayetteville has received the All-America C ...
(2006),
Sioux Falls, South Dakota (2007),
Boise, Idaho (2008),
Orem, Utah
Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the northern part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is approximately south of Salt Lake City.
Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah Me ...
(2009),
Boise, Idaho (2010),
South Padre Island, Texas (2011),
Reno, Nevada
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...
in 2012 and 2013,
Santa Cruz, California in 2015, and
Mississauga, Ontario
Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...
in 2017 and 2018. It was not held in 2016.
NBA G League International Challenge
Honors
List of champions
Awards
*
Most Valuable Player
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
*
Finals MVP
*
All-Star Game MVP
*
Defensive Player of the Year Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY or DPOTY) is the name of an award given in sports for outstanding defensive play by a single player over the course of a season. Many sports leagues award this type of award. League awards for Defensive Player o ...
*
Impact Player of the Year
*
Most Improved Player
*
Rookie of the Year
*
Coach of the Year Many sports leagues, sportswriting associations, and other organizations confer "Coach of the Year" awards. In some sports — including baseball and association football — the award is called the "Manager of the Year" award.
Some of the ...
*
Sportsmanship Award
*
Team Executive of the Year
*
Basketball Executive of the Year
*
All-G League Team
*
All-Defensive Team
*
All-Rookie Team
*
Development Champion
See also
*
List of developmental and minor sports leagues
This is a list of developmental and minor sports leagues, two concepts which are largely restricted to North American sports. Note that this does not include teams in leagues that include promotion and relegation.
North America
Baseball
* Minor ...
*
List of NBA G League yearly standings These are regular season standings and playoff results for the NBA G League. The NBA G League is the official minor league basketball organization owned and run by the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league was formed in 2001 as the Natio ...
*
List of NBA G League champions
__NOTOC__
The NBA G League (previously known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005 and the National Basketball Association Development League (NBA D-League) from 2005 to 2017) Finals is the championship game or ser ...
*
References
External links
*
D-League – Basketball-Reference.com
{{Men's professional basketball leagues
Basketball leagues in Canada
Basketball leagues in Mexico
Basketball leagues in the United States
Sports leagues established in 2001
2001 establishments in the United States
Professional sports leagues in the United States
Professional sports leagues in Canada
Professional sports leagues in Mexico
Multi-national professional sports leagues