Although their teams never get as much attention as those in the NBA, the G League is a great place to find untapped talent and see certain players who might be stars in the future.
Nearly every team in the NBA has a G League affiliate.
On Wednesday, it was announced that the Portland Trail Blazers will begin operating a G League franchise in the 2023-24 season.
That means that only the Phoenix Suns will be without their own minor league team.
ESPN Sources: The Portland Trail Blazers will begin operating a G League franchise with the 2023-2024 season – leaving only the Phoenix Suns without a minor-league affiliate team: https://t.co/o01SoTfMaY
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 26, 2023
As noted by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, G League teams usually take about 18 to 24 months to be put together but the owner of the Blazers wants to make that happen much faster.
You can’t blame him for doing so.
G League teams often become a well that NBA franchises can dip into, bringing younger, untested players to the big stage, sometimes for the long term.
Via two-way contracts, there are numerous G League players who bounce between the NBA and their regular teams throughout the season.
If G League affiliates can be so successful, why don’t the Suns have one?
They did: they sold their G League team to the Detroit Pistons back in 2020 and are actively trying to build a new one, according to ESPN.
That means that soon every team within the Association may have its own affiliate and more chances for success.
The Blazers will introduce their new G League team next season – will the Suns follow shortly thereafter?
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