The system of partnerships between NBA and D-League teams will take on a new look this year, with 17 of the D-League’s 18 clubs in one-to-one setups with their NBA parents. For the 13 NBA teams without a direct affiliate, new rules will help them accommodate the players they wish to send on D-League assignment this season, the league announced.
The Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the only D-League team that’s not in a one-to-one partnership, serve as the affiliate for those 13 NBA teams. They’re allowed to carry a maximum of four NBA players on D-League assignment and two at any one position. Should the Mad Ants be unable to accommodate a player on assignment from one of their 13 NBA partners, the D-League will allow the NBA team to pick from a pool of other D-League clubs that volunteer to accept the player. If no D-League teams volunteer, the D-League will hold a lottery to determine the player’s destination.
It appears to be a complex system that could slow the process of sending a player on assignment and make it especially difficult for any NBA team without a one-to-one affiliate to liberally shuttle players back and forth. Still, there’s a wide dichotomy in the use of the D-League, as some NBA teams pull players back and forth multiple times each week while others go entire seasons without sending anyone down.
As we wait to see how the revamped system works out, here’s each NBA team and its affiliate for the coming season. Teams without a one-to-one affiliation are marked with an asterisk.
- *Atlanta Hawks — Fort Wayne Mad Ants
- Boston Celtics — Maine Red Claws
- *Brooklyn Nets — Fort Wayne Mad Ants
- *Charlotte Hornets — Fort Wayne Mad Ants
- *Chicago Bulls — Fort Wayne Mad Ants
- Cleveland Cavaliers — Canton Charge
- Dallas Mavericks — Texas Legends
- *Denver Nuggets — Fort Wayne Mad Ants
- Detroit Pistons — Grand Rapids Drive
- Golden State Warriors — Santa Cruz Warriors
- Houston Rockets — Rio Grande Valley Vipers
- *Indiana Pacers — Fort Wayne Mad Ants
- *Los Angeles Clippers — Fort Wayne Mad Ants
- Los Angeles Lakers — Los Angeles D-Fenders
- Memphis Grizzlies — Iowa Energy
- Miami Heat — Sioux Falls Skyforce
- *Milwaukee Bucks — Fort Wayne Mad Ants
- *Minnesota Timberwolves — Fort Wayne Mad Ants
- *New Orleans Pelicans — Fort Wayne Mad Ants
- New York Knicks — Westchester Knicks
- Oklahoma City Thunder — Oklahoma City (nickname TBA; former Tulsa 66ers moved to Oklahoma City)
- Orlando Magic — Erie BayHawks
- Philadelphia 76ers — Delaware 76ers
- Phoenix Suns — Bakersfield Jam
- *Portland Trail Blazers — Fort Wayne Mad Ants
- Sacramento Kings — Reno Bighorns
- San Antonio Spurs — Austin Spurs
- *Toronto Raptors — Fort Wayne Mad Ants
- Utah Jazz — Idaho Stampede
- *Washington Wizards — Fort Wayne Mad Ants