As we relayed this afternoon, the Pistons plan to relocate their G League affiliate to Detroit after the Wayne State University Board of Governors approved a plan to build a new $25MM athletic facility with a 3,000-seat arena for its basketball teams.
But, according to James Hawkins of The Detroit News, it appears as though the Pistons are going to need to a new affiliate, as the Grand Rapids Drive, the Pistons’ current NBAGL affiliate, have no plans to leave Grand Rapids.
“We are deeply committed to our fans and love being part of the sports landscape in the community that we’ve called home since 2014,” per an official statement from the Drive. “This team has been community-built and supported for five seasons, and we are looking forward to continuing the growth of the franchise here in West Michigan.”
“We have no plans on relocating to Detroit but continue to have great communication and a positive relationship with the Pistons organization,” the statement continued. “We are solely focused on our sixth season this upcoming fall, in partnership with the Detroit Pistons and the NBA.”
The Pistons currently have an agreement with the Drive for a NBA/G League affiliation that runs through the 2020/21 season, and any change in affiliation would require approval from the NBA. For what it’s worth, Pistons vice chairman Arn Tellem says it is still unclear whether the Drive or an expansion franchise will be joining the Pistons in Detroit.
“We’re (Pistons and Drive) in discussions right now and I don’t know,” Tellem said. “We have a commitment that we can get an expansion team, and it may be an expansion team. We’ll see how our discussions are resolved as we talk with the NBA and the Grand Rapids team… All we know is we’re going to be bringing a team here for the 2021 season and we’re in discussions now. I’m not sure what team it will be. All I know is there will be a team here.”
There’s a surprising amount of peole living in towns near Grand Rapids. It’s like Davenport, etc. A Grand Rapids team will likely sell more tickets than a Detroit-located team with all the competition for attention. Pistons just want a shorter drive for moving players around.
Yes, there is a convenience factor of having a minor league team in the same city, but it is a horrible idea for the G League. A big part of setting up a minor league system in baseball way back when was developing a fan base outside the big cities. Of course with all the technology around today, it’s not quite the same world as in the early 1900s. However, the concept remains sound. Fans in smaller cities like Grand Rapids deserve a chance to see live basketball without driving for 2+ hours. Not only that, but fans become a lot more fervent when they feel like they know a team. A team like the Pistons that are located in a team with a declining population should want to expand their fan base beyond the city limits of Detroit.
I think the biggest fix for this problem would be a mandatory amount of games required for a player on call ups and send downs. Players should not be shuffled back and forth nearly as much as they are. Have you looked at the transactions log on Basketball Reference for a lot of recent late 1st/2nd round picks? They are unreadable with the 20+ notices of being called up and sent down per season.
I would like to see transaction logs cleaned up of these calldowns & callups. i don’t see the point to all that documentation.
Whether good or bad, the NBA seems to be embracing an increasingly varsity/junior-varsity model more than the baseball model. At least there is precedence for that at the HS level and it works there.
They should just go all in and put two games on the ticket at the NBA venue. It adds value and will get better participation from veterans rehabbing something. They’re not going to be willing to go to the Wayne State gym any more than Grand Rapids.