The Trail Blazers will start operating a G League affiliate next season, the team announced in a press release. The new team will play home games at the University of Portland and will practice at the Blazers’ facility.
The team name and other information such as the front office and coaching staff will be revealed at a later date, the Blazers added.
“I’m excited to welcome Jody Allen and the Trail Blazers ownership group to the NBA G League family,” said G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim. “The NBA G League continues to grow to meet the developmental demands of NBA teams, and today’s announcement is further proof of the value the league provides to the NBA every day. I can’t wait to watch the team tip off at the Chiles Center next season.”
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski notes that it usually takes 18 to 24 months to launch a G League franchise, but the Blazers are determined to have a team in place when the 2023/24 season begins this fall. Allen wants the organization to place a priority on player development, with Portland holding two first-round picks and a second-rounder in this year’s draft.
Wojnarowski adds that having their own affiliate will streamline the process when the Blazers send players to the G League. Currently, their players end up with teams run by rival organizations, such as the Kings and Clippers.
The move will leave the Suns, who sold their G League affiliate to the Pistons in 2020, as the only NBA team without a minor league operation. New owner Mat Ishbia is working to change that and hopes to add a G League team soon, sources tell Wojnarowski.
If Phoenix were to establish an expansion NBAGL affiliate, the league would have 32 teams — 30 affiliated with NBA franchises, plus the G League Ignite and Mexico City Capitanes.
Omg finally. Just tell the Suns to get one now. I guarantee Ishbia would be the type of owner to start a new G-League team.
University of Portland???
Talk about a diamond in a poop-pile
Nobody wants to go to that part of town, or any other parts of Portland, but this is a really poor choice of venue for how popular the G-league will be in such a relatively large city.
This venue is such a bad idea, I’m stunned, and plan on the team not lasting very long.
Nobody wants to go see a $10-20 game, and have $$$ thousands in damage or theft of their car in the process.
And sit on plastic bleachers that are shy of big city high school gymnasiums. And the place has a smell to it thats funky.
This is the worst idea I have ever heard of unless millions are being spent to completely renovate, adding parking facilities, and hire full time event security.
At a college campus? Pretty bad idea so far in my opinion.
Worst idea you’ve ever heard of?
Blazers r already a g league team lol n they ain’t evem winning that title
Portland has a title. Its been a while, but Portland was good for almost 40 years.
The last 15 have been rough, but there are franchises with 0 titles, so Portland isn’t that bad