Throughout the offseason and preseason, NBA teams are permitted to carry 21 players, but that number must be reduced to 15 (plus three two-way players) in advance of opening night. However, up to four players waived by teams prior to the season can be designated as “affiliate players” and assigned to their G League squads.
As we explain in more detail in our glossary entry on the subject, if a player’s NBA team has designated him as an affiliate player and he signs a G League contract, he is automatically assigned to that team’s NBAGL roster.
Of the G League’s 31 teams, 29 are directly affiliated with an NBA club. Only the Mexico City Capitanes and G League Ignite are unaffiliated, while the Suns are the lone NBA franchise that doesn’t control a G League team.
Here are the affiliate players for those 29 squads to open the 2023/24 season, which tips off on Friday:
Austin Spurs (Spurs)
Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans)
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards)
Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers)
College Park Skyhawks (Hawks)
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers)
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets)
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets)
Indiana Mad Ants (Pacers)
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves)
Long Island Nets (Nets)
Maine Celtics (Celtics)
Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies)
Motor City Cruise (Pistons)
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder)
Ontario Clippers (Clippers)
Osceola Magic (Magic)
Raptors 905 (Raptors)
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets)
Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers)
- George Conditt
- Antoine Davis
- Malachi Smith
- Note: The Remix also made Kevin Knox an affiliate player, but he was signed by the Pistons before the NBAGL season began. If Knox is waived by Detroit and returns to the G League, the Remix would regain his rights.
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz)
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors)
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat)
South Bay Lakers (Lakers)
Stockton Kings (Kings)
Texas Legends (Mavericks)
Westchester Knicks (Knicks)
Windy City Bulls (Bulls)
Wisconsin Herd (Bucks)
In addition to these “affiliate players,” G League teams have the ability to fill out their rosters with the following types of players:
- Returning rights: Players whose G League rights were already held by the team from a previous season (or were acquired in a trade from another NBAGL team).
- G League draft rights: Players who were selected in this season’s G League draft.
- NBA draft rights: Players who were drafted by an NBA team and signed a G League contract instead of an NBA contract.
- Local tryout: Players who earned a shot via a local tryout.
- G League player pool: Players who signed G League contracts and went undrafted (or signed their contracts after the draft). Newly signed players go through a waiver process and enter the league’s free agent pool if they go unclaimed.
- Two-way contract: Players who are on a two-way contract with an NBA team and have been transferred to the G League.
- NBA assignment: Players who are on a standard contract with an NBA team and have been assigned to the G League.
Bucks, GS, OKC, pacers and pelicans have some nice guys