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NBA G League Affiliations For 2020/21 Season

February 1st, 2021 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

In recent years, the NBA has gradually moved closer to establishing a 30-team G League, with each NBAGL club directly affiliated with an NBA franchise. During the 2019/20 season, 28 of the NBA’s 30 teams had their own affiliates — the Trail Blazers and Nuggets represented the only outliers.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic and a handful of other factors, that march toward a G League full of 30 NBA affiliates has taken a detour in 2020/21.

The G League has introduced one franchise, the G League Ignite, that’s not affiliated with any NBA team, with another unaffiliated squad on the way for 2021/22, when the Capitanes de Ciudad de Mexico are expected to enter the fray.

Meanwhile, the Pistons purchased the Suns‘ G League affiliate and will relocate the team to Detroit in ’21/22, leaving Phoenix without an affiliate of its own. However, neither the Pistons nor the Suns will have an NBAGL squad in action in ’20/21 anyway, since the revamped G League season at Walt Disney World will only include 17 of 28 affiliates.

Here’s the full list of the G League affiliates who will be participating in the 2020/21 season:

Brooklyn Nets: Long Island Nets
Charlotte Hornets: Greensboro Swarm
Cleveland Cavaliers: Canton Charge
Golden State Warriors: Santa Cruz Warriors
Houston Rockets: Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Indiana Pacers: Fort Wayne Mad Ants
Los Angeles Clippers: Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario
Memphis Grizzlies: Memphis Hustle
Minnesota Timberwolves: Iowa Wolves
New Orleans Pelicans: Erie BayHawks
- Note: The Washington Wizards will be sharing the costs and operations of the BayHawks this season.
New York Knicks: Westchester Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder: Oklahoma City Blue
Orlando Magic: Lakeland Magic
Philadelphia 76ers: Delaware Blue Coats
San Antonio Spurs: Austin Spurs
Toronto Raptors: Raptors 905
Utah Jazz: Salt Lake City Stars

This group of teams will be joined by the unaffiliated Ignite, whose roster is made up partly of NBA prospects who chose to play in the NBAGL (rather than attend college) before entering the draft, and partly of G League veterans who will serve as mentors to those young prospects.

Here’s the full list of G League franchises that won’t be in action this season:

Atlanta Hawks: College Park Skyhawks
Boston Celtics: Maine Red Claws
Chicago Bulls: Windy City Bulls
Dallas Mavericks: Texas Legends
Detroit Pistons: Grand Rapids Drive
Los Angeles Lakers: South Bay Lakers
Miami Heat: Sioux Falls Skyforce
Milwaukee Bucks: Wisconsin Herd
Phoenix Suns: Northern Arizona Suns
Sacramento Kings: Stockton Kings
Washington Wizards: Capital City Go-Go

This would have been the last season that Grand Rapids was the Pistons’ affiliate and Northern Arizona was affiliated with the Suns. The Northern Arizona franchise will be relocated for 2021/22 and will become the Motor City Cruise, the new affiliate for the Pistons.

The Grand Rapids franchise reportedly hopes to remain in the G League as an unaffiliated team. Theoretically, an NBA club without an affiliate could enter into an agreement with the Drive, but the location wouldn’t be very geographically convenient for the Suns, Trail Blazers, or Nuggets.

Additionally, the plan is for Mexico City’s Capitanes to enter the G League in 2021/22, with the Erie BayHawks (the Pelicans’ affiliate) relocating to Birmingham, Alabama for the 2022/23 season.

If the Suns, Trail Blazers, and Nuggets look to establish affiliates in the coming years, we could eventually see a G League that features upwards of 32 teams. For this season though, barely over half that number will be in action when the NBAGL regular season schedule tips off on February 10 at Disney World.

And-Ones: Graham, Green, James, Free Agents

January 31st, 2021 at 8:56pm CST by JD Shaw

Free agent guard Treveon Graham has committed to play with Team USA in this year’s AmeriCup qualifying tournament, according to a report from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

The tournament is scheduled to be held from Feb. 19-20 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Graham is the fifth reported player to commit thus far, joining Joe Johnson, Isaiah Thomas, Dakota Mathias and Josh Boone.

Other former NBA players could join the team in the coming days, as the tournament is being held in the midst of the G League season. Graham, 27, has made past stops with the Hornets, Nets, Timberwolves and Hawks since going undrafted in 2015.

Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Ethan Strauss of The Athletic examines the G League dream of Jalen Green, who’s currently preparing to play with the Ignite in the G League bubble next month. Green, 18, is a high-level prospect for the 2021 NBA Draft. “It’s different,” said Green, who opted to join the Ignite instead of attending college last year. “It’s a different path from what others are used to. We’re learning overall NBA terms. We’re getting stronger, faster. We’re getting ahead of the game, so, I think overall it’s been a great experience.”
Veteran guard Mike James will stay with CSKA Moscow, according to Lithuanian basketball journalist Donatas Urbonas (Twitter link). James was suspended by the team due to an incident with his participation on Jan. 22, prompting him to release a statement on social media. He holds NBA experience with the Suns and Pelicans.
Danny Leroux of The Athletic examines the supply and demand of free agency, along with the potential domino effect for the class of 2021. Several players — such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul George and Rudy Gobert — opted to sign extensions with their teams last year, choosing not to reach free agency this summer.

Kings Notes: Bagley, Walton, Robinson, G League

January 30th, 2021 at 7:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Kings are encouraged by Marvin Bagley III‘s performance through the first quarter of the season, but mostly they’re happy he has been able to avoid injuries, writes James Ham of NBC Sports. Bagley has appeared in all 18 of Sacramento’s games so far after being limited to 13 last year by a variety of mishaps.

“Just being able to be there for my team — available, that’s something that I wanted to do and I did everything in the offseason to make sure I was ready for that,” Bagley said. “I’m feeling good.”

There has been a cloud hanging over Bagley’s career, not only due to injuries but because of the Kings’ decision to draft him ahead of Luka Doncic and Trae Young, who have already been to All-Star games. Sacramento hopes better health will lead Bagley on a similar course.

“We have to be patient,” coach Luke Walton said. “He hasn’t had the experience he needs. He’s still a very young player. He’s a very willing learner. He’s a very talented player and it just takes time.”

There’s more from Sacramento:

Walton probably won’t have to worry about his job for a while, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. New general manager Monte McNair is still assembling his long-term roster, and Anderson thinks McNair will want to see what Walton can do with that group before making a decision on his coach. Anderson points out that the Kings have been through 10 head coaches in the past 15 years.
Glenn Robinson III is one of several NBA players with a father who played in the league, notes Alex Kramers of NBA.com. The swingman, who’s in his first year with the Kings, said he has learned to rely on that connection. “Throughout the years and as I’ve gotten older, I’ve appreciated my dad more and more,” Robinson said. “Obviously, we both have the same career, and I’m able to call him and get advice, on and off the court. That’s something that I can never replace. I’m forever grateful for that.”
Sacramento has assigned two players to the G League bubble, Anderson writes in a separate story. Because the Kings’ affiliate isn’t participating, they sent Jahmi’us Ramsey to play for the Clippers’ team (Agua Caliente) and Robert Woodard to the Spurs’ squad (Austin). Both are rookies who were selected in the second round of November’s draft.

Dennis Smith Jr. Asks To Play In G League

January 30th, 2021 at 3:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Buried on the Knicks’ bench, guard Dennis Smith Jr. has asked the front office to send him to the G League in order to receive playing time, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reports.

It’s a highly unusual request for a former lottery pick but Smith hasn’t played in the past nine games. Smith, who also battled a thigh injury this season, has only appeared in three games.

Smith came to New York two years ago as part of Kristaps Porzingis deal with Dallas. He was viewed back then as a potential long-term solution at point guard but he soon fell out of favor. Smith averaged 15.2 PPG and 5.2 APG in his rookie year with the Mavs.

Last season, he appeared in just 34 games, averaging 5.5 PPG and 2.9 APG with New York.

Smith is due to become an unrestricted free agent unless the team extends a $7MM+ qualifying offer, a highly unlikely scenario.

The Westchester Knicks are one of the 18 teams participating in the G League season in Orlando. Myles Powell, Jared Harper and Theo Pinson are among the notables on the Westchester roster.

Raptors Notes: Watanabe, Johnson, McCaw, Harris, 3-Point Shots

January 29th, 2021 at 6:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Yuta Watanabe and Stanley Johnson have emerged as key bench contributors for the Raptors, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star notes. “I think both (Watanabe) and Stanley have been doing a good job … when they check in to get our offense into another gear,” coach Nick Nurse said. Both players are trying to solidify the futures in the league. Johnson is headed to unrestricted free agency, while Watanabe is on a two-way deal.

We have more on the Raptors:

Patrick McCaw is showing some progress from his knee injury that has kept him out this season, Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets. McCaw participated in the non-contact portion of practice on Thursday. OG Anunoby (calf) and Norman Powell (quad) both missed Friday’s game against Sacramento.
Rookie guard Jalen Harris is joining Raptors 905 at the G League bubble in Orlando, Murphy adds in another tweet. The second-round pick from Nevada has appeared in two NBA games.
Toronto is on pace to take the second-most 3-pointers in league history and that may explain why the team is shooting fewer free throws, Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star notes. The Raptors were averaging 43.2 3-point attempts a game heading into Friday’s action but taking just 20.2 foul shots. The over-reliance on 3-point shots may help explain forward Pascal Siakam‘s slow start, Feschuk adds.

And-Ones: Evans, Spellman, Buyouts, Lauvergne, Mathias

January 28th, 2021 at 10:09pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pelicans’ NBAGL affiliate, the Erie BayHawks, has acquired guard Jacob Evans and forward Omari Spellman to replace Jordan Bell, who was recently called up to the Wizards on a 10-day deal, and Rawle Alkins, whom the BayHawks waived, per Michael Somrak of GLeague.com.

Evans and Spellman will join the BayHawks for the G League’s 2021 season in an Orlando “bubble” campus environment. Evans has logged parts of the last two seasons with the Warriors and Timberwolves. Spellman has played for the Warriors and the Hawks across his two years of NBA action.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Zach Harper of The Athletic takes an early gander at buyout possibilities around the NBA, two months before most buyouts transpire. Harper expects contenders like the Nets, Lakers, Clippers, Sixers and Bucks to be aggressive in seeking to build out their contending rosters. Harper anticipates the list of available names to potentially include veterans like Cavaliers center Andre Drummond, Pistons point guard Derrick Rose, Hornets center Cody Zeller, Cavs center JaVale McGee, and Bulls forward Otto Porter.
Former NBA big man Joffrey Lauvergne has inked a two-year extension with Lithuanian EuroLeague club Žalgiris, the team announced on its site. The deal, which includes a guaranteed season and an option, will keep him under contract through the 2022/23 season. Lauvergne is averaging 11.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 1.5 APG with Žalgiris. The 6″11″ center/power forward enjoyed NBA stints with the Nuggets, Thunder, Bulls and Spurs, averaging 5.6 PPG (on 47.9% shooting from the floor), 3.8 RPG, and 0.9 APG across 208 total NBA contests.
Ex-Sixers shooting guard Dakota Mathias is set to join the Team USA roster for the AmeriCup qualifying tournament for two games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on February 19 and 20, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Fellow NBA alumni Isaiah Thomas and Joe Johnson will also represent USA Basketball. By benefit of a 4-0 record across prior qualifying contests, Team USA has technically already qualified for the 2022 AmeriCup tournament.

Southeast Notes: Butler, Dunn, Richards, Hawks

January 28th, 2021 at 6:28pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Heat All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler will remain out of commission for tonight’s contest against the Clippers, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets. The 31-year-old forward has been out since January 9 due to the league’s coronavirus protocols. He has been doing conditioning work this week, though there is no timetable for him to return to the court, according to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press (Twitter link).

After a stellar postseason run that resulted in an all-time 2020 NBA Finals performance, Butler has appeared in just six games for the Heat this season. Miami has struggled in his absence, going 3-8 without him. The Heat will also be without several other rotation players tonight, including Goran Dragic, Avery Bradley, Andre Iguodala, Maurice Harkless, Meyers Leonard and Chris Silva, per Reynolds (Twitter link).

There’s more from around the Southeast:

As he recovers from a December 29 right ankle surgery, Hawks reserve wing Kris Dunn will miss at least two more weeks before being re-assessed, according to press release from the team. The Hawks indicated that Dunn has been able to partake in individual on-court practice activities.
The Hornets have recalled rookie Nick Richards from the NBA G League’s Orlando “bubble” campus, per Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Richards was added back to the club so that Charlotte could have 12 active players, the required threshold unless a team is limited by injuries or COVID-19 protocols. After sending five players to suit up for their NBAGL squad, the Greensboro Swarm, yesterday, the Hornets were left with just 11 available players. Bonnell anticipates that Richards return to the “bubble” at some point this season (Twitter link).
Although the Hawks made a splash with several big-money veteran free agent signings during the offseason, it is the 9-9 club’s incumbent youngsters that have had the biggest impact so far this season, as Chris Kirschner of The Athletic details. Second-year swingmen De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish, both 2019 lottery selections, have made impressive strides as scorers, while big man John Collins has vastly improved on defense. “We feel like we can be in the mix with some of these top teams,” third-year All-Star point guard Trae Young said. “For us, we’re just going to go out there and believe we should win each and every game, which we should.”

Southwest Notes: Bledsoe, Kleber, White, Samanic

January 27th, 2021 at 10:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

After a report Tuesday that the Pelicans are getting trade calls about guards Lonzo Ball and J.J. Redick, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst adds another name to the list. Appearing on “The Jump” today (video link), Windhorst said Eric Bledsoe is also available and that New Orleans is initiating trade talks with other teams.

With a 5-10 record, the Pelicans have been the most disappointing team in the West. Bledsoe has played a role in that as his numbers across the board are down from last season in Milwaukee. Acquired from the Bucks in the Jrue Holiday deal, Bledsoe is averaging 12.8 points per game, his lowest scoring average in eight years.

According to Windhorst, New Orleans wants to clear away its veteran guards to create more playing time for Nickeil Alexander-Walker and rookie Kira Lewis, who was the 13th pick in last year’s draft. Coach Stan Van Gundy talked to Ball and Redick today about the situation, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic, and said the players realize that trade rumors are part of life in the NBA.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Maxi Kleber, one of five Mavericks players who were quarantined, has been cleared and has started individual workouts, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Coach Rick Carlisle said Kleber won’t be available for Friday’s game against the Jazz, but may return this weekend. “His clock is ticking at a different rate because his episode was longer,” Carlisle said. “He certainly won’t play in either of these two games (at Utah). Saturday I suppose could be a possibility, but I don’t know.” (Twitter link)
Spurs guard Derrick White is close to returning from a fractured toe and could be back in the lineup this weekend, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). White, who has played just one game this season, had surgery on the toe in August and reinjured it on New Year’s Day.
The Spurs have sent second-year forward Luka Samanic to the G League bubble in Orlando, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Samanic has seen limited playing time in four games this season.

Northwest Notes: SGA, Murray, Beasley, Jazz

January 27th, 2021 at 7:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is looking forward to getting the chance to play Chris Paul and the Suns for the first time this season on Wednesday, as Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman writes. Paul served as a mentor for Gilgeous-Alexander in Oklahoma City last season, and the two guards have remained close even after CP3 was dealt to Phoenix.

“Obviously me and him built a bond over the past year, to where he’s almost like a brother to me,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We talk about everything. How life’s going, how the teams are doing, how we’re doing.”

Gilgeous-Alexander added that it was a “blessing” to play with a veteran star like Paul last season, and that the bond the two former teammates built has had “even more of an impact than the on-the-court stuff,” per Mussatto.

Here’s more from around the Thunder:

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was fined $25K on Wednesday for an incident that occurred during Monday’s win over Dallas, according to an NBA press release. During the third quarter of that game, Murray struck Mavericks wing Tim Hardaway Jr. in the groin area. Murray was assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 and was ejected.
After signing a lucrative new long-term deal with the Timberwolves in the offseason, Malik Beasley wants to win the Most Improved Player award and help lead the team to the playoffs this season, as he tells Ben Stinar of Forbes.
The Jazz‘s G League affiliate (the Salt Lake City Stars) officially announced its roster for the upcoming season, while the Thunder‘s affiliate (the Oklahoma City Blue) named Bradford Burgess an assistant coach. The Stars’ roster includes Yogi Ferrell, who will be an affiliate player for the Jazz after a brief stint with the Cavaliers earlier this month.

NBA G League Announces 2020/21 Schedule

January 27th, 2021 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League has formally announced its schedule for the 2020/21 season, which will begin on February 10 at the league’s bubble in Walt Disney World.

The G League regular season will run from February 10 to March 6, with each team playing 15 regular season games during that 25-day window.

The top eight teams at the end of the regular season will participate in a single-elimination postseason tournament, which will tip off on March 8. The G League Final will be played on March 11.

As we previously relayed, only 18 teams will take part in the 2020/21 NBAGL season, since the single-site format couldn’t accommodate all 29 squads. Seventeen of the participating clubs are affiliates of NBA teams, while the 18th is the G League Ignite, a select team made up of a few NBAGL veterans and a handful of prospects who joined the Ignite rather than attending college.

In a typical G League season, rosters are constantly in flux as NBA teams frequently assign, recall, transfer, and call up players over the course of the year. While that will still happen to some extent in 2020/21, I’d expect far less turnover than usual, given the COVID-19 protocols that players must clear to participate in the bubble and to return to an NBA roster.