The NBA is working on improving the stigma that resides with the Developmental League. Meanwhile, organizations are starting to see the value in having a team themselves. The Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly looking to add a D-league team as early as the 2017-2018 season, according to D-League Digest’s Adam Johnson. Originally, the Clippers were looking to add a team for 2018-2019, but have decided to expedite the process.
According to Johnson, who cites league sources, the Clippers are targeting Ontario CA for the D-League team. If that scenario does not work out, Bakersfield CA would be the second option. Bakersfield recently lost their team when the Phoenix Suns purchased them and subsequently moved the franchise to northern Arizona.
Having a D-League team is becoming all the rage for NBA teams. Just this year the Milwaukee Bucks, Memphis Grizzlies, Atlanta Hawks, and Minnesota Timberwolves all acquired a D-League team. The NBA has been actively trying to adjust the developmental league to become more appealing to not only fans, but players too. For many years the D-League has been looked at as a death-sentence for a player’s career when this is not always the case. Yogi Ferrell is a prime example. He turned a 10-day contract with the Dallas Mavericks into something guaranteed, and appears to be in the team’s future.
The Clippers’ D-League team would be the 26th franchise, a number that is likely to increase. The NBA also announced a partnership with Gatorade to rename the D-League to the “G-League”, a move that will take effect for the 2017-2018 season. It helps that NBA teams want to take advantage of what the developmental league has to offer, which is similar to baseball’s minor league system. It will surely be intriguing how the G-League next year is received by the players and fans.
