Advertisement

Trail Blazers launching G League franchise, leaving Suns as the lone NBA team without one

The G League is hopeful that the Suns can launch a team by the 2024-25 season

ryan young
Staff writer
·2 min read
2
Trail Blazers
The Trail Blazers' new G League team will be ready for the start of the 2023-24 season. (Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

The Phoenix Suns are now the lone team in the NBA without a minor-league team.

The Portland Trail Blazers announced Wednesday their plans to launch a G League franchise beginning next season. The team will be based in Portland, too, and will play home games at the University of Portland.

“It was very important to our organization to enter the G League with an affiliate here in Portland and strategically strengthen our dedication to player development,” Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin said in a statement. “I would especially like to thank [owner] Jody Allen, who is aligned with Dewayne Hankins and myself, to make it a priority to have this team ready for next season, as it will serve not only as a developmental tool for players but also for aspiring coaches and staff while we continue to be a mainstay in the community as a whole.”

The Trail Blazers will announce the new team’s name, front office, coaching staff and more in the near future. Portland holds two first-round picks and a second-round pick in the 2023 NBA draft, which could land rookies for the G League team, either on a two-way deal or more permanently next season. Previously, the Trail Blazers had been outsourcing players to other G League franchises in the area, including the Stockton Kings and the Ontario Clippers.

The Suns are now the only team in the NBA without a G League franchise. They used to have the Northern Arizona Suns, but they sold that team to the Detroit Pistons in 2020.

G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim said Tuesday that he hopes the Suns can launch a G League franchise by the 2024-25 season and that initial talks with new Suns owner Mat Ishbia have gone well on that front.

Currently, there are 29 G League franchises connected to NBA teams. The G League Ignite and Mexico City Capitanes round out the league.