The Portland Trail Blazers announced Wednesday morning that the team will launch a G League affiliate team starting with the 2023-24 season. The Blazers were previously one of only two teams in the NBA that did not have a G League team, along with the Phoenix Suns.
The Trail Blazers' G League team will play at the Chiles Center on the campus of the University of Portland, which holds 4,852 seats.
"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 the team's statement. "I would especially like to thank 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 Blazers will announce the name, brand identity, front office and coaching staff of the team at a later date. With the Trail Blazers joining the G League, that leaves just the Suns as the lone NBA squad without a G League affiliate. Phoenix previously had the Northern Arizona Suns, but sold the team in 2020 to the Detroit Pistons and the team is now called the Motor City Cruise.
Despite Phoenix being the odd team out here, G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim said during a press conference on Tuesday that there is "hope" for all NBA teams to have G League squads by the 2024-25 season.
"I think there's motivation there (with new Suns ownership) to have a G League team," Abdur-Rahim said. "...By 2024-25, I feel good that we should be in a place where we have all NBA teams represented in the G League."
The relationship with the NBA and G League has grown over the years, especially with the creation of the G League Ignite team. The purpose of the G League Ignite was to give high school seniors another option instead of going to college or playing overseas for a year before declaring for the NBA draft. Already there have been six former G League Ignite players who have been drafted, and ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft, Scoot Henderson is projected to go No. 2 overall after playing for the G League Ignite.
That team aside, the G League has had several players come through their teams and go on to be All-Stars and NBA champions. Khris Middleton, Pascal Siakam and Danny Green are all players who spent time in the G League before excelling in the NBA.
