NBA G League

History and evolution

The league's origins trace back to June 13, 2000, when NBA commissioner David Stern and deputy commissioner Russ Granik announced the formation of the National Basketball Development League (NBDL). It began play in November 2001 with eight teams all located in the southeastern United States, in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia, requiring players to be at least twenty years old. The Greenville Groove won the inaugural championship on April 8, 2002, after winning game two over the North Charleston Lowgators, while an average of 1,640 fans attended games. Eight players were called up to the NBA during that first season, including Chris Andersen, who was the first player ever drafted by an NBDL team. The league made early sponsorship deals with Reebok and television broadcasting agreements with ESPN2 and Fox Sports South to air select games, including the NBDL Finals.

In 2005, as part of a new collective bargaining agreement, the league rebranded as the NBA Development League (NBA D-League) to emphasize its connection to the NBA and appeal to more fans. This period saw significant westward expansion led by Southwest Basketball, LLC, which operated four new teams: the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, Austin Toros, Fort Worth Flyers, and Tulsa 66ers. The league also added the Arkansas RimRockers from the ABA and later absorbed four teams from the Continental Basketball Association: the Dakota Wizards, Sioux Falls Skyforce, Idaho Stampede, and Colorado 14ers. The Los Angeles D-Fenders, launched in 2006, became the first D-League team to be directly owned by an NBA parent team, the Los Angeles Lakers, though this expansion contributed to the contraction of the Roanoke Dazzle and Fayetteville Patriots.

A major structural shift occurred in 2009 when the Houston Rockets entered the first single-affiliation partnership, known as the hybrid model, with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. This model spurred greater NBA investment, leading to a wave of parent clubs purchasing their affiliates, such as the San Antonio Spurs buying the Austin Toros in 2007 and the Oklahoma City Thunder buying the Tulsa 66ers in 2008. By the 2015-16 season, after the Indiana Pacers purchased the last multiple-affiliate team, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, every D-League team was affiliated with only one NBA team. The Toronto Raptors entered the league in 2015 with the expansion Raptors 905 in Mississauga. In 2017, a sponsorship deal with Gatorade led to the league's current name, the NBA G League, and the introduction of two-way contracts. The league later introduced innovative player pathways, including the NBA G League Ignite prospects team, which operated from 2020 to 2024, and select contracts for elite prospects not yet draft-eligible, offering up to $125,000 per season.

Team structure and NBA affiliations

The NBA G League operates with 31 teams as of the 2024-25 season, all but one of which have an exclusive affiliation with an NBA parent club. The primary ownership models are direct ownership by the NBA team and the single-affiliate hybrid partnership where basketball operations are run by the NBA club. The Los Angeles Lakers pioneered direct ownership in 2006 with the D-Fenders, now the Coachella Valley Lakers. Numerous other NBA teams have since followed suit, purchasing or launching their own affiliates to control player development and system implementation fully, such as the Cleveland Cavaliers purchasing the New Mexico Thunderbirds in 2011 to create the Canton Charge, and the Golden State Warriors purchasing the Dakota Wizards that same year, later moving them to become the Santa Cruz Warriors.

The hybrid model, established in 2009, allows an independently owned G League team to have its basketball operations managed and financed by a single NBA affiliate. This model has often been a precursor to full ownership, as seen when the Utah Jazz purchased the Idaho Stampede in 2015 and moved them to Salt Lake City, and when the Phoenix Suns purchased the Bakersfield Jam in 2016 to create the Northern Arizona Suns. The league's expansion has been strategic, placing teams geographically near their parent clubs to facilitate player assignments and operational synergy. The Mexico City Capitanes, joining in 2021 after a delayed debut due to the pandemic, remain the league's only independent team without an exclusive NBA affiliate, operating on a five-year agreement. The now-folded NBA G League Ignite was also an unaffiliated team from 2020 to 2024.

NBA teams that directly own their G League affiliate include:

• Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs, purchased 2007)
• Capital City Go-Go (Washington Wizards)
• Cleveland Charge (Cleveland Cavaliers, purchased 2011)
• Coachella Valley Lakers (Los Angeles Lakers, owned since 2006)
• College Park Skyhawks (Atlanta Hawks, launched 2017 as Erie BayHawks)
• Delaware Blue Coats (Philadelphia 76ers, purchased the Utah Flash in 2013)
• Greensboro Swarm (Charlotte Hornets, added 2016)
• Iowa Wolves (Minnesota Timberwolves, purchased the Iowa Energy in 2017)
• Raptors 905 (Toronto Raptors, expansion 2015)
• Windy City Bulls (Chicago Bulls, added 2016)
• Wisconsin Herd (Milwaukee Bucks)
• Osceola Magic (Orlando Magic, purchased the Erie BayHawks in 2016)

Other notable examples of NBA clubs directly owning their G League teams include the New York Knicks, who launched the Westchester Knicks in 2014. The Boston Celtics acquired their affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, in July 2019, and the team was renamed the Maine Celtics in 2021. The Sacramento Kings purchased the majority ownership of their affiliate, the Reno Bighorns, in 2016 and later moved the team to become the Stockton Kings. More recent expansions saw the Portland Trail Blazers launch their affiliate, the Rip City Remix, for the 2023-24 season. The Phoenix Suns also launched its affiliate team, the Valley Suns, for the 2024-25 season.

Player development and roster rules

G League rosters are constructed through a multi-faceted system designed to develop talent for the NBA. Players sign contracts with the league itself, not individual teams. A standard active roster consists of 13 players, typically comprising up to 10 G League players and at least two assigned NBA players, though if more NBA players are assigned, the number of G League players must be reduced to keep the total at 12. The minimum age to play is 18, younger than the NBA's requirement of 19 and one year out of high school, providing an early professional pathway. The base annual salary for G League players is US$35,000, plus housing and insurance benefits, with call-ups to the NBA earning players bonuses totalling up to US$50,000.

Rosters are built from several distinct player categories: returning players from the previous season, affiliate players, allocated players with local connections, and draftees. Affiliate players are those waived by an NBA team during training camp and designated to that team's G League affiliate, with each team allowed four such players. The annual NBA G League draft, conducted in a serpentine format over eight rounds, is a primary source of new talent, with a Player Invitational held for prospects to earn eligibility. Since the 2017-18 season, two-way contracts have been a significant innovation, allowing each NBA team to sign two players who can spend up to 45 days with the NBA club while primarily playing in the G League, though they cannot be on playoff rosters.

NBA teams can also assign players on standard NBA contracts to their affiliate for development, a process used frequently for first- and second-year players with no limit on the number of assignments. Starting in the 2011-12 season, veteran NBA players could also be assigned with their consent, as demonstrated by the Dallas Mavericks assigning Yi Jianlian to the Texas Legends for two games. Another key rule, introduced in the 2014-15 season, is the draft rights player rule, which allows an NBA team to have an unsigned draft pick sign directly with their G League affiliate, protecting their developmental rights. By mid-2014, one-third of all NBA players had spent time in the league, up from 23 per cent in 2011, a statistic that highlights its effectiveness as a development platform.

Broadcast and media coverage

The G League has secured broadcast partnerships that increase its visibility despite its status as a minor league. From its first season in 2001-02, the league had nationally televised games on ESPN2 and Fox Sports South, a rarity for a developmental circuit at the time, which broadcast select games including the NBDL Finals. In December 2017, the league announced a partnership with the live-streaming platform Twitch to broadcast games, tapping into a digital and younger audience. Games are also available on the ESPN+ subscription streaming service, providing broad accessibility for fans across North America. These media deals have been crucial in building the league's profile and allowing fans to watch emerging talent, and they represent a continuity of effort from the league's earliest days when it was one of few minor leagues with national television exposure.

Significant teams and Canadian connection

The Toronto Raptors' entry into the G League marked a major milestone for basketball in Canada. In 2015, the Raptors launched Raptors 905 as an expansion franchise based in Mississauga, Ontario, within the Greater Toronto Area, becoming the first and only Canadian team in the league. The team's establishment provided the Raptors with a dedicated platform for developing prospects, rehabilitating injured players, and testing schemes close to home. Raptors 905 won the G League championship in the 2016-17 season, demonstrating the program's immediate success. The team has been instrumental in the development of numerous players who have contributed to the Raptors' NBA roster, solidifying the G League's value as a true farm system for its parent club.

Other notable teams include the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, pioneers of the hybrid model with the Houston Rockets in 2009, which led to similar deals with teams like the Springfield Armor and New Jersey Nets. The Mexico City Capitanes, which joined in the 2021-22 season after a delay due to the pandemic, is the league's first and only international team, operating independently without an exclusive NBA affiliate. The now-defunct NBA G League Ignite was a unique, unaffiliated team created in April 2020 specifically to host top prospects who chose not to attend college, offering select contracts worth up to $125,000 per season before folding after the 2023-24 season. The league continues to evolve, with recent additions like the Portland Trail Blazers' Rip City Remix (2023) and the Phoenix Suns' Valley Suns (2024) ensuring every NBA club has its own dedicated affiliate.

Examples of hybrid/single-affiliation partnerships include:

• Grand Rapids Gold (with the Denver Nuggets)
• Rio Grande Valley Vipers (with the Houston Rockets)
• Sioux Falls Skyforce (with the Miami Heat, which purchased controlling interest in 2017)

Season format, challenges, and champions

The G League season traditionally mirrors the NBA calendar, running from November to April. The competitive format includes a regular season followed by a playoff tournament to crown the league champion. In recent years, the league has also introduced the Winter Show Cup, an in-season tournament that provides additional competitive opportunities and exposure for players. The league has faced significant challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a curtailed 2019-20 season and the postponement of the 2020-21 season. In January 2021, the league announced it would play all games at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, using the same isolation bubble as the 2020 NBA Bubble, with only 17 of the 28 teams from the previous season plus the Ignite team choosing to participate in the abbreviated season beginning in February 2021.

The championship, known as the G League Finals, has been won by various affiliates since the league's inception. The Oklahoma City Blue are the most recent champions, winning the title in 2024. The history of champions reflects the league's growth and the increasing importance of the affiliate system, with parent club-owned teams frequently competing for and winning the title. The league's expansion has seen teams come and go, with the southeastern United States, the league's original home, lacking a team from after the 2006-07 season until the addition of the Greensboro Swarm in 2016.

Questions about NBA G League

What is the NBA G League?

The NBA G League is the official developmental minor league for the National Basketball Association. Founded in 2001, it serves as a primary pipeline for player, coach, and executive development, with 31 teams as of the 2024-25 season. All but one team, the Mexico City Capitanes, are exclusively affiliated with a single NBA club, functioning as a true farm system. The league has undergone several name changes, from the NBDL to the NBA D-League, before becoming the NBA G League in 2017 through a sponsorship with Gatorade, making it the first U.S. professional sports league named for an advertiser.

How are G League teams connected to NBA teams?

Most G League teams are connected to an NBA team through one of two primary models: direct ownership or a single-affiliate hybrid partnership. In the direct ownership model, the NBA club fully owns and operates the G League franchise, such as the Toronto Raptors with Raptors 905 or the Los Angeles Lakers with the Coachella Valley Lakers. The hybrid model involves an independently owned G League team having its basketball operations run and financed by a single NBA affiliate, like the Rio Grande Valley Vipers with the Houston Rockets. This structure ensures integrated development systems and has often led to full ownership, as seen with the Utah Jazz and Idaho Stampede.

Can players go directly from the G League to the NBA?

Yes, the G League is a direct pathway to the NBA. Players can be called up by any NBA team at any time during the season, with bonuses totalling up to US$50,000 for such promotions. The two-way contract system, introduced in 2017, allows players to split time between an NBA roster and its G League affiliate, spending up to 45 days with the NBA team. The league also served as an alternative to college for elite prospects through the now-folded G League Ignite team and its select contracts, which offered salaries up to $125,000 for players not yet eligible for the NBA draft.

What is the salary for a G League player?

The base annual salary for a standard G League player is US$35,000 for the season, which typically runs from November to April. Players also receive housing and insurance benefits as part of their league contract. Compensation can increase through call-ups to the NBA, which come with bonuses, or through special contract types like the select contracts offered to top prospects on the Ignite team, which paid up to $125,000. Players on two-way contracts with NBA teams earn a separate, higher salary that scales based on time spent in the NBA, and they continue to be paid their NBA salary when assigned to the G League.

Is there a G League team in Canada?

Yes, the Toronto Raptors operate their own G League affiliate, Raptors 905, which is based in Mississauga, Ontario, within the Greater Toronto Area. The team was launched as an expansion franchise in 2015 and plays its home games at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre. Raptors 905 won the G League championship in the 2016-17 season. The team is a crucial part of the Raptors' basketball operations, used for developing young talent, rehabilitating injured players, and implementing the parent club's systems close to home, providing a vital development bridge for Canadian and international players.

How does the G League draft work?

The NBA G League draft is held annually and is a major mechanism for teams to build their rosters. It employs a serpentine draft format over eight rounds, meaning the order reverses each round. Teams select from a pool of eligible players who are not already on a roster as returning, allocated, or affiliate players. The draft supplements rosters that are also filled by players allocated due to local connections, affiliate players designated after being waived from NBA training camps, and NBA players assigned for development. An annual Player Invitational allows prospects to earn draft eligibility, and since 2014, a third round was added to the draft process.

Sources and further reading

• NBA G League (Wikipedia)
• What You Need to Know About the NBA G League (gleague.nba.com)

Checked by the Garbutt Disposal desk. Last updated 2026-10-19.