The Portland Trail Blazers will begin operating a G League franchise in the 2023-2024 season — leaving only the Phoenix Suns without a minor-league affiliate team, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.
The Blazers are fast-tracking a team that’ll play its home games at the University of Portland and conduct practices at the Blazers’ practice facility, sources said.
New G League affiliates typically take 18-24 months to get up and running, but owner Jody Allen wants to help the franchise’s front office prioritize player development and Blazers GM Joe Cronin will work to speed up the process and have a team for the coming season, sources said. Portland has two first-round picks and a second-rounder in the 2023 NBA draft.
The Blazers have been enduring the fairly cumbersome task of out-sourcing young developmental players to rival G League rivals franchises in California, including the Kings’ affiliate in Stockton and the Clippers’ affiliate in Ontario.
The NBA and NBPA agreed on adding a third two-way player to team rosters in the recent collective bargaining agreement, and that’ll add another young player to a roster that’ll need to spend significant time in the G League.
The NBA is moving closer to every team having an affiliate. The Suns sold their G League team to the Detroit Pistons in 2020, but are actively pursuing a new G League program under new owner Mat Ishbia, sources said.