The Phoenix Suns are one of the brightest contenders in the NBA heading into next season. They have been rumored to add a key piece that most NBA franchises have at their disposal, a G League franchise. The Suns have not owned or operated a G League franchise since 2020, but Mat Ishbia will be changing that.
The new Suns’ owner has teased the formation of a G League team since he took over, giving a launch timeline of a couple of weeks in a recent interview for the affiliate,
“That won’t be something you will be talking about in a week or two,” Ishbia said on the Suns being the only NBA franchise without a G League team.
Having a G League team has become fundamental for most NBA teams, as it provides another avenue of being able to develop your players within your system rather than loaning them to different organizations and hoping they’re ready to compete. The Suns will have a roster crunch due to their salary situation, so finding talent on their own G League team could be a way to keep the main roster replenished.
The Suns’ History With The G League
In 2011, the Suns entered a multi-affiliation agreement with the Bakersfield Jam. The affiliation was made exclusive in 2014 and they were purchased in 2016. The team was rebranded as the Northern Arizona Suns. In 2020, they sold the Northern Arizona Suns to the Detroit Pistons.
With a roster full of unknowns and three two-way contract slots to fill, the team will need an in-house G League set up to control the development of their players. This will be a material change for the squad as they continue to find ways to fill out a roster around four max-contract players, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton.
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