NBA D-League growing by the year with 22 teams in play for 2016-17

Simple math explains the NBA Development League’s growth in the past 15 years.

In the D-League’s inaugural 2001-02 season, just eight players were called up to the NBA. In 2014-15, 47 players were called up.

In 2010-11, 24% of players on NBA season-ending rosters had D-League experience, and last season, 38% of NBA players on season-ending rosters had played in the D-League. That number is expected to grow closer to 50% in future seasons.

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Another number expect to grow? The number of D-League teams. Starting with eight teams 15 years ago, there are now 19 teams and that number will increase to 22 for the 2016-17, adding new teams in Greensboro (Charlotte Hornets), Brooklyn (Nets) and Hoffman Estates, Ill. (Chicago Bulls).

“This first year has been validating the very unique growth opportunity I always thought existed with the D-League and really one of the drivers for why I was so excited to come on board,” D-League president Malcolm Turner said as he starts his second season in charge.

The league will continue to expand as the Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, Washington Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets look to add single-affiliate D-League teams in the next few years. The league is moving closer to a 30-for-30 model that would provide each NBA team with its own D-League team, and Turner told USA TODAY Sports that’s a realistic goal within the next five years.

“All those NBA teams who currently don’t have a D-League team, we’re in active conversations with all of them,” Turner said. “Each team is at varying stages in terms of interest, and we’re trying to prioritize actionable interest and opportunities we can act on now. …

“We’re already working on the pipeline of opportunities for ’17-’18 and beyond. One of the reasons we’re focused on them so far in advance is 30-for-30 is our No. 1 initiative and we feel like we’re now within striking distance of achieving that goal.”

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The D-League has created opportunities, and there are several success stories across D-League operations. It’s just not players who have migrated to the D-League from the NBA, but also coaches, front-office executives and referees.

• Two NBA head coaches (Memphis’ Dave Joerger and Utah’s Quin Snyder) and 33 assistants came from the D-League.
• Three NBA general managers (Atlanta’s Wes Wilcox, New Orleans’ Dell Demps and Charlotte’s Rich Cho) have D-League experience.
• Every new NBA referee since 2002 began in the D-League.

That is one kind of growth that D-League wants to continue. Financial growth is part of the equation, too. The NBA wants the D-League to profit, or at the very least, not be an item in the red on a budget.

“We’re also interested in building a league that is sustainable and successful for the long term," Turner said. "Numbers are very clearly telling the story on basketball development and how we continue to make progress on that area. … Part and parcel with that, we also want to launch successful businesses. We believe we are building a strategic asset that creates value throughout the NBA system.”

NBA commissioner Adam Silver wants Turner to find a naming rights sponsorship deal for the league, and Turner is searching for the perfect partner. Without disclosing financial details, Turner said, “At the league level, we’re very pleased with where we are financially. At the team level, we have seen increased profitability and growth of the business. We are in our 15th season and when you look overall at the league level and also amongst our teams, we’re making good on providing a healthy business proposition for our NBA teams and owners with this platform to grow talent in an effective, efficient way.”

Another area of focus is keeping potential NBA players in North America rather than some players going to international teams for more money. The highest D-League salary (not tied to an NBA contract) is $25,000, and some player-agents are hoping the billions for dollars coming in from the new TV deal, which includes coverage of D-League games, will inject money for more competitive salaries.

Turner acknowledged increasing player salaries is “part of the mix without question, a key part of it.”

“As we grow, we obviously have additional player rosters to fill,” Turner said. “We want to make sure we’re adding more and better talent to the league rather than less. We are taking a look at any and all opportunities to enhance our value proposition for talent. We’re in the market for top talent to fill our rosters and assessing our overall business accordingly.

“We have a bright future, and we’re working very hard to realize those opportunities.”