Cost of a D - League Team?

[MCVicious]

What does it take to get a D-league team? Does it take a while to apply for one? It seems like its a definite need if we are a team focused on player development. With all the potential gems we like to find from other teams/overseas it should be one of our foremost goals this year. Especially before we drop cash on a new stadium or renovations. I remember we made an investment on the SportsVU analytics system shortly after Ferry came in, surely we can fork over the cash for a D-league team! Where else are we going to develop the likes of Patterson, Tavares and GR3?

[NBASupes]

D-League franchises that "cost $400,000 to buy a decade ago are now being valued at close to $4 million.

 

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2013/01/11/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/D-League.aspx

[Gray Mule]

$4 Million sounds like a lot of money until you stop and thing, this is a

one time payment.  We, on the other hand, think that $10 Million per year

for one player isn't bad.

 

I agree.  Atlanta needs a D League team the same way their Braves team

needs their minor league teams.

[Guest]

What does it take to get a D-league team? Does it take a while to apply for one? It seems like its a definite need if we are a team focused on player development. With all the potential gems we like to find from other teams/overseas it should be one of our foremost goals this year. Especially before we drop cash on a new stadium or renovations. I remember we made an investment on the SportsVU analytics system shortly after Ferry came in, surely we can fork over the cash for a D-league team! Where else are we going to develop the likes of Patterson, Tavares and GR3?

Atlanta did not invest in SportVU. The team dragged its feet on SportVU and had the entire league pay for it when the NBA decided it was best to put it in all the arenas instead of the twenty or so they were in at the time. We had multiple threads about this and how cheap the previous ownership was being.

[MCVicious]

Atlanta did not invest in SportVU. The team dragged its feet on SportVU and had the entire league pay for it when the NBA decided it was best to put it in all the arenas instead of the twenty or so they were in at the time. We had multiple threads about this and how cheap the previous ownership was being.

 

Did not know that but that doesn't surprise me much. Lets see if Ressler can do better.

 

Just want to see our new owner drop some cash on something more pressing than a Bud Light "Down for Whatever" section of the arena.

[NBASupes]

Here's some Hawks D-League news: 

http://dleaguedigest.com/2015/05/04/where-will-nba-d-league-expansion-head-next/

Edited July 16, 2015 by NBASupes

[bird_dirt]

Man, it's so easy to spend other people's money.

[lethalweapon3]

Here's some Hawks D-League news: 

http://dleaguedigest.com/2015/05/04/where-will-nba-d-league-expansion-head-next/

 

From that article:

 

 

New D-League President Malcolm Turner told the media in Santa Cruz during the playoffs this season to likely expect two new teams for the 2016-17 season, meaning he doesn’t see any new teams added this upcoming year. Which makes sense as he continues to gain his footing as president.

 

With a number of NBA teams looking to join the D-League fold, it seems the league is ready to return to its roots in the south/southeast region... a revival is likely in the works. In an interview at the end of the 2013-14 season, former [D-League] president Reed mentioned there was a waiting list of teams interested in joining the fold, including the Atlanta Hawks.

 

Those plans were put on hold temporarily as the team was put up for sale in early January of this year. With the transfer of the team to new ownership all but official, the Hawks are again determined to join the D-League.

 

 

 

~lw3

[NBASupes]

From that article:

 

 

 

 

~lw3

The Raptors just added a new D-League team and it the article it says that the Raptors were looking to add one. 

 

http://raptors905.dleague.nba.com/news/mlse-purchases-nba-d-league-team-as-league-expands-to-19-teams-for-2015-16-season/

Edited July 16, 2015 by NBASupes

[atlhawks1]

but, but, they dont have the cap space to get a d league team..............lmao

[bird_dirt]

but, but, they dont have the cap space to get a d league team..............lmao

And I heard the Cavs are buying three D-League teams!

[Randy]

Well why not start an F-League if we have to wait to long to get a d-league team.  Maybe a team overseas.  We can call it the Hawks Foreign Legion.  

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

D-League returning to the South makes sense. I feel Birmingham, Tupelo, Greenville, and even Gwinnett would be great spots for D-League affiliates. All have the required amenities to host a D-League team.

[Guest]

The NBA has increased the number of players that teams can cut from their training camp rosters and still hold onto their D-League rights, a league spokesman told SI.com. The change was initially installed prior to the 2014-15 season. NBA teams can now waive four training camp invitees (up from three) and make those individuals “affiliate players,” providing the player signs a D-League contract and the two sides agreed to a potential D-League assignment as part of their training camp contract. 

NBA teams can invite as many as 20 players to training camp, but are allowed just 15 roster spots—only 13 can be active—during the the regular season. The new training camp increase now essentially guarantees 95% of all players invited to camp will have a roster spot within the NBA umbrella. The subtle change is the latest in the NBA’s commitment to emphasizing the importance of the D-League. 

– via Sports Illustrated

 D-League

Does this help the Hawks keep any of the Summer League guys without their own D-LEAGUE team?

[sturt]

Doesn't help them keep them. Just allows them to develop them according to their system/coaching/philosophy, but like the NFL's practice squad, any NBA team with a roster slot can sign any D-league guy not currently on anyone else's roster.

 

I'd like to see the NFL practice squad thing applied to the NBA, though... ie, if you sign someone from someone else's developmental squad, then you automatically have to commit to having them on your roster for a substantial amount of time. That would make some sense, wouldn't it?

[Guest]

Eric Pincus: I’ve been told D-League will continue to add franchises, but with pace – 1-2 a year – perhaps a jump however when new NBA TV deal kicks in 

– via Twitter EricPincus

 Business, D-League, Showbusiness

[Gray Mule]

Maybe the real question should be:

 

"How much does it cost NOT to have a d-league team?"

 

While other NBA teams are developing players, we are not.

Sounds kinda stupid, doesn't it.

 

[Guest]

The Hawks are without an NBA Development League affiliate.

So are 10 other NBA teams.

With the official announcement that the Pacers had purchased the Fort Wayne Mad Ants Wednesday, all 19 franchises in the D-League are singly-affiliated with an NBA team. Last season, Fort Wayne served as the affiliate for 12 teams. The league enacted a flexible assignment system for teams to assign players to Fort Wayne or another D-League team under certain criteria. The flexible system will be used for the 11 non-affiliated teams this season.

 

According to the league, upon receipt of an assignment from an independent NBA team, the D-League will identify any team willing to accept the assigned player. The assigning independent NBA team will then choose the destination for assignment between those teams. If no D-League team is willing to accept the assigned player, he will be assigned to by lottery.

The Hawks used the flexible assignment system several times last season to get Adreian Payne to play for Austin and John Jenkins to play for Idaho. Mike Muscala played several game with Fort Wayne. The Hawks were able to put players in a system similar to the one they run with the flexible assignment.

The Hawks have watched and signed several players from the D-League in the past three seasons when needed.

 

http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/basketball/with-purchase-of-fort-wayne-hawks-without-d-league/nnbhm/

[Guest]

The Future Of The D-League:  Last week the Indiana Pacers bought control of the last remaining “independent” D-League team, putting all 19 teams under direct operation control of a parent NBA team.

There are currently two types of controls in the D-League; direct ownership where the parent club owns everything and what’s dubbed as a hybrid arrangement, where the parent NBA teams controls and funds the basketball operations of the team, while another owner controls the business side.

There are currently eight teams involved in a hybrid arrangement: the Boston Celtics (Maine Red Claws), Detroit Pistons (Grand Rapids Drive), Houston Rockets (Rio Grande Valley Vipers), Memphis Grizzlies (Iowa Energy), Miami HEAT (Sioux Falls Skyforce), Orlando Magic (Erie BayHawks), Phoenix Suns (Bakersfield Jam) and Sacramento Kings (Reno Bighorns).

The remaining 11 teams have direct ownership: Indiana Pacers (Ft. Wayne Mad Ants), Cleveland Cavaliers (Canton Charge), Golden State Warriors (Santa Cruz Warriors), Los Angeles Lakers (L.A. D-Fenders), New York Knicks (Westchester Knicks), Oklahoma City Thunder (Oklahoma City Blue), Philadelphia 76ers (Delaware 87ers), San Antonio Spurs (Austin Spurs), Utah Jazz (Idaho Stampede) and Toronto Raptors (Raptors 905).

So with all the available teams now controlled in a “one-to-one” relationship, what’s next?

Expansion?

In the grand scheme, there is an eventuality to all 30 NBA teams having their own wholly controlled minor league team, however, there isn’t a huge rush from the D-League level to just pop up 11 more franchises. There are some logistics that still have to play out and over time complete coverage is more likely than not.

As the D-League has matured, there is a growing desire to have the minor league affiliated teams within a reasonable travel distance from the home team. This allows for easier transition back and forth for players, but also making it easier for executives and coaches to be part of the D-League process.

There are still some teams that do not fit into that category. Orlando’s franchise, the Erie Bayhawks, plays in Erie Insurance Arena, which is 1,091 miles from the Amway Center in Orlando. The Miami HEAT’s D-League team, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, plays in the Sanford Pentagon, which is 1,829 miles from AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami.

This is an item that the D-League would like to see evolve as expansion occurs, and it’s also an item that comes up when discussing expansion because not only is there a desire to keep teams closer to their parent teams, there are also travel costs in competing. The D-League does not have the travel budget their parent teams have and containing travel costs is a factor in the expansion discussion.

Sources close to the process expect more D-League teams next season. A new one for Toronto was added this year and with more funds coming into the NBA by way of the new media rights deal, there seems to be more appetite from NBA parent teams in spending the money to have their own team.

Sources close to the process peg the annual costs of running a D-League team at just around $2 million per season. While that’s not an insignificant number, the benefits of having a training ground for not only players, but for younger coaches and executives makes the cost a lot more palatable, especially as the D-League begins to play a bigger part in the media rights deal, which includes more coverage of the league and its games.

What Happens To The Others?

With all of the D-League teams now controlled by “one-to-one” relationships, there are 11 teams that do not have their own affiliation any longer. In response to that, the D-League instituted a flexible assignment system last year to help manage player allocation to the lone “independent” team and will use that same system going forward.

In essence, if one of the 11 teams without a D-League team wants to assign a player to the D-League, the league will make that player available to all of the teams. If a team does not volunteer to accept the player, The D-League will then assign the player to a team by use of a lottery system.

There are some interesting by-products of this plan.

Let’s say a team has a young player that’s not playing much and they want to explore trading that player to another team. They could assign that player to the D-League and an interested team could try him out in their D-League system, which is typically similar to the home team’s system before making a trade decision.

Players with less than three years’ experience can be assigned to the D-League without their consent. Players with four or more seasons can be assigned, but their consent is required.

The other by-product is the relationship some coaches have with other organizations. For example, Hawks Head Coach Mike Budenholzer, who is also President of Basketball Operations, has a long history with the San Antonio Spurs. The two teams run similar programs. The Hawks do not have a D-League team, but the Spurs do. The Hawks could assign their players with the idea of them getting experience with the Spurs team, the Austin Toros, rather than another team.

Now there are some wrinkles there in which more than one team could make claim to a player, but the assigning team has the right to choose which team their player lands on, so this could be an interesting player sharing solution for like-minded organizations.

Salary Increase?

The biggest impediment for the D-League’s growth currently is its salary structure. Like most minor leagues, the money available to players is very low compared to their major league counterparts. The D-League uses a tiered compensation system that’s based on experience.

Players with ample NBA experience fall into the A Tier, which pays roughly $25,500 per season. Players with some level of experience fall into the B Tier and earn roughly $19,000 per season. While inexperienced players, typically undrafted players, fall into the C Tier and earn roughly $13,000 per season.

In the grand scheme of professional sports salaries, those are insanely low numbers, especially when players can earn $75,000 to $150,000 playing internationally. To put those figures into perspective, Patric Young, who went undrafted in 2014 just signed a guaranteed two-year, $1.6 million deal with Olympiacos Piraeus. The deal pays him just north of $800,000 this year, or roughly 32 times the top of the scale in the D-League.

Sources close to the process in the D-League expect to see a change in D-League compensation as the league grows, so there is a sense things will improve.

Some NBA teams have figured out an interesting work around to get experienced players into their system using partially guaranteed NBA minimum deals as part of training camp.

For example, last season the Orlando Magic gave NBA minimum deals to Seth Curry, Peyton Siva and Kadeem Batts, all with partial guarantees. The agreement between the team and the players was that they would be cut and claimed by the Bayhawks. Curry and Batts’ guarantees were $150,000 each, while Siva received $100,000. All three were around the Magic for training camp, but did not participate and were cut and played out the season in Erie, collecting their full value from Orlando plus the salary allocated to them in the D-League.

NBA teams can sign an unlimited number of minimum salary deals, with only the guaranteed portion counting against the salary cap and luxury tax.

The Dallas Mavericks signed former Marquette stand out Jamil Wilson to a four-year minimum deal with only $50,000 guaranteed. The plan is for Wilson to come to camp with the Mavericks, but its far more likely he’ll be cut and play out the season with the Texas Legends in Frisco.

The concept of a partial guarantee on a camp deal in exchange for agreeing to play out the season in the D-League is increasing, so some of the pressure to adjust salaries may come down. However, there is a sense that even with teams getting smarter about how to pay for talent, the tiered system in the D-League is expected to go up as more teams and revenue come into the league.

The D-League schedule for the 2015-16 season was released on Friday. Each D-League teams plays a 50-game schedule. If you want to know more about the D-League, there is a great D-league FAQ on the league’s official website.

 

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/nba-am-whats-next-for-the-d-league/

Edited September 15, 2015 by JayBirdHawk

[Vol4ever]

D-League returning to the South makes sense. I feel Birmingham, Tupelo, Greenville, and even Gwinnett would be great spots for D-League affiliates. All have the required amenities to host a D-League team.

Chattanooga sounds good to me.