The Hawks are the latest team to secure a D-League affiliate.
They also might wind up the last to actually get one.
NBA release:
The NBA Development League and the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club today announced that the Hawks have acquired the right to own and operate an NBA D-League team that will play in College Park, Ga., beginning with the 2019-20 season. Additionally, the City of College Park has agreed to construct a 3500-seat arena in which the new franchise will serve as the primary tenant.
D-League expansion is happening rapidly. Just eight NBA teams – Hawks, Nuggets, Clippers, Bucks, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Trail Blazers and Wizards – lack an affiliate. Denver will get one next season, and other teams probably aren’t far behind.
If the Hawks wait until 2019, other teams – maybe even all seven – could jump ahead to get affiliates sooner.
The new Collective Bargaining Agreement is increasing the advantage of having an affiliate, allowing for two-way contracts. It’s only a matter of time until all 30 NBA teams have their own affiliate.