Better D-League situation

[davefmcl]

I have heard that we are now sharing one D-League team with about 20 other franchises. That sounds like we would have no real say in how things are done and would not even have one dedicated spot. About how much money would it take to start a D-League franchise or even share it with one Western conference club. There would be plenty of markets, close enough that might could at least break even: Birmingham, Jackson, Nashville, and Louisville all come to mind.

How important do other posters think this would be?

I think it would make up for the last of a big signing this off season and be a good use of the real dollars that were saved and it would not touch the cap room dollars.

Thoughts?

[theatlfan]

2 thoughts:
1) the D-League started here in the SE and didn't break even so they moved away.
2) Did some research when this was originally announced. If you're developing coaches then the D-League is a viable option. If you want players, then it's not as good as some would have you think.

It ain't my $$, so sure I'd like one. If it was my $$, then I'd be weighing the importance of developing coaches more than players.

[Jamaaliver]

We discussed this topic briefly, back in May.

The Hawks will be one of 13 teams to share an affiliation with the Fort Wayne (Indiana) Mad Ants of the NBA Development League next season.
Only Fort Wayne now remains of the 18-team D-League that will play the 2014-15 season without such a relationship...the Mad Ants, who won the D-League championship last season, will have four available spots for NBA assignees. [They] will fill those spots on a first-come, first-served basis. Potter suggested that some teams may choose to develop players at their own facilities with their own coaching staffs.

http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/atlanta-hawks/2014/jun/10/fort-wayne-only-d-league-affiliate-left-hawks/

Four spots for thirteen teams to utilize isn't going to work. I know D-League teams have failed in the past. But that was a poor setup with that league in direct competition with College BBall and NBA BBall. D-League working in conjunction with NBA effectively as a minor league would be a much more viable business model. The benefits would vary. Allowing Dennis (and Bebe?) last year to get consistent PT and guidance from our coaching staff could have been beneficial last year when injuries decimated our varsity team. I know I'd be willing to drive to Chattanooga, Macon, Athens for the chance to see young Hawks players go against other young, future stars of the league. setting up in Birmingham, Knoxville, Savannah, Jackson could serve to expand the Hawks profile in the region as well.

The chance to have a real minor league team would be really beneficial to a team like ours that has lots of young talent, features a specific offensive system but still depends primarily on veterans.

Payne, Jenkins, Dennis, Muscala would all greatly benefit from consistent PT AND Hawks coaches giving them the attention they need. The chance to train and evaluate young coaching prospects would be nice as well.

[Jamaaliver]

Also, it's very widely speculated that in the near future every team will have at the very least an exclusive one-to-one relationship with a D-League team. Based on the numbers alone, that portends expansion in the next few years.

The NBA’s march toward a 30-team minor league continues...I believe, soon, the D-League will more closely resemble triple-A baseball. All 30 NBA teams will have a single affiliate – most of them nearby – and will own the rights to every player on the team. To fill these rosters, the draft will expand by several rounds.

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/03/26/report-pistons-buying-nets-d-league-team-moving-it-to-michigan/related/

[azuresou1]

I hope D-League turns into a Triple A league. It'd make the hunt for undiscovered players much more interesting and also make D-League more competitive.

[Jamaaliver]

I've been giving a great deal of thought to the vialbility of a D-League franchise for us. Found a few interesting facts during my research:

About how much money would it take to start a D-League franchise or even share it with one Western conference club.

A franchise was available and sources familiar with the sale terms said the $4.5 million price...saves on expansion franchise fees which could approach $6 million today.

http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/2014/06/detroit_pistons_have_big_plans.html

$6 million is definitely more than I was expecting. And seems likely more than the Spirit members are likely to pay. Especially with the big league club losing money every season. However:

The cost is expensive to buy the ownership of the team right now, as we've seen the models, it’s a break-even to maybe a losing half a million dollars. He estimates that a hybrid affiliation would cost up to $400,000 a year.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/jazz/56644340-87/league-jazz-nba-team.html.csp

There would be plenty of markets, close enough that might could at least break even: Birmingham, Jackson, Nashville, and Louisville all come to mind.

Louisville is indeed considered a top prospect for a D-League franchise for a number of reasons:

There’s...speculation that Louisville could one day become home to an NBA franchise...The KFC Yum! Center seats over 22,000 and is home to the Cardinals mens’ and womens’ basketball programs...Louisville is geographically friendly, too...a three-and-a-half hour drive to Fort Wayne, five hours to Canton, eight-and-a-half hours to Des Moines, and 10-and-a-half hours away from Oklahoma City. [Each town home to a current D-League operation.]

http://hardwoodparoxysm.com/2014/07/29/nba-d-league-expansion-new-affiliates-locations-cities/

[Jamaaliver]

The D-League posted its fifth consecutive season with a gate increase this year, with total attendance of 1.1 million and an average attendance up 4.6 percent to 2,838 fans per game.

Roughly 20 percent of NBA players now have had experience in the developmental league, so I think we have just begun to scratch the surface with that opportunity...It’s more of a true minor league now. The goal there would be to ultimately have one-to-one relationships where every NBA franchise would have its own D-League
team.

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2014/04/21/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/NBA-D-League.aspx

Seems like it is somewhat inevitable that all teams will own a franchise. If it's going to happen anyway, I'd rather see us strike while costs are affordable and we can claim a major market like Louisville for ourselves.

[Jamaaliver]

C-Viv at AJC speculates that D-League may be an option for us to get Jenkins, Muscala (and Payne?) some PT.

He also updates how the new rules work for assigning players to another NBA teams D-League franchise:

The Hawks may soon turn to the NBA Development League to help with a crowded roster and to get playing time for young players.

The Hawks currently have the 15-player roster maximum. That includes John Jenkins, Mike Muscala and Adreian Payne, all of whom have yet to play a minute this season.

Coach Mike Budenholzer: It’s hard to say right now but I think what I’m very comfortable saying is I do believe in the D-League. I believe in taking advantage of opportunities. Young players need to play.

The new D-League assignment process can get complicated with all but one singly-affiliated team. The Hawks share the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the lone independent, with 12 other NBA teams.

According to new rules, the Mad Ants can have a maximum of four players or two at one position from the NBA on the roster. If that is the case, the D-League will identify the singly-affiliated teams willing to accept the assigned player from which the NBA team can choose. If no singly-affiliated D-League team is willing to accept the assigned player, he will be assigned by lottery.

HERE