The NBA is returning to San Diego -- partially.
The Los Angeles Clippers on Monday announced a change to its G League structure.
Instead of the team playing in Ontario, Calif., the G League side will relocate to Oceanside in northern San Diego county and be rebranded as the San Diego Clippers.
The Clippers will play games in the new Frontwave Arena that's expected to open during the summer, with the Major Arena Soccer League's San Diego Sockers being the primary team for the venue.
Following the relocation announcement, here's everything to know about the NBA G League, from its history, player salary and more:
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What is the NBA G League?
NBA
The G League is a minor league below the NBA, essentially used by teams to further develop young players by supplying them minutes they wouldn't get otherwise or allowing veterans the chance to showcase themselves for another NBA opportunity.
The league used to be known as the "D-League," which was short for Developmental League. But in the 2017-18 season, it entered a multi-year partnership with Gatorade that altered the name to "G League."
When did the NBA G League start?
The league initially began play in the 2001-02 season.
How many NBA G League teams are there?
With the recent announcement of the Phoenix Suns' new affiliate, there will be 32 teams competing in 2024-25. But with only 30 NBA franchises, how is that possible? Let's look into each NBA team and their affiliate:
- Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs)
- Birmingham Squadron (New Orleans Pelicans)
- Capital City Go-Go (Washington Wizards)
- Charge Basketball (Cleveland Cavaliers)
- College Park Skyhawks (Atlanta Hawks)
- Delaware Blue Coats (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Grand Rapids Gold (Denver Nuggets)
- Greensboro Swarm (Charlotte Hornets)
- Indiana Mad Ants (Indiana Pacers)
- Iowa Wolves (Minnesota Timberwolves)
- Long Island Nets (Brooklyn Nets)
- Maine Celtics (Boston Celtics)
- Memphis Hustle (Memphis Grizzlies)
- Motor City Cruise (Detroit Pistons)
- Oklahoma City Blue (Oklahoma City Thunder)
- Osceola Magic (Orlando Magic)
- Raptors 905 (Toronto Raptors)
- Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets)
- Rip City Remix (Portland Trail Blazers)
- Salt Lake City Stars (Utah Jazz)
- San Diego Clippers (L.A. Clippers)
- Santa Cruz Warriors (Golden State Warriors)
- Sioux Falls Skyforce (Miami Heat)
- South Bay Lakers (Los Angeles Lakers)
- Stockton Kings (Sacramento Kings)
- Texas Legends (Dallas Mavericks)
- Westchester Knicks (New York Knicks)
- Windy City Bulls (Chicago Bulls)
- Wisconsin Herd (Milwaukee Bucks)
- Unnamed Phoenix Suns affiliate
- G League Ignite
- Mexico City Capitanes
The last two teams, the Ignite and Capitanes, started off as exhibition teams without any ties to the NBA. They didn't play a full 50-game schedule until the 2022-23 season.
How many players are on a G League team?
There are a minimum of 10 players allowed on a G League roster, though that can increase to 13 if the NBA teams assigns players to their affiliate.
Can NBA players play in the G League?
Yes, NBA players are eligible to participate in G League action through two avenues: two-way contracts and assignments.
Two-way deals are mostly geared toward youngsters who have potential but need more minutes to help their development. These players spend most of the season in the G League since they cannot feature in more than 50 games with their NBA team. Only players with four or fewer years in the NBA can sign a two-way deal.
Assignments occur when a NBA team sends a player to play for the affiliate, which can pertain to anyone on the roster.
In some cases, it's used for when a player recovering from injury needs more time to shed rust before returning to the first team. In other instances, it could involve a young non-two-way player who is struggling to find minutes and is sent to the G League to play more.
How much money do G League players make?
Players in the G League sign one-year contracts with the league, not the NBA team or its affiliate. That excludes two-way players or players on assignment.
The minimum salary for a five-to-six month season is $40,500.
How many G League players have made it to the NBA?
There's a common theme between most NBA and G League players in that they might be too good for the G League but not good enough for the NBA. That can make it difficult for the league to consistently churn out quality players, but more gems are being found over time.
At the start of the 2023-24 NBA season, 50% of players on opening-night rosters possessed G League experience, which is a record, according to the G League. Forty-seven percent of players on NBA start-of-season rosters for 2022-23 had G League experience, for comparison's sake.
Who are notable NBA players called up from the G League?
In some cases, albeit rare, a diamond is found in the rough. Some of the NBA's current top talent who were called up from the G League include Chicago Bulls' Alex Caruso, Indiana Pacers' Pascal Siakam, Houston Rockets' Fred VanVleet, Miami Heat's Duncan Robinson and Los Angeles Lakers' Christian Wood.
Caruso was with the Lakers when he emerged as a key 3-and-D guard, helping L.A. win the NBA title in the Orlando bubble. Siakam and VanVleet both developed in Toronto and played a vital role in its 2019 NBA Championship triumph. Robinson is still in Miami and helped it reach multiple NBA Finals while Wood stood out in Detroit before moving on.
