The Phoenix Suns have made an official announcement that a G League team will finally be coming to the Phoenix metro area in the fall of 2024.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Suns are currently the only team in the NBA to not have a G League affiliate. The move will expand the G League to 32 teams (two are not affiliated with an NBA franchise).
“Bringing a G League team to Phoenix was one of my first priorities as owner,” said Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury team owner Mat Ishbia in a press release. “Adding a G League team creates another area for us to compete to be the best and will be a vital tool to help develop players and coaches. Just like the Suns and Mercury, our G League team will serve as a community asset and make a positive impact on and off the court.”
Phoenix #Suns announce an #NBA G League team coming to the Phoenix metro area in the fall of 2024. Fans have a chance to name the team through an online contest here: https://t.co/dF2byVMQnS pic.twitter.com/uWbYePioCi
— Brendan Mau (@brendan_mau) February 14, 2024
Last summer, Ishbia told The Athletic’s Shams Charania he planned to have a G League team as early as the 2024-25 season. Well, Ishbia has fulfilled his promise as he has several times in his just-over one-year tenure.
The Phoenix Suns are working toward launching a new G League team as soon as the 2024-25 season, meaning all 30 NBA organizations will have G League affiliates.
Story at @TheAthletic, including statement from owner Mat Ishbia: https://t.co/h07J1KRREv
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 19, 2023
Phoenix previously owned a G League team, the Northern Arizona Suns, which was sold ultimately to the Detroit Pistons in 2020.
Until Feb. 28, fans have a chance to win a naming contest for the team by visiting Suns.com/GLeague. The winning submission will receive free tickets for the team’s inaugural NBA G League season and a $1,000 cash prize.
The venue, team name and logo will be announced this spring, but will be in the Phoenix metro area, the release says.
“We are honored to welcome Mat Ishbia and the Phoenix Suns to the NBA G League, and are thrilled to achieve our long-stated goal that each of the 30 NBA teams has an NBA G League affiliate,” NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim said in the release. “The NBA G League has never been more valuable to NBA teams than it is today, and the Suns’ investment only reinforces that reality. I can’t wait to join fans in the Valley next season to enjoy the unique brand of NBA G League basketball.”
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
