The NBA D-League begins its season in full this weekend, and the league is moving "closer to a 30-for-30 model that would provide each NBA team with its own" D-League franchise, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY. The D-League "will continue to expand" as the Hawks, Clippers, Wizards, Bucks and Nuggets look to add single-affiliate teams in the next few years. D-League President Malcolm Turner said the 30-for-30 concept is a "realistic goal within the next five years." Turner: "All those NBA teams who currently don’t have a D-League team, we’re in active conversations with all of them. Each team is at varying stages in terms of interest, and we’re trying to prioritize actionable interest and opportunities we can act on now." Zillgitt notes there are now 19 teams with D-League affiliates, and that number "will increase to 22" for '16-17 with new teams in Greensboro (Hornets), Brooklyn/Long sland (Nets) and Hoffman Estates, Ill. (Bulls). It is not just players who have "migrated to the D-League from the NBA, but also coaches, front-office executives and referees." The NBA "wants the D-League to profit, or at the very least, not be an item in the red on a budget." Turner said, "Numbers are very clearly telling the story on basketball development and how we continue to make progress on that area. ... Part and parcel with that, we also want to launch successful businesses. We believe we are building a strategic asset that creates value throughout the NBA system.” Zillgitt noted NBA Commissioner Adam Silver "wants Turner to find a naming rights sponsorship deal for the league, and Turner is searching for the perfect partner" (USATODAY.com, 11/12).
