Expansion of the NBA Development League should continue, as the circuit is expected to announce more teams for the 2017-18 season.
Over the last year or so, there has been significant progress for the NBA D-League. Three new teams were added to the league for the 2016-17 season, while NBA franchises such as the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks either finalized or moved forward with plans to add their own teams.
The D-League is currently playing at 22 clubs, but commissioner Malcolm Turner indicated last fall that expansion plans were well underway. Details of those plans could be revealed soon, as the league is slated to make an announcement in the coming weeks. More from NBA.com:
An announcement on expansion could come within weeks, before the NBA All-Star game Feb. 19 in New Orleans. Two of the new operations are close to being finalized to serve as direct affiliates for NBA franchises, with the possibility of a third addition that would bring the D-League to 25 teams.
There is no definitive word on the NBA teams or the locations of the impending clubs. Within D-League circles, though, speculation includes the Hawks replacing the Magic in Erie, Pa., as Orlando shifts its minor-league team to Lakeland, Fla., the Wizards within or very close to the District, and the Bucks beginning an operation in a city in Wisconsin other than Milwaukee. The Clippers have been looking into Southern California venues, but that appears more likely to be resolved next year, not next month.
Perhaps the most interesting sign of changing times for the D-League is the competitive nature of some of these franchise shifts and additions. The Magic considered options in multiple cities before settling on Lakeland, and the Bucks are expected to select either Oshkosh, Racine, and Sheboygan for their D-League team.
RELATED STORIES: Best of 2016, #10: D-League Plots Future; NBA D-League Continues to Grow
