Another NBA season also means another G League season.
As usual, the majority of G League players consist of young players looking to develop their games or journeymen looking to prove they belong in the NBA.
Entering the 2024-25 season, there’s a long list of NBA players who have spent time in the G League. The list includes rising stars Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga, NBA champions Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, Khris Middleton and Danny Green, and potential Hall of Famers such as Rudy Gobert.
As the G League schedule unfolds, here is what you need to know about the league and its relationship with the NBA.
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What is the G League?
The NBA G League, which used to be called the D League, is the NBA’s version of a minor league.
Each NBA team has an assigned affiliate, whether part of the organization or not, that they can use to stash and develop young players. This is helpful when players need more development than the NBA team can offer during the season.
Before the 2023-24 NBA season, the G League announced that 50 percent of players on opening night rosters had G League experience.
The league was founded in 2001. The current president is Shareef Abdur-Rahim, the No. 3 pick in the 1996 NBA Draft who made an All-Star team over his 12-year NBA career.
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How many teams are in the G League?
There are 31 G League teams, one for each NBA team along with the Mexico City Capitanes, a former member of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional in Mexico that joined the G League as an independent team in 2021.
Eastern Conference
- Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans)
- Capital City Go-Go (Wizards)
- Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers)
- College Park Skyhawks (Hawks)
- Delaware Blue Coats (76ers)
- Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets)
- Greensboro Swarm (Hornets)
- Indiana Mad Ants (Pacers)
- Long Island Nets (Nets)
- Maine Celtics (Celtics)
- Motor City Cruise (Pistons)
- Osceola Magic (Magic)
- Raptors 905 (Raptors)
- Westchester Knicks (Knicks)
- Windy City Bulls (Bulls)
- Wisconsin Herd (Bucks)
Western Conference
- Austin Spurs (Spurs)
- Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves)
- Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies)
- Mexico City Capitanes
- Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder)
- Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets)
- Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers)
- Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz)
- San Diego Clippers (Clippers)
- Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors)
- Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat)
- South Bay Lakers (Lakers)
- Stockton Kings (Kings)
- Texas Legends (Mavericks)
- Valley Suns (Suns)
The G League has grown since 2001 when it featured eight teams. Each team has a minimum of 10 players, not including two-way players.
When is the G League season?
The G League season opened on Friday, Nov. 8 and runs through the end of March.
After the regular season, the top 12 teams make the playoffs and play in a single-elimination tournament in April, where each round consists of one game per matchup except the finals, which is best-of-three.
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Do players get paid in the G League?
There are two ways that a G League player can get paid.
The first way is on a two-way contract that players sign with an NBA team that allows them to split time between that NBA team and the G League team. Players on those contracts earn half of the league’s minimum salary, which is about $575,000, but teams often sign those players to regular NBA contracts during the season, allowing them to make a full minimum salary.
The other way G League players get paid is by signing standard contracts with the league, not the teams, which means they are not beholden to their G League team’s organization the same way that two-way players are.
Since 2022, those players have earned $40,500 for the six-month season.
Sources: For the first time, NBA G League salaries will now be over $40,000 per player ($40,500), up from $37,000. Since forming a union in 2020, G League salaries have increased by over $5,000.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 2, 2022
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Can players be called up to the NBA from the G League?
Players on two-way contracts can be called up only by the teams with whom they signed their contracts, similar to how MLB’s minor leagues work. However, teams are only allowed to sign three players on such contracts at a time.
Players on standard G League contracts are free to sign with any NBA team, but they must sign a new deal with that team since the standard contract only covers playing in the G League.
When a player on a G League contract signs an NBA contract, it’s called a “Call-Up.”