Portland Trail Blazers to launch G League team next season

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Trail Blazers announced Wednesday they are adding a G League affiliate next season, bringing the NBA’s development league to 31 teams.

The new team will play at the University of Portland’s Chiles Center. The name of the team, as well as a coaching staff, were not immediately announced.

“It was very important to our organization to enter the G League with an affiliate here in Portland and strategically strengthen our dedication to player development,” Joe Cronin, general manager of the Trail Blazers, said in a statement.

Cronin added that it was a priority to have a G League team that will serve “not only as a developmental tool for players but also for aspiring coaches and staff while we continue to be a mainstay in the community as a whole.”

The Chiles Center, which seats 4,852, is home to the men’s and women’s Portland Pilots basketball teams. In November, the arena hosted Phil Knight tournament games featuring some of the top college teams in the nation.

The Trail Blazers have called up 13 G League players over the last two seasons and 20 players since the league was established in 2001. The team has assigned 27 players to the G League for development or rehabilitation.

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