After the next season, the Detroit Pistons will have a new Gatorade League team.
The Pistons have decided to buy the Northern Arizona Suns from the Phoenix Suns, the team announced Wednesday. The Northern Arizona Suns will be renamed and play in Wayne State’s new basketball arena, which is under construction and which will open before the 2021-22 season.
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Grand Rapids Drive, which moved to Grand Rapids in 2014 and has since had a “hybrid” affiliation with the Pistons, will continue its relationship with the Pistons throughout the 2020-21 season.
Drive previously announced that it had no plans to move to Detroit. Thus, the Pistons acquired their G League franchise instead.
“I am excited to welcome Tom Gores and the Detroit Pistons as owners of the NBA G League,” said Shareef Abdur-Rahim, president of the NBA G League. “It’s always bittersweet for a team to move, and I thank Robert Sarver and the Phoenix Suns for their time in this league and fans in Northern Arizona for their constant commitment to the team. I’m sure Detroit fans will welcome the team with open arms and I can’t wait to watch NBA G League basketball in Wayne State for the seasons to come. “
The announcement comes a year after the Pistons teamed up with Wayne State to open a new $ 25 million, 700,000 square foot sports facility on the corner of Warren and Trumbull. The facility, which will accommodate 3,000 seats, will be the new home arena for the Pistons’ G team and Wayne State basketball teams.
The new G League team will be in close proximity to the newly built Little Caesars Arena, where the Pistons play at home, and the Henry Ford Pistons Performance Center, where the Pistons practice and host their businesses. Having a G League in Detroit will ease the burden of travel by sending players back and forth between the two franchises.
“This is another major investment in our franchise and in the city of Detroit,” Pistons owner Tom Gores said in a release note. “Having an NBA G League team close to our new performance center will be an advantage for our front office, our coaching staff and our young players. It will also generate more economic activity in the area and act as a catalyst for additional development. “
Contact Omari Sankofa II at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. Read more about Detroit slippers and sign up for ours Pistons newsletter.
