Pistons plan to bring G League team to Wayne State, Midtown Detroit

It may not be the Drive, but the Detroit Pistons plan on bringing a G League team to Detroit to play at a new Wayne State University facility.

The Detroit Pistons announced Wednesday they plan to bring a G League affiliate to Midtown Detroit to play at Wayne State University.

Wayne State is building a new $25 million facility for its basketball program after approval by its Board of Governors, according to the Detroit News.

The Pistons do not have concrete plans on what affiliate they would have a play in the facility. The team and its current affiliate the Grand Rapids Drive have a deal that runs through the 2020-21 G League season, according to the Associated Press.

Reports say the Pistons are in ongoing discussions with G League officials about an expansion team — which means the Drive might not necessarily be the team on the move.

The move would improve the logistics of having two-way contracts and treating the G League as the minor league system the NBA is trying to expand on.

The Pistons shuffled players such as Henry Ellenson, Khryi Thomas, and Svi Mykhailiuk back and forth from Grand Rapids during the regular season.

James Edwards III of The Athletic said on Twitter Wednesday that Pistons head coach Dwane Casey was “not fond of” two-way players having to travel over two hours if called up abruptly.

The new facility is expected to be built at the corner of Warren and Trumbull, according to the Detroit Free Press. Several sports, at Wayne State, have used the Matthaei Center for the last half-century.

Wayne State will finance the construction of the facility. The Pistons will have a 30-year lease agreement, providing the backbone of the financing for the project, according to the Rod Beard of the Detroit News. Beard reported the university will sell naming rights to the new arena.

The new facility will replace a nearby intramural field and house the Men’s and Women’s basketball teams.