The Detroit Pistons have officially purchased a new G-League affiliate from the Phoenix Suns.
In what comes as the first “real” piece of news that fans of the Detroit Pistons have had in awhile, the franchise announced today that they have purchased a new G-League affiliate from the Phoenix Suns; the Norther Arizona Suns.
The team will play in the arena that is currently set to finish construction to begin the 2021-2022 season. It will be located on Wayne State University’s campus. Until then, Detroit’s current affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive, will remain under contract.
This doesn’t come as a big surprise, given the recent history of the Drive’s ownership hoping to remain in Grand Rapids, as opposed to relocating to Detroit. This is unfortunate, but ultimately for the best.
The unfortunate part is that it was admittedly pretty nice having Pistons basketball on both sides of the state. It kept the fan base a bit more engaged knowing that even if you’re on the west side, you can still go watch some Pistons talent.
So while the Drive intend to stay in Grand Rapids as an independent G-League franchise, the reality is that they have no leverage to do so. As it stands, Portland and Denver are both without a G-League team.
So at any moment, the Drive could be bought out and relocated. The “Grand Rapids” dream will in all likelihood be short lived once their contract with Detroit is through following next season.
The silver lining to this move is that the commute for players traveling between teams will be drastically shorter. Instead of it taking a few hours to drive through the state, it’ll take a few minutes.
Speaking more towards that was Tom Gores, who shared the same sentiment:
"Having an NBA G-League team near our new performance center will be an advantage for out front office, our coaching staff, and our young players. It will also generate more economic activity in the area and serve as a catalyst for additional development."
The main question being asked today is what happens to the players on the roster? Do the Pistons get to keep, at the very least, the players that were on two-way deals? (Players like Jordan Bone and Louis King)
As it stands, I’ve asked around to those in the know, and it’s currently up in the air. It currently looks as if they’ll all become free agents. Once more information becomes available in that regard, this story will be updated accordingly.