PORTLAND, Ore. — 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, according to news releases from the Blazers and the NBA. 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.
"Pilot Nation is thrilled to welcome the Trail Blazers G League franchise to their home on The Bluff," University of Portland President Dr. Robert D. Kelly said in a statement. "UP has a rich and storied athletic tradition, and we couldn't be more excited to continue that tradition by hosting this new franchise on our beautiful campus. I am grateful to our friends from the Portland Trail Blazers and our Athletic Department staff for making this wonderful partnership happen, and I can't wait for the inaugural season to begin!"
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.
Nine players on the Blazers roster at the end of the 2022-23 NBA season had G League experience: Ibou Badji, John Butler Jr., Chance Comanche, Drew Eubanks, Keon Johnson, Skylar Mays, Justin Minaya, Anfernee Simons and Jeenathan Williams.