Utah Jazz entering single-affiliate relationship with Idaho Stampede of NBA Developmental League
By Chris Walder
Utah Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey and president Randy Rigby announced on Tuesday that the team will be entering a single-team affiliation with the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Developmental League.
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The NBA and NBA Developmental League are working to create more one-to-one affiliations, according to Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune.
The Jazz sent both Rudy Gobert and Ian Clark down to the Bakersfield Jam last season. They were one of five teams to share affiliation with the Jam.
As Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders notes on Twitter, with more NBA teams forging these partnerships with NBA D-League squads, there will certainly be a need for more teams to be added in the future.
If any more teams want single affiliation with the D-League, the D-League is going to have to expand. NBA minor leagues, here we come!
— Joel Brigham (@joelbrigham) June 10, 2014
The Fort Wayne Mad Ants remain the only D-League team without an affiliation. That means 13 teams in the NBA only have the Mad Ants at their disposal.
The partnership between the Jazz and Stampede will be a “hybrid affiliation,” meaning the Jazz will control basketball operations for the team, while business operations will fall in the hands of the Stampede’s ownership group.
Bill llett, the managing investor of the Stampede, had this to say about the agreement, per NBA.com:
"The Idaho Stampede are thrilled to partner with the Utah Jazz, as their new single-affiliate team in the NBA D-League. Randy Rigby, Dennis Lindsey and their entire organization exemplify what is great about the NBA. We are excited to be a part of the development of their new young squad of players over the next several years. Basketball fans in Southern Idaho have always loved the Jazz and we are all now part of the Jazz family."
The Jazz/Stampede will join the Orlando Magic/Eerie Bayhawks, Phoenix Suns/Bakersfield Jam, Memphis Grizzlies/Iowa Energy, Detroit Pistons/Grand Rapids and New York Knicks/Westchester Knicks as a new NBA D-League affiliation for the 2014-15 season.
The last time the Jazz and Stampede had a working relationship was in 2011-12.