NBA Should Amend Current Rules to Bolster Development League

The NBA Development League was founded in 2001 with the intention of creating an official minor league system that would allow NBA teams to develop players throughout the season. Over the last decade, the D-League has become a valuable resource for teams in need of giving their players in-game experience not available at the NBA level. 

The D-League has shown to be a strong resource for teams to develop talent and provide needed playing time for younger players. In fact, the NBA D-League office describes the success of the system by stating: 

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Featuring 16 teams with direct affiliations to NBA franchises, the NBA D-League is a proven developer of talent: 27 percent of players in the NBA at the conclusion of the 2011-12 season boasted NBA D-League experience, and the league continues to develop coaches, referees, and front-office staff for the NBA and its teams

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According to NBA.com, D-League rosters are currently built by a combination of returning players, NBA-affiliate cuts, local tryouts, NBA assignments and free agents. Although NBA teams are involved in these transactions, only NBA assignments are actually under contract with a particular NBA team, and the remaining players are signed to D-League contracts. 

The strongest connection an NBA team can have with a D-League franchise is in the form of an affiliation. If an NBA team wants a stronger role with a D-league team it can own a team outright or agree to a single-affiliation partnership that gives the parent club control over their minor league component's operations. 

Many teams have taken advantage of these partnerships, which allow them to have more control over the development of their younger players. However, there are only 17 D-League teams in the minor league system and 14 of them are currently in single-affiliate partnerships. 

Therefore, there is clearly a need to expand the league and find new areas that can support such a minor league team. If the NBA could find a way to get every team in the league into single-affiliate partnerships, they would be able to create greater incentive for teams to develop players on a longer timeline. 

The NBA should consider amending its current rules to provide teams a benefit for utilizing the D-League and its affiliates. One way that the NBA could provide such a benefit is through an increase to the current NBA roster limit. 

The Santa Cruz Warriors website explains that the current rules specify that players assigned to the D-League by an NBA team still count against the 15-man roster limit designated by the current CBA. Although many teams take advantage of the opportunity to send players to the D-League, they are often faced with the decision to replace the player after a short time with someone capable of contributing immediately. 

For this reason, the NBA should consider adding an additional spot on the roster that would allow teams to carry a 16th player who would remain with the D-League affiliate for the season. In doing so, the NBA would encourage teams to give lower draft picks and less-mature players the needed time to develop in a minor league system without sacrificing what could be a much-needed roster spot. 

The addition of a D-League designated player to the roster would enable the NBA to bolster the popularity of the minor league system through a stronger connection to the NBA affiliate team and increase the talent in the system. 

Another strategy that would encourage teams to have a single-affiliate partnership and utilize the D-League would be a rule that gives the parent NBA teams the first right of refusal in contract negotiations. 

If the D-League expands to allow more partnerships, the parent NBA teams could be given similar rights in contract negotiations with D-League players who are currently reserved for restricted free agency. Essentially, the NBA could allow all teams the opportunity to negotiate with D-League players, but the affiliate would have the option to match any offer given to any player on its roster.  

Allowing a parent NBA team the ability to match any offer given to a player on its D-League affiliate's roster would provide franchises a greater incentive to invest in the success of the minor league system.

Although the team would need roster space to sign the player, it would remove the fear that its resources are being spent on developing players for other teams. 

These rule changes would allow the NBA to focus less on players that immediately need to contribute to a team and instead hold on to developmental players for mote time in hopes that they get closer to reaching their potential. In addition, it could help increase the parity in the league, as star players may not have to only come from winning the NBA lottery. 

The players' union may be critical of the idea due to the fact that more players could mean less money for each individual.

However, it also provides veteran players a better chance of remaining employed in later years, as teams could designate a younger player to the D-League without taking away a roster spot in the NBA for a more experienced player. 

The NBA D-League has already made great strides in becoming a legitimate minor league system, but these changes would allow it to transform into a true developmental program for all teams. As the league continues to evolve, expect to see changes to the rules that will encourage teams to invest resources in their minor league affiliates and utilize the playing time to improve their long-term potential.