G League

The NBA G League has reportedly informed teams it must book separate hotel rooms for each player and increase per diem payments by $15 for the 2020-21 season.

Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported the update Friday.

The G League is set to become a more common route for top NBA prospects after the creation of a new pathway program that's an alternative to college basketball.

In April, ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Adrian Wojnarowski reported the initiative includes a $500,000 salary for elite prospects to take part in the one-year development program, which already received a commitment from guard Jalen Green, the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2020 recruiting class.

Players previously often had to consider overseas options if they wanted to turn professional during the year between leaving high school and being eligible to enter the NBA draft.

The prospects are expected to compete in 10-12 games against G League opponents, but the "primary objective will be assimilation and growth into the NBA on several levels—from playing to the teaching of life skills," according to the ESPN report.

It's going to increase the league's reach and in turn there's pressure on teams to improve conditions.

Although the per diem figures aren't publicly available, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated it was $50 per day while on the road as of December 2017.

Players also had to share hotel rooms for away games, per Charania.

The G League will feature 29 teams starting next season with the addition of the Capitanes de Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City.

Members of the NBA G League plan to begin voting Saturday on the possible formation of a union, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.  

Wojnarowski reported the players are receiving help from the NBA Players Association, and he tweeted in December that the idea dates back to 2018:

The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania reported in December the goals of unionizing included "increased salaries for players, freedom of player movement, work benefits and having a voice on their behalf on issues of discipline and contract structures."

According to Charania, the NBA players union voted in February to support a union push for G League players, with the next step requiring the approval of G League players themselves.

Sports Illustrated's Michael McCann noted the show of solidarity by the NBPA differed from how unions in other major sports leagues look upon their minor league peers.

The MLB Players Association received some criticism when it agreed to a deal with league owners that assured major leaguers a portion of their salaries during the COVID-19 pandemic. In return, MLB has the option to reduce the 2020 draft from 40 rounds to five, which could significantly limit the pool of players who can enter the minor league ranks this season.

The base salary for G League players is $35,000. Elite recruits coming out of high school are eligible to receive a $125,000 select contract, but OZY's Ray Glier reported in September that nobody had taken advantage of the option.

However, Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony reported April 16 that Jalen Green was signing a $500,000 contract to enter a one-year developmental program that's a joint partnership between the NBA and G League. Fellow 2020 recruit Isaiah Todd followed Green one day later.

Neither Green nor Todd will play in the G League full time, but they will occasionally line up against G League players.

Isaiah Todd's decision to decommit from the Michigan Wolverines and pursue the NBA G League's new pathway to the sport's highest level was apparently not difficult.

Todd appeared on NBA TV's NBA GameTime on Tuesday and said as much (h/t Adam Zagoria of Forbes).

"About two weeks before I made a college decision, I got a call, and then it was kind of like irrefusable," he said. "It just sounded perfect, and it sounded like a no-brainer, and I felt bad when I knew that was kind of the way I was going to go, thinking about the Michigan fans. But I had to do what's best for my family."

Todd's mother, Marlene Venable, told Jeff Borzello of ESPN on April 14 that her son elected to play professionally instead of joining head coach Juwan Howard and the Wolverines.

Two days later, highly regarded prospect Jalen Green also announced he would play in the G League instead of attending college.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Green was expected to make approximately $500,000 with his G League deal, not including potential endorsement deals and appearance money.

Zagoria explained the select team with Todd, Green and others will not be affiliated with a G League or an NBA team. It will play an independent schedule of 20 or 25 games and be scouted by NBA teams.

Todd was a 5-star prospect, the No. 13 overall player and the No. 2 power forward in the class of 2020, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

It was a major loss for Michigan and Howard's efforts to build a consistent championship contender in the Big Ten, but the Wolverines still have a talented 2020 class that includes Hunter Dickinson, Zeb Jackson and Terrance Williams.

Joining the G League instead of the NCAA will allow Jalen Green to make money in other ways, including with a shoe deal.

According to Nick DePaula of ESPN, the guard will have "several offers" from companies with a contract that will top seven figures per year. He is set to sign with Aaron Goodwin, who negotiated rookie shoe deals with LeBron James, Dwight Howard and Kevin Durant.

Green announced Thursday he was going straight from high school to the G League, while ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Adrian Wojnarowski reported he will make at least $500,000 from his new team as an elite prospect.

The California native is a highly regarded prospect and considered the No. 3 overall player in the 2020 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports called him the projected No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

Green will not only spend the next year developing among professionals to ready himself for the NBA, he will also get paid like a top young player.

Zion Williamson reportedly set a record for the largest rookie shoe deal in history last summer with a contract worth more than $10 million per year, according to Wojnarowski. Green doesn't come with the same type of hype as Williamson out of college or even high school, but there should still be a lot of money available for the talented young player.

Former Michigan commit Isaiah Todd will sign a deal to join the G League, the best 5-star recruit told Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic on Friday.

"I believe it was the best thing for my game and for my career to better myself for the NBA," Todd said. "It was very important to be prepared because the NBA is my lifelong dream. This option is the best way to go, being in the NBA's backyard and to learn from pros and learn from NBA coaches and trainers. It's about being prepared for the NBA. I think that's the best way to go."

He will reportedly play for a newly created team in Southern California alongside Jalen Green, who announced Thursday he'll make the leap from high school to the G League.

The G League has created an initiative to pay elite prospects $500,000 with a one-year development program before heading to the NBA draft.

Todd is a 5-star recruit considered the No. 13 overall player in the 2020 class and the second-best power forward, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

The 6'10" prospect committed to Michigan last October but announced Tuesday he was decommiting to explore professional options.

"This was a tough decision for him, but he just feels like this is what's best for him and his development," Todd's mother, Marlene Venable, told Jason Jordan of Sports Illustrated. "We love Michigan and Juwan (Howard), but, at the end of the day, he has to make the best decision for him."

Other top prospects have chosen to play professionally instead of in college in recent years, including LaMelo Ball and R.J. Hampton, both of whom are expected to be part of the 2020 NBA draft class. However, Todd and Green will be the first to enter the new G League program.

Makur Maker, Karim Mane and Kai Sotto are considered potential options to join the duo in the league next season, per ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Adrian Wojnarowski.

According to John Martin of 92.9 ESPN, the parents of 2021 5-star prospect Kennedy Chandler also spoke to G League officials.

NBA teams are reportedly preparing for the likelihood that the remainder of the G League season will be canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Malika Andrews, the expectation is the 2019-20 G League campaign will "soon be cancelled."

Wojnarowski cited calendar issues, as well as "the fact G League teams travel on commercial airlines and generally are money-drains for NBA teams make it even harder to move forward for rest of the season."

G League play was suspended Thursday, the day after the NBA announced it was suspending its season because of the coronavirus.

A potential cancellation of the G League season comes as the CDC has recommended organizers cancel or postpone all events in the United States with 50 or more people for the next eight weeks.

Per the latest estimates (h/t CNN.com), there are now at least 2,033 cases of coronavirus in this country and 47 people have died.

Wojnarowski did note G League players will be paid through the end of the regular-season schedule.

The G League regular season was originally scheduled to end March 28, with the postseason set to run throughout April.

The G League is following the NBA's lead, suspending its season in the wake of the NBA doing so Wednesday night after a Utah Jazz player, reportedly center Rudy Gobert, preliminarily tested positive for the coronavirus.

Wednesday night's game between the Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder was delayed and eventually canceled after Gobert reportedly tested positive. The NBA then suspended the season after reportedly planning to continue games without spectators present. That announcement was expected Thursday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, though things changed swiftly Wednesday evening.

According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, "The NBA is expected to address next steps with teams when it conducts a call with the board of governors at 12:30 p.m. ET Thursday."

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told reporters after Wednesday's game that teams have been informed that they can still practice during the season suspension but should not host out-of-town visitors. Cuban also described the season postponement as a "stunning" turn of events during the ESPN broadcast:

"I trust Adam [Silver]. You know what? It's really not about basketball or money. Literally, if this thing is exploding to the point where all of a sudden players and others have had it, you think about your family. You want to make sure you're doing this the right way. Now it's much more personal, and you've seen what's happened in other countries, but just the whole idea that it's come this close and potentially a couple players have it, just, 'stunning' isn't the right word. Just crazy."

It isn't a major surprise that the G League would also suspend its season. How other leagues react to the coronavirus will remain an ongoing story.

Of note this week will be how the NCAA handles the men's and women's basketball tournaments. On Wednesday, NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement that tournament games would be played without fans in attendance.

But Stadium's Jeff Goodman reported Wednesday that a source told him: "Things are moving quickly. Right now, it's no fans. But we don't know where this is headed. There have been discussions about canceling or postponing the NCAA tournament, but we're hoping it doesn't get to that point."

The NBA G League suspended Wisconsin Herd coach Chase Buford for two games for criticizing the officiating after his team's 126-117 defeat to the Grand Rapids Drive on Sunday, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. 

Buford told reporters the referees' performance had been "unprofessional" and "embarrassing." He also singled out referee Matt Rafferty, whom he called a "f--king clown," per Ryan Rodig of WFRV-TV:

Herd general manager Dave Dean said in a statement the team was considering how it would discipline Buford (h/t USA Today's Scott Gleeson).

Buford also apologized for the comments: "I deeply apologize for my behavior. It was unprofessional and I'm embarrassed. It's a tough learning experience as a first-year head coach and I am truly sorry, and will grow from this."

The Herd were whistled for 21 personal fouls in Sunday's game compared to 13 for the Drive. Grand Rapids also attempted 18 free throws, nine more than Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Herd head coach Chase Buford appeared to be cruising toward a straightforward victory over the Grand Rapids Drive on Sunday.

Instead, his team blew a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter of a 126-117 loss before he unleashed a rant on the officiating:

"The officiating definitely went right for Grand Rapids. That was as unprofessional as an officiating performance—I hope you tweet this out and tag the league, because that was embarrassing. Matt Rafferty is a f--king clown. That being said, we have to be so much better at the end of games. We can't blow a 21-point lead with 12 minutes to go. However bad and biased and unfair and illegal and cheating the referees are, we have to be better closing games. So that's the way I feel."

Buford released a statement saying he was "unprofessional" and "embarrassed" while apologizing to the fans and referee Matt Rafferty:

General manager Dave Dean also released a statement saying, "We're aware of what happened with Herd Head Coach Chase Buford after our game today. We're discussing the situation internally and the appropriate discipline for Coach Buford. We will have an announcement Monday."

While Buford was furious with the officiating, his team was unable to stop a balanced attack from the Grand Rapids.

Four Drive players scored 18 or more points with Jordan Bone (28 points and 11 assists) leading the way and Adam Woodbury (20 points and 10 rebounds), Louis King (20 points and 10 rebounds) and Tre'Shawn Thurman (18 points and 10 rebounds) providing key support.

The NBPA voted Monday to support the formation of a players union for G League players, according to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic. 

Per Charania, the next step is to gain official approval at the G League level.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the league's plan to unionize in December, planning to collectively bargain "salaries, broader benefit packages and travel."

The league raised salaries ahead of the 2018-19 campaign, providing players with a base salary of $35,000 for the five-month regular season. Players could also earn a maximum of $385,000 on a two-way contract based on prorated minimum for time spent on an NBA roster.

As Michael McCann of Sports Illustrated explained, a union could help provide representation for those not on two-way deals or assigned to the G League while currently under an NBA contract. It would also be positive symbolically, providing a "vote of confidence" in the players as well as creating a bond not seen in minor leagues for MLB or NHL.

The developmental league was first included in the NBA's CBA in 2005 and has since expanded from eight teams to 28 teams this season.

NBA teams have also been more aggressive in utilizing the league as a resource for players in recent years. All-Stars Pascal Siakam and Khris Middleton each spent time in the G League as rookies, while players like Quinn Cook have taken advantage of two-way deals to become contributors in the NBA.

A players union could create a better collaboration between the two leagues going forward.