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BOISE — The Utah Jazz announced it has bought the D-League’s Idaho Stampede, at a press conference Tuesday.
The Jazz, who signed an exclusive affiliation agreement with the Stampede last summer, have used the agreement extensively, with a handful of exchanges between the two organizations.
Utah is now the eighth NBA team to own and operate a D-League team. The others include San Antonio, where current Jazz coaches Quin Snyder and Brad Jones coached a D-League affiliate owned by the Spurs in Austin, Texas.
In a press release later in the day from the Jazz, team president Randy Rigby said the ownership reflects the organization’s commitment to improving basketball operations.
The Jazz are one of eight NBA teams that own a D-League franchise, including four others in the Western Conference (Golden State, Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, San Antonio).
“Our purchase of an NBA D-League team reflects the value we place on having an exclusive affiliate for player development and building the scope of our basketball operations to support the Jazz,” he said. “It is a tremendous commitment from the Miller family to make this acquisition that will contribute to our pursuit of becoming a championship-caliber team.”
Utah has called up 20 players from the D-League over the past 15 seasons. The first-ever player the Jazz called from the Idaho organization was Sundiata Gaines, who hit a memorable three-pointer to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010.
