OKC Blue: Breaking Down The Distance Between NBA Teams and Their G League Affiliate

Travel times are a major factor in G League operations.

The Oklahoma City Blue are as close to home as you can get.

With Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman reporting that the Oklahoma City Blue, the G League affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder, will be staying in the Paycom Center for the 2022-23 season – traveling shouldn’t be an issue.

As the Thunder have continued to select G League players in-house for NBA-level deals and call-ups, the perks of the Blue’s traveling distance are evident.

The G League has helped become a staple in fostering NBA development over the years. Now, with 30 teams, and all but the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns carrying affiliate teams – the league’s outreach has exploded.

While each NBA organization differs in call-up strategies, the proximity of G League teams helps to provide NBA scouts and personnel an up-close look at their prospects.

Here’s a rank of all 28 G League-linked NBA franchises, and the distance between their affiliates.

Stephen Sylvanie / USA Today

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (Oklahoma City Blue) - 0.0 Miles

NBA City: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

G League City: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Notable Call-Ups: Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, Omer Yurtseven

Blue Fact: The Oklahoma City Blue are the lone team in the G League to share their arena with their NBA franchise – first joining the Thunder at the Paycom Center in the 2021-22 season.

Ken Blaze / USA Today

2. Cleveland Cavaliers (Cleveland Charge) - 1.0 Miles

NBA City: Cleveland, Ohio

G League City: Cleveland, Ohio

Notable Call-Ups: Quinn Cook, Malik Newman, Alan Anderson

Charge Fact: Finishing last season with a 6-26 record, the Charge will carry the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA G League Draft.

Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA Today

3. Detroit Pistons (Motor City Cruise) - 2.5 Miles

NBA City: Detroit, Michigan

G League City: Detroit, Michigan

Notable Call-Ups: Deividas Sirvydis, Marcus Thornton, Cheick Diallo

Cruise Fact: The Cruise initially formed in 2003 as the “Long Beach Jam” of the American Basketball Association.

Jeannette Merten / USA Today

4. Washington Wizards (Capital City Go-Go) - 6.3 Miles

NBA City: Washington D.C.

G League City: Washington D.C.

Notable Call-Ups: Gary Payton II, Greg Monroe, Chris Chiozza

Go-Go Fact: The Go-Go are named after the go-go music genre, which gained traction in Washington D.C. during the 1960s and 1970s.

Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA Today

5. Atlanta Hawks (College Park Skyhawks) - 11.4 Miles

NBA City: College Park, Georgia

G League City: Atlanta Georgia

Notable Call-Ups: Armoni Brooks, AJ Lawson, Jeremy Evans

Skyhawks Fact: Rapper 2 Chainz, who was born in College Park, Georgia, holds a minority ownership stake in the Skyhawks.

Russell Isabella / USA Today

6. Utah Jazz (Salt Lake City Stars) - 11.5 Miles

NBA City: Salt Lake City, Utah

G League City: Salt Lake City, Utah

Notable Call-Ups: Carsen Edwards, Anthony Tolliver, Justin Holiday

Stars Fact: Stars guard Carsen Edwards marked the G League’s top scorer last season, averaging 26.7 points per game.

Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA Today

7. Los Angeles Lakers (South Bay Lakers) - 15.3 Miles

NBA City: Los Angeles, California

G League City: El Segundo, California

Notable Call-Ups: Mac McClung, Ish Smith. David Nwaba

Lakers Fact: South Bay Lakers guard Andre Ingram holds the G League record in games played, recording 474 games across 13 seasons.

Joe Rondone / USA Today

8. Memphis Grizzlies (Memphis Hustle) - 16.8 Miles

NBA City: Memphis, Tennessee

G League City: Southaven, Mississippi

Notable Call-Ups: Josh Jackson, Bruno Caboclo, David Stockton

Hustle Fact: Prior to playing in Southaven, the Hustle shared a hybrid affiliation deal with the Iowa Energy – the now coined Iowa Wolves.

Kyle Terada / USA Today

9. Toronto Raptors (Raptors 905) - 19.3 Miles

NBA City: Toronto, Ontario

G League City: Mississauga, Ontario

Notable Call-Ups: Chris Boucher, Alfonzo McKinnie, Alize Johnson

Raptors 905 Fact: The Raptors 905 netted a G League title in their second season of establishment, doing so in the 2016-17 season. Their combined 180-102 (.619) record makes them one of the most successful G League organizations by win percentage.

Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA Today

10. Dallas Mavericks (Texas Legends) - 22.8 Miles

NBA City: Dallas, Texas

G League City: Frisco, Texas

Notable Call-Ups: Moses Brown, P.J. Hairston, Justin Jackson

Legends Fact: In 2009, Hall of Famer Nancy Liebermann became the first woman to coach a men’s professional basketball team, coaching the team to a playoff appearance in the 2010-11 season.

Mike Zacchio / USA Today

11. New York Knicks (Westchester Knicks) - 26.6 Miles

NBA City: Westchester, New York

G League City: New York City, New York

Notable Call-Ups: Jimmer Fredette, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Trey Burke

Knicks Fact: In their initial branding search, the Knicks filed trademarks for five names: New York 914s, New York ‘Bockers, New York Plainsmen, and New York Empire.

Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA Today

12. Philadelphia 76ers (Delaware Blue Coats) - 27.7 Miles

NBA City: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

G League City: Wilmington, Delaware

Notable Call-Ups: Christian Wood, Paul Reed, Haywood Highsmith

Blue Coats Fact: In the 2015-16 season, the Blue Coats, then known as the 87ers, saw guards Jordan McRae and Russ Smith place 60-point efforts, posting 61 and 65 points, respectively. Smith’s 65-point explosion remains the most points scored by a player in the G League.

Anthony Gruppuso / USA Today

13. Brooklyn Nets (Long Island Nets) - 29.5 Miles

NBA City: Brooklyn, New York

G League City: Long Island, New York

Notable Call-Ups: Justin Anderson, Theo Pinson, Reggie Perry

Nets Fact: The Long Island Nets played their inaugural 2016-17 season at the Barclays Center, sharing the venue with the Brooklyn Nets.

Dennis Wierzbicki / USA Today

14. Chicago Bulls (Windy City Bulls) - 39.0 Miles

NBA City: Chicago, Illinois

G League City: Hoffman Estates, Illinois

Notable Call-Ups: Spencer Dinwiddie, Max Strus, Antonio Blakeney

Bulls Fact: The Windy City Bulls’ name was selected by a fan suggestion page on the Chicago Bulls website.

Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA Today

15. Los Angeles Clippers (Ontario Clippers) - 44.5 Miles

NBA City: Los Angeles, California

G League City: Ontario, California

Notable Call-Ups: Terance Mann, Xavier Moon, Jonathan Motley

Clippers Fact: The Clippers’ original name was the Agua Caliente Clippers, a nod to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.

Darren Yamashita / USA Today

16. Sacramento Kings (Stockton Kings) - 47.9 Miles

NBA City: Sacramento, California

G League City: Stockton, California

Notable Call-Ups: Jeremy Lin, Danny Green, Gary Neal

Kings Fact: Since its inception in 2008, the Stockton Kings have been almost solely tied to the Sacramento Kings.

Mary Holt / USA Today

17. Orlando Magic (Lakeland Magic) - 55.4 Miles

NBA City: Orlando, Florida

G League City: Lakeland, Florida

Notable Call-Ups: Khem Birch, Devin Cannady, Gabe York

Magic Fact: In its history, the Lakeland Magic have held affiliate ties with five franchises: the Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks, and Orlando Magic.

Doug Raflik / USA Today

18. Milwaukee Bucks (Wisconsin Herd) - 86.6 Miles

NBA City: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

G League City: Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Notable Call-Ups: Christian Wood, Gary Payton II, Sterling Brown

Herd Fact: Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the home of the herd, houses nearly 500,000 attendees in July for the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, an aviation gathering with over 10,000 aircraft in attendance.

Kelley L. Cox / USA Today

19. Golden State Warriors (Santa Cruz Warriors) - 74.9 Miles

NBA City: Oakland, California

G League City: Santa Cruz, California

Notable Call-Ups: Seth Curry, Kent Bazemore, DeMarre Carroll

Warriors Fact: The Warriors’ history dates back to 1995 as the Dakota Wizards, a team in the International Basketball League. In its first season, Head Coach Dave Joerger led the Wizards to an IBA championship.

Jeanette Merten / USA Today

20. Charlotte Hornets (Greensboro Swarm) - 91.2 Miles

NBA City: Charlotte, North Carolina

G League City: Greensboro, North Carolina

Notable Call-Ups: Nick Richards, Cody Martin, Caleb Martin

Swarm Fact: The Swarm have yet to clinch a playoff berth in its six seasons of operation.

Brain Losness / USA Today

21. Boston Celtics (Maine Celtics) - 104.5 Miles

NBA City: Boston, Massachusetts

G League City: Portland, Maine

Notable Call-Ups: P.J. Dozier, Tim Frazier, Abdel Nader

Celtics Fact: The Celtics, formerly known as the Maine Red Claws, named the organization in honor of Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach.

Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA Today

22. San Antonio Spurs (Austin Spurs) - 116.3 Miles

NBA City: San Antonio, Texas

G League City: Austin, Texas

Notable Call-Ups: Ryan Arcidiacono, Jonathan Simmons, Bryn Forbes

Spurs Fact: The Spurs participated in the 2019 FIBA Intercontinental Cup, being the first G League team to do so.

Brian Losness / USA Today

23. Indiana Pacers (Fort Wayne Mad Ants) - 129.0 Miles

NBA City: Indianapolis, Indiana

G League City: Fort Wayne, Indiana

Notable Call-Ups: Oshae Brissett, Terry Taylor, Georges Niang

Mad Ants Fact: Despite being the affiliate franchise for an assortment of teams, including 14 in the 2014-15 seasons, the Mad Ants have never rebranded in their historical tenure.

Brian Losness / USA Today

24. Minnesota Timberwolves (Iowa Wolves) - 243.9 Miles

NBA City: Minneapolis, Minnesota

G League City: Des Moines, Iowa

Notable Call-Ups: Joel Anthony, Tyler Cook, Jordan McLaughlin

Wolves Fact: The franchise initially held a naming contest for its name, listing the Corncobs, Maize, River Rats, Scarecrows, and Thoroughbreds as potential choices.

Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA Today

25. Houston Rockets (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) - 339.9 Miles

NBA City: Houston, Texas

G League City: Edinberg, Texas

Notable Call-Ups: Trevelin Queen, Danuel House, Garrett Temple

Valley Vipers Fact: The Valley Vipers are regarded as one of the most prestigious franchises in the NBA G League. With four titles and a 35-17 playoff record, they’ve asserted their dominance – most recently winning the 2022 G League Championship.

Stephen Lew / USA Today

26. New Orleans Pelicans (Birmingham Squadron) - 342.9 Miles

NBA City: New Orleans, Louisiana

G League City: Birmingham, Alabama

Notable Call-Ups: DeAndre’ Bembry, Seth Curry, Donald Sloan

Squadron Fact: The Squadron initially had considered playing in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida before settling in Birmingham, Alabama.

Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA Today

27. Denver Nuggets (Grand Rapids Gold) - 1,166.8 Miles

NBA City: Denver, Colorado

G League City: Grand Rapids, Michigan

Notable Call-Ups: Nik Stauskas, Bruce Brown, Matt Ryan

Gold Fact: The Gold were initially bought and relocated to Grand Rapids, Michigan, by the Detroit Pistons.

Loren Townsley / USA Today

28. Miami Heat (Sioux Falls Skyforce) - 1,824.6 Miles

NBA City: Miami, Florida

G League City: Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Notable Call-Ups: Duncan Robinson, Tyler Johnson, Amir Johnson

Skyforce Fact: Since its inception in the 1989-90 season (Continental Basketball Association), the Skyforce have retained its branding and location – making it the longest-standing organization in the G League.

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