Lakers to own a D-League team?

[SignGuyDino]

Saw the article that the Lakers might buy their own D-League team. May play most of their home games at Staples itself the first season. Announcement could be next week.

How interesting is this?

No rent, players stay with the team, but helluva overhead with concessions, police, etc. Plus, get ready for "18,804" reported as the attendance of each game. ;)

Will Jack harass D-leage refs? That would be freakin' hilarious but I doubt that would happen.

Maybe this will be the trend, some other NBA teams buying a D-league team.

Now Kobe will have a larger posse around him.

Discuss.

[HKF]

I personally think this is great. I really expect there to be 30 D-League teams by the end of 2010-2011 (the end of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement).

Then I expect the Age limit to change to something like baseball. You can either declare out of HS (and get drafted into the D-League) or you can go to college for 3 years and be eligible for the NBA draft.

Makes so much sense, that it amazes me it took this long to get this going.

[panchess]

..David Stern announced 18 as the minimum age for next season in the D-League.

The Broomfield, Anaheim, and LA deals seem like the right direction for the D-League to go. Basically house teams that provide practice players for the NBA team, an opportunity to develop talent, and hang with the big team. They can even fly to road games on the team charter.

Fort Worth and the Florida franchise in the currend D-League fit the model too.

The rest, including the other CBA teams, I am not so sure. Some of them probably end up moving.

[HKF]

I actually think Boise (Idaho Stampede) is fine. Utah has many fans in Idaho and their players are not that far from Salt Lake.

[#1 Guard Fan]

If for some crazy reason Fayetteville was able to make it I think they are close enough to the Bobcats to help that team out

[Minor League Man]

It might be announced today at the owners' meetings.