The NBA Development League and the Brooklyn Nets today announced that the club has acquired the right to own and operate an NBA D-League team.
The new team, the Long Island Nets, will begin play in the 2016-17 season at Barclays Center in Brooklyn before relocating to its permanent home at the new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum for the 2017-18 campaign.
The Nets become the record 12th NBA team to fully own and operate its NBA D-League affiliate, while the NBA D-League expands to a record 21 teams for the 2016-17 season.
Five members of the current Nets roster have played in the NBA D-League – Markel Brown, Sergey Karasev, Shane Larkin, Willie Reed and Donald Sloan. Additionally, Nets assistant coaches Joe Wolf and Jay Humphries both served as NBA D-League head coaches.
The new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, to open in the winter of 2016, will be developed and operated by Nassau Events Center, led by Onexim Sports and Entertainment, Bruce Ratner and Yormark, the same team that brought Barclays Center to Brooklyn.
Playing with 19 teams for the 2015-16 campaign, the NBA D-League will tip of its 15th season on Nov. 12 when the Westchester Knicks host the Maine Red Claws.
The Nets join the Charlotte Hornets as NBA teams to launch their NBA D-League team for the 2016-17 season, when the league will feature 21 teams.