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The Jazz are bringing center Tibor Pleiss back to Utah after an extended stay in Idaho.
The rest of his D-League teammates won't be far behind.
The Jazz on Monday announced their plan to relocate their minor league affiliate, the Idaho Stampede, to Utah next season. The team will be renamed the Salt Lake City Stars — an homage to the ABA Utah Stars and the WNBA Utah Starzz — and will play its games at Salt Lake Community College's Bruin Arena, home to the SLCC men's and women's basketball teams.
For the Jazz, the move should help maximize player development and access to their minor league affiliate.
"Strategically, we had to keep Tibor in Boise for longer stretches of time," Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey said at an afternoon news conference announcing the move. "Now, he can play a game with the Salt Lake City Stars on Thursday, and then stay in town and play with the Utah Jazz on Friday and Saturday. It's a huge advantage, logistically."
The Jazz also see this move as another opportunity for making new connections with their fan base, offering up a chance to see the organization's young, developing players at a less pricey ticket cost.
Since purchasing the Stampede last season and taking over control of all basketball operations, the Jazz have used their minor league club as a training ground for their players. Utah has called up several players from the Stampede for 10-day contracts over the last two seasons, including big men Jack Cooley and Jerrelle Benimon and most recently forward J.J. O'Brien. And Pleiss, a free agent signing last season, has spent much of his rookie campaign with Idaho — five different assignments — where he has been able to get much-needed playing time.
But even though the trek to Boise is only a short plane ride, the distance doesn't lend itself to the type of connectivity the Jazz will have by bringing their D-League franchise to Utah. Jazz head coach Quin Snyder already has great influence over what Stampede coach Dean Cooper does schematically and how the Stampede focuses its development time. But the move will allow for more frequent communication and the opportunity for a more seamless transition between the two teams for players — something other NBA franchises have already enjoyed.
The L.A. D-Fenders, for example, play their games in the Lakers' El Segundo practice facility, which has allowed for players to make quick rehab assignments without missing practice time with the parent team. The Oklahoma City Thunder moved their affiliate, the Blue, out of Tulsa and to OKC. Second-year forward Josh Huestis and rookie point guard Cameron Payne have flowed freely between the Thunder and the Blue this season, practicing with their NBA teammates one day and logging game minutes in the D-League that night. Former Ute Delon Wright has enjoyed a similar situation in Toronto, where he has been able to practice with the Raptors and get regular playing time with the nearby Raptors 905.
Said D-League president Malcolm Turner: "The relocation of the Idaho Stampede to Salt Lake City is an example of the increased connectivity between NBA D-League teams and their NBA parent clubs."
The former Jazz affiliate Utah Flash played in Orem for four years before folding. This move will bring D-League basketball back to Utah for the first time since 2011.
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