Carmelo Anthony wants D-League rebrand as part of next CBA
New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony wants an overhaul in the NBA Development League as part of the discussion in the next collective bargaining agreement.
Anthony says he wants to create more jobs for younger players, and wants every team to have an affiliate. Currently, there are 22 NBA D-League teams, up from 19 last season.
The only teams without a D-League affiliate are the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Clippers, Washington Wizards and the Portland Trail Blazers.
"If I had it my way, I'd rebrand the whole D-League," Anthony told ESPN. "I'd rebrand it so it's not seen as a punishment."
Anthony is the vice president of the National Basketball Players Association and is also advocating for the use of two-way contracts, which would allow players to play for both NBA and D-League teams.
The union has until Dec. 15 to opt out of the current CBA, and it has been reported that both sides could agree to a new deal as early as the end of this month.
"I'm a big advocate of developing our own players. If you look at soccer, for example, a lot of those clubs have top-notch academies," Anthony said. "We've got to keep our players here. We don't want them to have to go overseas."
– Scooby Axson
