What is the impact on the Phoenix Suns to be the only NBA team with no G League affiliate?

There are 30 NBA franchises, but only 29 affiliate G League teams. The one organization without a minor-league squad? The Phoenix Suns.

“We should (have a G League team),” Suns center Jusuf Nurkic said. “Being the only team to not have (an affiliate) is not good.”

The NBA G League, founded in 2001 as the NBA’s minor-league system, was originally called the National Basketball Development League. It was rebranded to the NBA Development League in 2005 and then the NBA Gatorade League (NBA G League) in 2017.

Every NBA team is allowed three two-way contract players to appear on both the NBA and its G League affiliate rosters. The Suns’ two-way players, though — Saben Lee, Udoka Azubuike and Theo Maledon — are permitted to work out a “flex assignment” with another G League team for an agreed upon amount of time.

Have the Phoenix Suns' two-way players been playing?

However, this season, that hasn’t happened. None of the Suns’ two-way players have played a single G League minute this year.

“That’s all the front office and (General Manager) James Jones (decisions),” Suns coach Frank Vogel said. “They’re flexible in doing that, but they made a decision to not do that yet.”

So, how does this impact Lee, Azubuike and Maledon? Most notably, it limits their ability to get real-game repetitions.

“(The two-way) guys are limited in the work that they’re able to get,” Vogel said. “I think that developmental time to play in the G-League — to have those full practices and to get the game minutes — is something that’s really invaluable. We definitely do miss out on having that this year.”

Not only is the lack of game reps difficult to overcome from a developmental perspective, but it’s also detrimental for the players to go through an entire NBA season without ever being able to get in a real game. All of their hard work can seem unrewarding.

“It is tough when they’re not playing, because it’s such a long season,” said Eric Gordon, the Suns’ 35-year-old sixth man. “And just playing three-on-three or five-on-five (in practice) every day is hard, because the games are obviously the most exciting part.”

Advantages to being with the NBA squad

However, there can be some benefits to having two-way players spend all of their time with the NBA team. According to Vogel, being with the Suns allows the two-way players to grow off the court.

“There’s a big mental approach to this time of year, and being in the film sessions with the key guys, and seeing how star players are processing coaching, there’s valuable lessons in that as well,” he said.

Luckily for future two-way players for the Suns, they probably won’t have to wait too long before they’re able to get on-court experience in the G League. In a July 2023 interview with The Athletic, Suns team owner Matt Ishbia confirmed the organization’s plans to have a team up and running by next season.

“Matt Ishbia is one of a kind,” Nurkic said. “The best part about being on the Phoenix Suns is having the owner who’s willing to do anything to win.”

Robbie Hodin is a graduate student at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What is impact on Suns as only NBA team without a G League affiliate?