The NBA D-League has come a long way since the inception of the league back in 2001. When the inaugural season kicked off, the league had eight teams: the Asheville Altitude, North Charleston Lowgators, Columbus Riverdragons, Fayetteville Patriots, Greenville Groove, Huntsville Flight, Mobile Revelers, and Roanoke Dazzle.
With the Greensboro Swarm, Long Island Nets, and Windy City Bulls entering the NBADL for the 2016-17 season, the league now stands at 22 teams. The Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Clippers have been in discussions about adding a team to the NBA D-League.
NBA executives, presidents, and NBA D-League general mangers are embracing the positives of the NBA developmental league.