The Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s development team, will take part in the G League bubble, it was announced Friday.
The Blue are one of 18 teams that will participate. Seventeen of the teams will be G League affiliates of NBA teams and the other will be the G League Ignite, a one-year developmental program for elite prospects.
This bubble will take place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, the same location as the NBA bubble last season.
Players and staff will be subject to the safety protocols implemented by the league and resort, including coronavirus testing, social distancing and mask wearing.
A Dec. 29 article from The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that teams will start arriving in their home markets on Jan. 19, get to the Orlando site on Jan. 26 and then tip off for the first games on Feb. 8.
The scheduled, which at the time was reported to be 12 to 15 games, will lead up to a playoff schedule from March 5-9.
The top eight teams will advance to a single-elimination playoff, the G League said.
There will be a G League draft for the teams participating that will take place at noon Central time.
Oklahoma City went 20-22 last season under first-year head coach Grant Gibbs.
The 18 teams are:
- Agua Caliente Clippers (LA Clippers)
- Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs)
- Canton Charge (Cleveland Cavaliers)
- Delaware Blue Coats (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Erie BayHawks (New Orleans Pelicans)
- Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Indiana Pacers)
- Greensboro Swarm (Charlotte Hornets)
- Iowa Wolves (Minnesota Timberwolves)
- Lakeland Magic (Orlando Magic)
- Long Island Nets (Brooklyn Nets)
- Memphis Hustle (Memphis Grizzlies)
- Oklahoma City Blue (Oklahoma City Thunder)
- Raptors 905 (Toronto Raptors)
- Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets)
- Salt Lake City Stars (Utah Jazz)
- Santa Cruz Warriors (Golden State Warriors)
- Westchester Knicks (New York Knicks)
- G League Ignite
