Sacramento Kings moving G-League affiliate to Stockton
By Tyler Watts
The Sacramento Kings plan to relocate their G-League team from Reno to Stockton for the 2018-2019 season. Continue reading to find out why.
The Sacramento Kings are making a significant change to their structure next season. Below is a Tweet from Sean Cunningham detailing the plans for their G-League affiliate.
Pending league approval, the Sacramento Kings will relocate its G League affiliate from Reno to nearby Stockton for next season. Reno Bighorns - a Kings affiliate since 2008, purchased & operated by Kings in 2016 are no more. New team to be renamed later & play at Stockton Arena
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) April 9, 2018
Closer to home
The major upside of this relocation is the team will be closer to Sacramento. That may not sound like a massive deal, but it allows more opportunities for player movement. Young players can head to Stockton for a game on Monday and then, return to Sacramento for a Tuesday evening contest. It will allow players who do not see significant minutes with the Kings the opportunity to log those minutes in the G-League and still be on the bench in Sacramento. More in-game action for young players is almost always positive.
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Sad day for Reno
It was a sad day for the city of Reno, though. The Bighorns had ten seasons in Nevada and were a successful club. They made five playoff appearances during that tenure including this season. The team had quite a few notable alumni as well. Skal Labissiere and Justin Jackson both logged minutes with the team this season. Previously, Jeremy Lin, Hassan Whiteside, Garrett Temple, and David Stockton all applied their trade in Reno. The city is sad to see the team move away and it was fantastic decade run.
Hopefully, Reno finds a new G-League affiliate to fill its arena next season.
Final thoughts
The Sacramento Kings are moving their G-League partner from Reno to Stockton. The driving force behind the move is geographic location. The Kings use their affiliate as much as any team in the NBA and being closer helps ease the travel burden.
The team will undergo a rebranding in its move. I assume the Stockton team will be the Stockton Kings, but no official announcement is out, yet. If you have an idea for a nickname for the team, Tweet it to us @ARoyalPain. Please stay tuned for more information on this developing story.
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