Celtics Become 26th Franchise To Fully Own G League Team

The Celtics have an agreement in place to buy the Maine Red Claws, their G League affiliate, as the team announced today.

“Over the years, the G League and the Red Claws have become increasingly important to the Celtics and our player development efforts. We look forward to deepening both our ties with basketball operations and within the community, and further bringing the Celtics experience to fans in Maine,” said Team President Rich Gotham.

There are 28 teams in the G League and after this move, only two franchises do not wholly own their affiliate, as 2 Ways & 10 Days highlights on Twitter.

The Rockets (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) and Pistons (Grand Rapid Drive) have “hybrid” affiliations with their respective G League clubs, meaning they manage and fund the basketball operations while local ownership maintains the control of the business and its community relations, as the G League details on its website.

The Red Claws played their first game in 2009 and are located in Portland, Maine. The team was previously owned by Maine Basketball, LLC.

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