| 2016–17 NBA Development League season | |
| League: | NBA Development League |
| Sport: | Basketball |
| Duration: | November 11, 2016 – April 1, 2017 |
| Draft: | Draft |
| Draft Link: | 2016 NBA Development League Draft |
| Top Pick: | Anthony Brown |
| Top Pick Link: | List of first overall NBA Development League draft picks |
| Picked By: | Erie BayHawks |
| Season: | Regular season |
| Top Seed: | Raptors 905 |
| Mvp: | Vander Blue (Los Angeles D-Fenders) |
| Mvp Link: | NBA Development League Most Valuable Player Award |
| Finals: | Finals |
| Finals Link: | List of NBA Development League champions |
| Finals Champ: | Raptors 905 |
| Finals Runner-Up: | Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
| Finals Mvp: | Pascal Siakam (Raptors 905) |
| Finals Mvp Link: | NBA Development League Finals Most Valuable Player Award |
| Seasonslist: | List of NBA Development League yearly standings |
| Seasonslistnames: | NBA Development League |
| Prevseason Link: | 2015–16 NBA Development League season |
| Prevseason Year: | 2015–16 |
| Nextseason Link: | 2017–18 NBA G League season |
| Nextseason Year: | 2017–18 |
The 2016–17 NBA Development League season was the 16th season of the NBA Development League (NBA D-League). The NBA D-League is the official minor league basketball organization owned by the National Basketball Association (NBA). The following season, the league was rebranded to NBA G League as part of multi-year partnership with Gatorade and its parent company, PepsiCo.[1]
The league expanded to a record 22 teams for the 2016–17 season. Three expansion teams were introduced this season (Greensboro Swarm, Long Island Nets, and Windy City Bulls), each of them owned and affiliated with an NBA team.[3] Along with these three new teams, the Bakersfield Jam were purchased by their 2015–16 affiliate, the Phoenix Suns, and relocated to become the Northern Arizona Suns. The Idaho Stampede, who were already owned by the Utah Jazz, were also relocated and became the Salt Lake City Stars. The Reno Bighorns were purchased by their NBA affiliate, the Sacramento Kings just prior to the start of the season. The addition of the three teams, as well as the purchases of existing teams, left just eight NBA teams without a D-League affiliate and only seven D-League teams not owned by an NBA team.
The league consists of two conferences, each with 11 teams split into two divisions, two with six and two with five. The Greensboro Swarm and Long Island Nets were placed into the Atlantic Division. The Raptors 905 moved from the Atlantic Division, along with the newly formed Windy City Bulls, to the Central Division. With the addition of the three expansion teams, to even out the conferences, the Iowa Energy and Sioux Falls Skyforce moved from the Central Division of the Eastern Conference to the Southwest Division of the Western Conference.[4]
Final standings.[5]
| Team (affiliate) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y – Maine Red Claws (BOS) | 29 | 21 | 0 | 15–10 | 14–11 | ||
| Delaware 87ers (PHI) | 26 | 24 | 3 | 15–10 | 11–14 | ||
| Westchester Knicks (NYK) | 19 | 31 | 10 | 12–13 | 7–18 | ||
| Greensboro Swarm (CHA) | 19 | 31 | 10 | 13–12 | 6–19 | ||
| Long Island Nets (BKN) | 17 | 33 | 12 | 10–15 | 7–18 | ||
| Erie BayHawks (ORL) | 14 | 36 | 15 | 9–16 | 5–20 |
| Team (affiliate) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| z – Raptors 905 (TOR) | 39 | 11 | 0 | 18–7 | 21–4 | ||
| x – Fort Wayne Mad Ants (IND) | 30 | 20 | 9 | 16–9 | 14–11 | ||
| x – Canton Charge (CLE) | 29 | 21 | 10 | 17–8 | 12–13 | ||
| Grand Rapids Drive (DET) | 26 | 24 | 13 | 15–10 | 11–14 | ||
| Windy City Bulls (CHI) | 23 | 27 | 16 | 15–10 | 8–17 |
| Team (affiliate) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y – Oklahoma City Blue (OKC) | 34 | 16 | 0 | 19–6 | 15–10 | ||
| 32 | 18 | 2 | 19–6 | 13–12 | |||
| Sioux Falls Skyforce (MIA) | 29 | 21 | 5 | 16–9 | 13–12 | ||
| Austin Spurs (SAS) | 25 | 25 | 9 | 13–12 | 12–13 | ||
| Texas Legends (DAL) | 25 | 25 | 9 | 14–11 | 11–14 | ||
| Iowa Energy (MEM) | 12 | 38 | 22 | 6–19 | 6–19 |
| Team (affiliate) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | 16 | 0 | 16–9 | 18–7 | |||
| x – Santa Cruz Warriors (GSW) | 31 | 19 | 3 | 18–7 | 13–12 | ||
| Northern Arizona Suns (PHX) | 22 | 28 | 12 | 14–11 | 8–17 | ||
| Reno Bighorns (SAC) | 21 | 29 | 13 | 12–13 | 9–16 | ||
| Salt Lake City Stars (UTA) | 14 | 36 | 20 | 7–18 | 7–18 |
For the last time, the League held an eight-team bracket for the postseason. After the season, the League would shift from best-of-three postseason rounds to having it only be for the Finals (while retaining the arrangement of having the better seeded team host Game 2 and Game 3 if necessary).[6] Raptors 905 won the Finals in the final year of the league with the D League branding, winning over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in three games. The Vipers won Game 1 119-106 before Raptors 905 won Game 2 95-85 and Game 3 122-96.[7]