G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim: Valley Suns complete our connection to the NBA

NBA G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim is excited about the news of the Phoenix Suns new G League team, the Valley Suns, to be joining the league.

Rahim joined Burns & Gambo Friday and said with the new G-League team, the league will now have all 30 NBA teams with a G League team for the first time.

“We are excited about everything Mat Ishbia and Josh (Bartelstein) are doing with the Suns,” Rahim told Burns & Gambo. “When Mat and his brother (Justin) were approved as owners, one of the first calls they made was to us and telling us they wanted a team for the Suns and to develop players and coaches.”

Rahim said that it felt “incomplete” for the Suns to be the only team without a G League franchise after former Suns owner Robert Sarver selling the previous team, the NAZ Suns, to the Detroit Pistons in 2021.

“We weren’t complete and it was always something,” Rahim said. “You were making some provisions when players were assigned and what would happen to their two-way players. Now that we have everyone, the way we think about the league is with everyone’s prospective. It completes us and our connection to the NBA.”

The Valley Suns will debut for the 2024-25 season and will play their home games at Mullett Arena in Tempe.