Utah Jazz: Jazz named D-League affiliate of Reno Bighorns

SALT LAKE CITY — The Beehive State now has a tie to The Biggest Little City in the World.

The Reno Bighorns have been named as the D-League affiliate of the Utah Jazz, the NBA announced Tuesday. The Bighorns also have affiliations with the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings in the 2012-13 season.

After the Utah Flash folded, Utah was affiliated with the Idaho Stampede for a season. But the Boise-based club became the sole affiliate of the Portland Trail Blazers this past spring, forcing the Jazz to find a new partner.

The Bighorns are the Jazz's fourth D-League affiliate. Utah was originally aligned with the Albuquerque Thunderbirds in 2005-06, followed by the Stampede in 2006-07, the Flash from 2007-11 and Idaho again last year.

Utah has assigned five different players on 15 assignments, and the Jazz have called up eight players since 2001-02. Point guard Blake Ahearn was the most recent D-League call-up after leading the D-League in scoring with the Bighorns.

Twenty-seven percent of NBA players have spent time in the 16-team D-League.

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