NBA G League, Next Gen Union Agree To First CBA

The NBA G League and Next Gen Basketball Players Union (NGBPU) have reportedly come to an agreement on the first G League CBA, sources told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps on Friday.

The G League CBA will feature “several improvements for players, including salary increases for G League players and those who land with G League teams off of Exhibit 10 deals,” per Bontemps.

NBA G League Prepares Players, Coaches For NBA

According to the official site, the NBA G league was founded in 2001 as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL), and then it was renamed the NBA Development League (NBA D-League) in 2005.

The G League is the NBA’s official minor league, “preparing players, coaches, officials, trainers, and front office staff for the NBA while acting as the league’s research and development laboratory.”

Prior to the 2017-18 season, the NBA D-League became the NBA G League as part of a multi-year expanded partnership between the NBA and Gatorade.

Last month, the G League released its complete game schedule for the league’s 25th season, which tips off on Friday, Nov. 7. The new season features an expanded playoff field and 31 teams, including the rebranded Noblesville Boom, the affiliate of the Indiana Pacers.

The G League schedule will continue to be divided into two parts: 14-game Tip-Off Tournament, followed by a 36-game regular season. All 31 G League teams will compete in at least 50 games during the 2025-26 season.

Tip-Off Tournament Kicks Off 2025-26 Season

The Tip-Off Tournament, which marks the start of the 2025-26 season, begins on Friday, Nov. 7 and concludes when a champion is crowned during the 2025 G League Winter Showcase in December.

For the Tip-Off Tournament, teams are placed into four regions to play 14 games against each other.

The teams with the best winning percentage in each region, as well as the next four teams with the best winning percentages regardless of region, will advance to compete for the championship at the G League Winter Showcase.

Every team will play at least two games at the Winter Showcase.

Following the Tip-Off Tournament, team records will reset before the 36-game regular season, which begins at the Winter Showcase.

For the first time at the end of the regular season, the top eight teams in each conference will qualify for the G League Playoffs, which conclude with the G League Finals in April 2026.