NEW YORK, October 26, 2010 – Tying an all-time high, 63 players with NBA Development League experience highlight 2010-11 NBA opening day rosters. That number of former NBA D-Leaguers on NBA opening day rosters equaled the previous high of 63 featured on 2009-10 NBA start-of-season rosters, and surpassed the 60 former NBA D-Leaguers on 2008-09 opening day rosters. In just four years, the number of former NBA D-League players on NBA start-of-season rosters has nearly doubled, going from 35 on opening day in 2006-07 to 63 today.
Twenty-nine of 30 NBA teams feature at least one player with NBA D-League experience, while the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves each have four former NBA D-Leaguers on their respective rosters.
Of the 63 former NBA D-League players in the NBA, nine are members of teams in action tonight, including Von Wafer (Boston Celtics); Aaron Brooks and Chuck Hayes (Houston Rockets); Matt Barnes and Shannon Brown (Los Angeles Lakers); Joel Anthony (Miami Heat); Earl Clark and Garret Siler (Phoenix Suns); and Patrick Mills (Portland Trail Blazers).
Following is the list of players with NBA D-League experience on opening day rosters.
| Player | NBA Team | Last D-League Team |
| Maurice Ager* | Minnesota | Maine |
| Alexis Ajinca* | Dallas | Maine |
| Joe Alexander* | New Orleans | Fort Wayne |
| Louis Amundson | Golden State | Colorado |
| Chris Andersen | Denver | Fayetteville |
| Joel Anthony* | Miami | Iowa |
| Kelenna Azubuike | New York | Fort Worth |
| Jose Juan Barea* | Dallas | Fort Worth |
| Matt Barnes | L.A. Lakers | Fayetteville |
| Brandon Bass* | Orlando | Tulsa |
| Andray Blatche* | Washington | Roanoke |
| Aaron Brooks* | Houston | Rio Grande Valley |
| Shannon Brown* | L.A. Lakers | Rio Grande Valley |
| Will Bynum | Detroit | Roanoke |
| Matt Carroll | Charlotte | Roanoke |
| Earl Clark* | Phoenix | Iowa |
| Daequan Cook* | Oklahoma City | Iowa |
| Joey Dorsey* | Toronto | Rio Grande Valley |
| Jordan Farmar* | New Jersey | Los Angeles |
| Kyrylo Fesenko* | Utah | Utah |
| Gary Forbes | Denver | Tulsa |
| Alonzo Gee* | San Antonio | Austin |
| Marcin Gortat* | Orlando | Anaheim |
| Stephen Graham | New Jersey | Sioux Falls |
| Donte’ Greene* | Sacramento | Reno |
| Hamed Haddadi* | Memphis | Dakota |
| Chuck Hayes | Houston | Albuquerque |
| Ryan Hollins* | Cleveland | Fort Worth |
| Lester Hudson* | Washington | Dakota |
| Ersan Ilyasova* | Milwaukee | Tulsa |
| Darnell Jackson* | Sacramento | Erie |
| Eugene ‘Pooh’ Jeter | Sacramento | Colorado |
| Amir Johnson* | Toronto | Sioux Falls |
| Dahntay Jones | Indiana | Fort Wayne |
| Kosta Koufos* | Minnesota | Utah |
| Shaun Livingston | Charlotte | Tulsa |
| Ian Mahinmi* | Dallas | Austin |
| Cartier Martin | Washington | Iowa |
| Josh McRoberts* | Indiana | Idaho |
| Pops Mensah-Bonsu* | New Orleans | Austin |
| C.J. Miles* | Utah | Idaho |
| Patrick Mills* | Portland | Idaho |
| Jamario Moon | Cleveland | Fort Worth |
| Byron Mullens* | Oklahoma City | Tulsa |
| Steve Novak* | Dallas | Rio Grande Valley |
| Josh Powell* | Atlanta | Fort Worth |
| Ramon Sessions* | Cleveland | Tulsa |
| Garret Siler | Phoenix | Utah |
| Bobby Simmons | San Antonio | Mobile |
| Jermaine Taylor* | Houston | Rio Grande Valley |
| Garrett Temple | San Antonio | Rio Grande Valley |
| Hasheem Thabeet* | Memphis | Dakota |
| Anthony Tolliver* | Minnesota | Idaho |
| Von Wafer* | Boston | Colorado |
| Bill Walker* | New York | Maine |
| C.J. Watson | Chicago | Rio Grande Valley |
| Martell Webster* | Minnesota | Fort Worth |
| Sonny Weems* | Toronto | Colorado |
| D.J. White* | Oklahoma City | Tulsa |
| Lou Williams* | Philadelphia | Fort Worth |
| Jawad Williams | Cleveland | Rio Grande Valley |
| Reggie Williams | Golden State | Sioux Falls |
| Dorell Wright* | Golden State | Florida |
* NBA assigned player
The NBA Development League, founded in 2001, is the NBA’s official minor league whose teams have direct affiliations to NBA franchises. For the 2009-10 season, the league featured 16 teams – including the debut of the Maine Red Claws and the Springfield Armor, while a new team, the Texas Legends, will join the League for the 2010-11 season. A proven developer of talent, 20 percent of players in the NBA at the conclusion of the 2009-10 season boasted NBA D-League experience, while the league continues to develop coaches, referees, and front-office staff for the NBA and its teams. In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote health and wellness, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA D-League Cares programs. The NBA D-League also advances the game of basketball as the research and development arm of the NBA. Throughout the season fans can watch all NBA D-League games on NBA Futurecast, the free live Web-streaming initiative found at nba.com/futurecast.
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