Mike Budenholzer wants stronger affiliation with D-League

The Atlanta Hawks have been one of the most active teams at utilizing the NBA D-League over the last couple of seasons. That was despite not having a one-to-one or hybrid affiliation with one team. Mike Budenholzer indicated on Monday that he would like to see a stronger affiliation in the future.

Mike Budenholzer said he's interested in having a stronger affiliation with the D-League. "Having our own D-League team is critical to us."

— KL Chouinard (@AnaheimAmigos) June 29, 2015

Budenholzer mentioned the possibility of either a one-to-one or a hybrid affiliation with the Developmental League.

— KL Chouinard (@AnaheimAmigos) June 29, 2015

John Jenkins, Mike Muscala and Adreian Payne were all assigned to the D-League by the Hawks at various times during the 2014 season. The Hawks shared the Fort Wayne Mad Ants last season with 12 other NBA teams. Under the flexible assignment rule, Payne also spent time with the Austin Spurs while Jenkins had a stint with the Idaho Stampede.

A D-League team would seem to be high priority, but it is unclear where it might fall on new ownership's list. Already majority owner Tony Ressler has talked about remodeling Philips Arena or building a new structure. He also declared that a new practice facility was a must for the franchise in the near future.