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This coming Sunday (January 5th), the 2014 NBA D-League Showcase will officially begin. With all seventeen minor league teams set to be in attendance in Reno next week, the annual event is a great time for the array of promising prospects to put their best efforts forth and strut their stuff for the masses of NBA executives present to take in the sights.
There's no denying that as the injury bug continues to bite a handful of the NBA's top contenders, such teams may look to the D-League for a couple of worthwhile options who can step in and fill existing voids.
Needless to say, there's plenty of talent on display during the Showcase to keep an eye on. Still, NBA executives even use such a scouting trip for much more than just that.
Earlier this week, RidiculousUpside.com hosted Golden State Warriors' Assistant General Manager Kirk Lacob on its latest podcast. In addition to serving as G.M. for the NBADL-affiliated Santa Cruz Warriors, the executive obviously has responsibilities at the NBA level as well.
And with that in mind, the Showcase also provides NBA front office members a great forum to talk shop and discuss potential trades, says Lacob.
Such an opportunity is especially valuable with the trading deadline just weeks away. The likes of the Rockets' Omer Asik and D-League alumni Jeremy Lin headline some of the more highlighted and speculated trading chips to date.
For what it's worth, the five day session does warrant appearances from multiple representatives from just about every NBA team at some point or another. It's no surprise that in addition to scouting the talent of the future, the slew of executives present take the opportunity to mingle, interact, and discuss more serious matters while being face to face.