The CLEVELAND CHARGE are a professional basketball team in the NBA G League and an affiliate of the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS. Previously known as the Huntsville Flight, the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, and the New Mexico Thunderbirds, the team's first season in Ohio came as the Canton Charge during the 2011-2012 season. During the 2021-2022 season, they moved to the Wolstein Center in downtown Cleveland and began playing as the Cleveland Charge.
Before being acquired by the Cavaliers in the summer of 2011, the team was independently owned and not associated with just one NBA team. Instead, it operated as part of the developmental program for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, and Utah Jazz.
The Cleveland Charge are currently coached by Mike Gerrity who took over for Dan Geriot following the 2021-2022 season. Under Geriot, the Cleveland Change posted a 6-26 record, the worst in the entire G League. These losses came at an average margin of 8.5 points per game. After Gerrity took over, the team improved, posting a record of 18-14, despite having a point differential of -0.5, and qualifying for the G League playoffs, losing in the second round.
The Charge are competitors in the AT&T NBA G League Winter Showcase, an event held in December that hosts 31 G League competitions in 4 days, allowing NBA scouts to see all prospective players in one place in a short period. Most recently the Charge finished the event with a record of 6-4.
The Charge, like every G League team, are allotted 2 2-way players; these are players who are part of the Charge as well as the Cavaliers. As of 2023, these spots are occupied by Craig Porter Jr, and Isiah Mobley. In addition to this, any Charge players can be called up to any NBA team, as G League players sign contracts with the NBA rather than an individual team. Charge players who have been called up include Scott Trevon, Pelle Norvel, Newman Malik, Sam Merrill, James Justin, and Kyle Guy. Of these call-ups, all except for Kyle Guy, James Justin, and Pelle Norvel played for the Cavaliers.
Since moving to Cleveland, three Charge players, Tacko Fall, Sharife Cooper, and Isiah Mobley, have earned G League awards. In 2022, Fall made the G League First Team All-Defense, Cooper was selected to the NBA G League All-Second Team, and Mobley was selected to the NBA G League All-Third Team.
Samuel Trunley