The Orlando Magic have chosen The Lakeland Center over Kissimmee's Silver Spurs Arena as the home for its minor league affiliate, according to people close to the negotiations. Currently operating as the Erie BayHawks in Northwestern Pennsylvania, the team will begin play in Lakeland next season.

LAKELAND — Professional basketball is officially coming to Lakeland.



The Orlando Magic have chosen The Lakeland Center over Kissimmee's Silver Spurs Arena as the home for its minor league affiliate, according to people close to the negotiations. Currently operating as the Erie BayHawks in Northwestern Pennsylvania, the team will begin play in Lakeland next season.



The Magic will announce the decision during a press conference today at The Lakeland Center at 10 a.m. Neither the Magic nor The Lakeland Center would confirm what this announcement would be.



"We're just excited about what's going to happen tomorrow," Lakeland Center director Tony Camarillo said. "You'll hear all the news."



Mark Jackson, Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing director, said his organization is "very optimistic that the announcement will be favorable and mean big things."



"It's a huge, huge shot in the arm in terms of image in that a major sports franchise and major league would even consider our area," he said. "It also means a lot in terms of recruiting. It's sort of an endorsement of what this area can do and has done for years in the world of sports.



The NBA founded the D-League in 2001, and has slowly developed it into a minor league system similar to that of professional baseball — specifically, Triple-A baseball. The league features 22 teams, each with direct affiliations to a parent franchise in the NBA.



Three new teams — the Windy City Bulls, Long Island Nets and Greensboro Swarm — debuted this season. The Lakeland team will be the second to play in Florida after the Florida Flame, a one-time affiliate of the Magic, folded following the 2005-06 season.



The Atlanta Hawks' expansion franchise will begin play in the 2019-20 season.



Initially, the Magic also looked at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville and the ESPN Wide World of Sports' HP Field House. In June, the team whittled its list to Lakeland and Kissimmee.



George Jenkins Arena at The Lakeland Center, built in 1974, was the oldest facility among the four semifinalists. It features about 8,000 seats and will undergo renovations aimed toward improving fan experience, along with making the arena's upper deck more accessible to the disabled.



The Lakeland Center made a final presentation to the Magic on Aug. 1, but the two sides continued to talk and negotiate throughout the ensuing months. Originally, the Magic had hoped to announce its choice in time for the NBA's preseason in October.



— Brady Fredericksen can be reached at brady.fredericksen@theledger.com or 863-802-7553. Follow him on Twitter: @Brady_Fred.