Cairns Veteran on the Move?

One of the Cairns Taipans’ veteran leaders has elected not to continue his time in Far North Queensland, as 30-year-old Majok Deng’s mutual option has not been confirmed by the club.

Deng, who began his NBL career at the Adelaide 36ers, arrived in Cairns ahead of the 2019-20 season and has over 200 games of experience in the competition – the most out of any player to represent the Taipans last season.

He averaged 6.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game across NBL23 – his lowest points per game tally since his debut season with the 36ers in 2017.

The South Sudanese international still showcased his ability to be a game-changing stretch big at various times across the season. He dropped 26 points against Tasmania Round 1, and also registered a game-winning double-double against Perth in Round 18.

“It was slightly surprising,” ESPN Insider Olgun Uluc said of Deng’s release on The Marketplace. “Especially seeing what Cairns is trying to do.

“They were telling a lot of players they were probably going to drop out of the rotation [and] they had priorities elsewhere. So if you look at Majok Deng he said he’d opt out of the mutual option and test his value.

“They’ll do their usual Taipans thing under Adam Forde and scour the college market, and there are a few interesting names there.”

Along with the departure of Deng, guard Ben Ayre and Mirko Djeric have not have their options picked up, and star locals Keanu Pinder and Bul Kuol are both set to hit free agency.

The Taipans currently have just four players contracted heading into NBL24 – import star Tahj McCall, reigning NBL Next Generation Award winner Sam Waardenburg and young talents Jonah Antonio and Lat Mayen.

“As far as the locals in Cairns, it’s going to be a completely different look it seems,” Uluc said.

NBL Free Agency opens today – Thursday, March 30.