Grida Re-Signing Indicates Hawks' Off-Season Strategy

What do Justin Robinson, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk and Dan Grida all have in common? Yes, they’re all locked into playing for the Illawarra Hawks next season, but they all bring a massive element of defensive work-rate and tenacity.

The Hawks are looking to rebound from the worst season in franchise history, where they registered just three wins in 25 games during NBL23, and recently announced the re-signing of Grida to a two-year contract.

All was not as bad as it looked on the surface for the Hawks last season. Even with the raft of season-ending injuries to import players – Robinson included – over half of their losses for the season came by 10 points or less.

ESPN Insider Olgun Uluc believes the re-signing of Grida represents a statement for the type of player the Hawks will be targeting this off-season.

“You can see what the Hawks are trying to build here,” Uluc said on The Marketplace. “There’s a defensive focus with Justin Robinson, Dan Grida and Wani Swaka Lo Buluk.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if they went and chased more guys who fit that mould.

“I look in free agency and who might be available, is a Mason Peatling available – will they chase him? Or a Bul Kuol? Is it those sorts of players they’re going to go after?

“You can sense the type of basketball they want to play.”

Grida’s return to the court for the Hawks – and then the Boomers – was one of the more heart-warming stories of NBL23.

The mulleted and moustached forward missed the better part of two seasons with a pair of serious knee injuries, before a serious hamstring injury delayed his return by another few months.

Once he got back onto the court though, it didn’t take long for Grida to display the intangibles that has made him such a valuable part of the Hawks’ setup in recent years.

“Locking Dan Grida up makes a lot of sense,” Uluc said.

“He averaged five points per game this past season, he’s coming off those injuries but he’s the longest tenured Illawarra Hawk at this point.

“It is important to lock in those sorts of players in order to have sustainability as a franchise.”

NBL Free Agency opens on March 30, with all team, player and mutual options needing to be confirmed by March 27.