Hawks rule out Cooks swoop

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

"The reality is we don't have cap space."

Xavier Cooks is searching for a new team after being waived from the Washington Wizards, but he won’t be returning home to the Illawarra Hawks.

The Wollongong native will always be linked to the Hawks, after his dad Eric Cooks, played for the club from 1997-2000.

ESPN’s Olgun Uluc revealed on NBL Overtime that some NBL teams have already enquired about Cooks’ services, but Illawarra has categorically ruled themselves out of the race for last season’s MVP.

"The reality is we don't have cap space," Hawks GM Mat Campbell told the Illawarra Mercury.

"Obviously Xavier Cooks is a local Illawarra junior, raised and played all his basketball here, and we would always like to see him in Hawks colours.

"As it stands this year, our roster is full and, salary cap-wise, we have no room to be able to put in a marquee player like Xavier.

"That said, I'm sure the Sydney Kings would have first say, and I'd expect him to get another opportunity in the NBA."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Could Xavier Cooks return to the NBL?<a href="https://twitter.com/OlgunUluc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OlgunUluc</a> with the latest on which teams have made a call, and where he is most likely to land.<br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBLOvertime?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBLOvertime</a> on ESPN via Kayo ? <a href="https://t.co/CDI3yYGmf3">pic.twitter.com/CDI3yYGmf3</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1716740718260003009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Sydney owns Cooks’ rights of first refusal, meaning they will need to clear him to sign with another NBL team, like they did with Dejan Vasiljevic going to Adelaide.

However, Uluc has reported the Kings won’t be letting Cooks suit up in a different uniform this season.

“If another team comes running in and there is any sniff Xavier Cooks might put any consideration into it, or might consider coming back to the NBL, the Sydney Kings will move mountains ... if Xavier Cooks wants to return to the NBL, he will be a Sydney King,” Uluc said on NBL Overtime.

Uluc added Cooks’ management will exhaust NBA options before considering an NBL return.