NBL23 Free Agency Update

By Liam Santamaria

We are now into the third week of this year’s free agency period and, while it’s been a bit of a slow burn, things seem to have really picked up over the last few days.

The Sydney Kings unveiled a couple of key signings over the past 48 hours – including a new three-year deal for the Grand Final MVP – while the New Zealand Breakers and South East Melbourne Phoenix both made roster announcements earlier today.

And how about them Adelaide 36ers? There’s plenty of smoke coming out of the City of Churches right now about potential import signings and where there’s smoke, well, there’s usually some kind of fire.

With all that in mind, let’s take a glance at where each roster sits at this point of the off-season.

As a bit of a snapshot, I’ve listed each squad’s returning players, their new guys and some notes about what’s been going on.

* denotes restricted player (import)

(NS) denotes ‘Next Stars’ player

(DP) denotes development player

(SRP) denotes special restricted player  

(IP) denotes player signed under Indigenous Player Rule

 

ADELAIDE 36ERS

Head Coach: CJ Bruton

Returning: Mitch McCarron, Daniel Johnson, Sunday Dech, Hyrum Harris, Kai Sotto (SRP), Nick Marshall (DP)

New: Anthony Drmic (Brisbane Bullets), Kyrin Galloway (New Zealand Breakers)

Departing:

Free Agents: Dusty Hannahs*, Todd Withers*, Cam Bairstow, Isaac Humphries, Tad Dufelmeier Jnr, Mojave King (NS), Emmanuel Malou, Zac Gattorna, Lachlan Olbrich

Need: With a solid core of local talent already in place, the 36ers are looking to hit the mark with their imports.

Notes: The word coming out of Adelaide over the past week has been that the 36ers management are not messing around. Having reportedly inked a deal with Antonius Cleveland and made a strong play at Robert Franks, the Sixers have also opened preliminary discussions with representatives of Xavier Munford.

Here’s the report from 9 News Adelaide last night…

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The 36ers are on the verge of a boom signing spree, with three star imports set to call Adelaide home. <a href="https://twitter.com/WillCrouch9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WillCrouch9</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9News?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9News</a> <a href="https://t.co/1jSI7gosXd">pic.twitter.com/1jSI7gosXd</a></p>&mdash; 9News Adelaide (@9NewsAdel) <a href="https://twitter.com/9NewsAdel/status/1533741244488228865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


In other news, free agent centre Isaac Humphries is attracting interest from elsewhere around the league. Humphries, who has been plagued by injuries the past two seasons, is currently working out in California under the guidance of renowned strength and conditioning coach Nik Popovic. As I understand it, Melbourne, South East Melbourne and Brisbane are among the clubs who have flagged their interest in the talented big man.

 

BRISBANE BULLETS

Head Coach: James Duncan

Returning: Nathan Sobey, Jason Cadee, Tyrell Harrison, Tom Digbeu (NS)

New: Kody Stattmann (University of Virginia), Harry Froling (Illawarra Hawks)

Departing: Anthony Drmic (Adelaide 36ers), Deng Deng (Illawarra Hawks)

Free Agents: Robert Franks*, Lamar Patterson*, Isaiah Moss*, Chuanxing Liu (SRP), Jack Salt, Tanner Krebs, Tamuri Wigness, Taane Samuel, Max Mackinnon, Harry Rouhliadeff

Need: It’s a reasonably long list but it begins with an import point guard to start alongside Sobey.

Notes: The Bullets appear to have fallen short in their attempts to re-sign Robert Franks, with recent reports linking him to the 36ers.

In the meantime, Brisbane have signed rookie guard Kody Stattmann and flipped Deng Deng for Harry Froling with those two trading places for the second year in a row.

Oh, and for the record, I’m listing Tom Digbeu as a ‘returning’ player here as he’s still under contract as a Next Star, however he didn’t get much burn in Brisbane last season so there’s no certainty that he’ll be back with the Bullets.

 

CAIRNS TAIPANS

Head Coach: Adam Forde

Returning: Tahjere McCall*, Majok Deng, Mirko Djeric, Bul Kuol, Keanu Pinder

New:

Departing: Kouat Noi (Sydney Kings), Scott Machado*

Free Agents: Stephen Zimmerman*, Nate Jawai, Jarrod Kenny, Jordan Ngatai, Brayden Inger, Marshall Nelson, Robbie Heath, Ben Ayre

Need: To roll out some more announcements.

Notes: The Taipans were super active early in the off-season as they moved swiftly to retain key pieces and sign targeted recruits.

Last week they revealed that Tahjere McCall had re-upped for a further two years while Scott Machado took to social media to state that he won’t be returning. Kouat Noi is another who is moving on, having inked a deal with Sydney after three seasons with the Snakes.

So, who else is coming on board? Well, head coach Adam Forde flagged a desire to recruit some exciting young talent from overseas a little while ago. You’d have to think it’s only a matter of time before the Snakes start unveiling some of those dudes.

 

ILLAWARRA HAWKS

Head Coach: Jacob Jackomas

Returning: Tyler Harvey*, Sam Froling, Akoldah Gak, Alex Mudronja, Dan Grida

New: Wani Swaka Lo Buluk (Sydney Kings), Deng Deng (Illawarra Hawks)

Departing: Brian Goorjian (Bay Area Dragons, Hong Kong), Harry Froling (Brisbane Bullets)

Free Agents: Duop Reath, Antonius Cleveland*, Xavier Rathan-Mayes*, Justinian Jessup (NS), Tim Coenraad, Emmet Naar, AJ Ogilvy, Isaac White, Lachlan Dent

Need: To somehow convince Duop Reath to re-sign, despite the absence of Boomers coach Brian Goorjian.

Notes: The Hawks have been keen to retain All-NBL First Team forward Antonius Cleveland, however that is now looking unlikely with the star import reportedly signing a deal with the 36ers.

As for Duop Reath, the Boomers centre continues to explore options overseas while fielding offers from numerous NBL clubs.

 

MELBOURNE UNITED

Head Coach: Dean Vickerman

Returning: Chris Goulding, Matthew Dellavedova, Jack White, Shea Ili, Mason Peatling, Ariel Hukporti (NS), Brad Newley, David Okwera, Zac Triplett (DP)

New: Makuach Maluach (Kouvot, Finland/Darwin Salties, NBL1)

Departing:

Free agents: Jo Lual-Acuil, Caleb Agada*, Yudai Baba (SRP), David Barlow, Dion Prewster, Callum Dalton, Will Hickey

Need: Dean Vickerman addressed this recently on United’s club website when he said, “we are looking to add more consistent shooting across the board.” They’re also going to need a back-up plan at the centre spot in case they lose Lual-Acuil.

Notes: It’s been all quiet on the United front recently with Melbourne’s last roster announcement, the signing of Makuach Maluach, dropping two and a half weeks ago.

Of course, patience is often a key component of constructing a successful roster and, having already locked up much of their local core, United can afford to be patient on their final few pieces.

The primary point of interest here is Jo Lual-Acuil, who was massive for Melbourne last season as he earned All-NBL First Team selection. That said, re-signing him will be difficult. The 28-year-old is keen to explore NBA opportunities this off-season and, if he’s not in the Association, he’ll have lucrative offers from Japan and elsewhere that could prove enticing.

 

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS

Head Coach: Mody Maor

Returning: Tom Abercrombie, Rob Loe, Sam Timmins, Will McDowell-White, Hugo Besson*, Ousmane Dieng (NS)

New: Dan Fotu (Saint Mary’s College, USA), Tom Vodanovich (Sydney Kings), Cam Gliddon (South East Melbourne Phoenix)

Departing: Dan Shamir, Yanni Wetzell (Saski Baskonia, Spain), Kyrin Galloway (Adelaide 36ers)

Free Agents: Finn Delany, Peyton Siva*, Chasson Randle*, Rasmus Bach, Isaac Davidson, Geremy McKay, Sam Short

Need: Home games!

Notes: New head coach Mody Maor meant business when he spoke about a desire to reconnect with the club’s Kiwi roots and the signings of Dan Fotu and Tom Vodanovich are clearly part of the process. There’s also an expectation around NBL circles that Kiwi guard Izayah Le’Afa may soon join that group.

In the meantime, the Breakers today announced the signing of former SEM guard Cam Gliddon. This is a guy who has loved playing in New Zealand over the years. Gliddon played well for the Canterbury Rams in the NZNBL a few years back and three of his six highest scoring games in the NBL took place in Auckland.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Cam Gliddon is bringing 10 years of NBL expertise to the Sky Sport Breakers after signing a two-year deal ? <a href="https://t.co/kfsdDK40Ot">pic.twitter.com/kfsdDK40Ot</a></p>&mdash; Sky Sport New Zealand Breakers (@NZBreakers) <a href="https://twitter.com/NZBreakers/status/1534022340635414528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


 

PERTH WILDCATS

Head Coach: Scott Morrison

Returning: Bryce Cotton*, Mitch Norton, Todd Blanchfield, Luke Travers, Corey Shervill, Majok Majok, Kyle Zunic, Oliver Hayes-Brown (DP)

New:

Departing:

Free Agents: Vic Law*, Michael Frazier*, Matt Hodgson, Jesse Wagstaff, Kevin White, Jack Purchase

Need: Starters at both power forward and centre, including the guy they didn’t have last season: an elite big who can block shots, rebound and finish above the rim.

Notes: The Wildcats have re-signed Bryce Cotton and Todd Blanchfield and have elevated Kyle Zunic but are yet to ink a deal with any new recruits.

That’s okay, because it’s a bit of a wait-and-see when it comes to Vic Law while others, like Duop Reath, appear to be in no hurry to sign.

In the meantime, I’m expecting six-time champion Jesse Wagstaff to go around again. Wagstaff started last season strongly, but his production faded as the year progressed. However, with a squad full of fairly quiet guys, the ‘Cats really need his leadership, both on and off the court.

 

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX

Head Coach: Simon Mitchell

Returning: Mitch Creek, Ryan Broekhoff, Kyle Adnam, Dane Pineau, Reuben Te Rangi

New:

Departing: Cam Gliddon (New Zealand Breakers), Izayah Le’Afa (released), Adam Gibson (retirement)

Free Agents: Zhou Qi (SRP), Xavier Munford*, Brandon Ashley*, Tohi Smith-Milner, Owen Foxwell, Koen Sapwell, Lachlan Barker, Tristan Forsyth

Need: A couple of import guards and a back-up plan at the five.

Notes: South East Melbourne entered the off-season confident of re-signing Chinese superstar Zhou Qi but, to this point, no deal has been finalised between the two parties. Zhou, who averaged 11.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game for the Phoenix last season, expressed a desire to spend some time with family in China this off-season before making a call on his immediate playing future.

Meanwhile, SEM announced this morning that Izayah Le’Afa will be moving on, having reached agreement on a mutual release. That announcement stated that “a desire to return home saw Le’Afa request a release from his contract,” hinting at the Breakers as a likely landing spot for the 25-year-old.

If he does end up with the Breakers, Le’Afa will be alongside a very familiar face, with former Phoenix teammate Cam Gliddon inking a two-year deal with the Kiwi club.

In other news, SEM have been one of the clubs engaged in talks with exciting young guard Junior Madut, who appears to be turning pro after a couple of years at the University of Hawaii.

 

SYDNEY KINGS

Head Coach: Chase Buford

Returning: Xavier Cooks, Dejan Vasiljevic, Shaun Bruce, Jordan Hunter, Jaylin Galloway, Angus Glover, Biwali Bayles (IP), Makur Maker (NS)

New: Kouat Noi (Cairns Taipans)

Departing: Wani Swaka Lo Buluk (Illawarra Hawks), Tom Vodanovich (New Zealand Breakers)

Free Agents: Jaylen Adams*, Jarell Martin*, Ian Clark*, Matur Maker, Jayden Hodgson, Iggy Mitchell

Need: To re-sign as many members of their championship-winning import trio as possible.

Notes: The Kings hit a home run today when they announced they’d re-signed Xavier Cooks on a new three-year deal. It’s a contract that includes NBA and European outs, although I’m told that there’s a decent buyout figure involved, and the Euro outs don’t kick in until after the 2022-23 season. That’s a hugely important re-signing as Cooks has become arguably the best local player in the league.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Re-signed for another 3 years ?<br><br>See what he has planned for the NBL 23 season: <a href="https://t.co/ccNGlylXVC">https://t.co/ccNGlylXVC</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheKings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheKings</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/xaviercooks10?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@xaviercooks10</a> <a href="https://t.co/5h0G3IgCCj">pic.twitter.com/5h0G3IgCCj</a></p>&mdash; Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings/status/1534037534095081472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


Sydney have also picked up former Cairns forward Kouat Noi, who had fallen into free agency after two injury-plagued seasons with the Taipans. Noi is talented, there’s no doubt about that, but his troublesome right knee and an inability to regain elite conditioning have held him back from capitalising on his potential. If the Kings can get his body right, they may well have found themselves a bargain.

 

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS

Head Coach: Scott Roth

Returning: Will Magnay, Jack McVeigh, Clint Steindl, Fabijan Krslovic, Matt Kenyon, Sam McDaniel, Jarrad Weeks, Jarred Bairstow, Sean McDonald (DP)

New:

Departing: Sejr Deans (Jacksonville University, USA), Jock Perry

Free Agents: Josh Magette*, Josh Adams*, MiKyle McIntosh*

Need: Magette and Adams to both re-sign and an import big to replace McIntosh.

Notes: Not much has changed in Tassie over the past few weeks, with the local core of their roster already locked away.

The recent focus for the JackJumpers has been on securing the return of import guards Josh Magette and Josh Adams. As I understand it, talks with Magette have been very promising and he appears highly likely to return.

As for McIntosh, Roth stated on SEN Tassie a little while ago that the Ants will “probably end up changing over MiKyle and trying to get someone just a little bit bigger in that position.” At this stage, those efforts are ongoing, after their recent swing at Robert Franks came up short.

 

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