Bullets taking "risk" on former Cleveland Cavalier?

Former Illawarra Hawk and Cleveland Cavalier Deng Adel will make his return to the NBL with the Brisbane Bullets, and both ESPN's Olgun Uluc and NBL analyst Derek Rucker have labelled the explosive wing as a risky signing for Justin Schueller’s side.

Adel’s NBA journey took him through the 2018 NBA Summer League with Houston and a training camp contract with Toronto before he signed with Cleveland in early 2019. He went on to make 19 appearances (three starts) for the Cavaliers before he was waived.

Since his time with the Hawks in NBL21 – where his contract was mutually terminated by the Hawks following the season – he’s played in the NBA G-League, Canada, Denmark, Bulgaria and France.

Rucker says while the re-signing of Casey Prather was a risk for the Bullets in itself, so is the reported acquisition of Adel.

“There are two types of risk,” Rucker said on The Marketplace. “With Casey we’re talking about health and how quickly he can get his body back to a high-performance level. Deng Adel is a performance risk.

“Even overseas he hasn’t been doing anything earth-shattering, but the Bullets are hopeful that coming back to the NBL where he didn’t thrive the first time around, as a matter of fact one could say it was a tremendous disappointment, but the talent is there, the length is there, this type of physical profile generally excels in the NBL.

“If they can get him to pop then it was a risk well worth taking, and if they can get Prather to 85 per cent then now things change all of a sudden.”

“This is a guy who was in the league a few years ago and wasn’t great,” Uluc added.

“He’s been playing elsewhere, he’s played in Ottawa and the second division of France. He comes in as a 6’6” wing player, a good athlete who can stretch it at times, but this is more of a ‘let’s see what Deng Adel is these days’.

“He’s the idea of a player at this point in the NBL, but when you talk about some of those players that can fill the wings and be those spot-up guys. They’re taking a chance.”

The signing has been confirmed by the club.

Hero Hawk Harvey set for Bullets move?

Tyler Harvey has become synonymous with the Illawarra Hawks, but is there a chance the sharpshooting import could be heading for pastures new in NBL25 and beyond?

ESPN’s Olgun Uluc has reported the Brisbane Bullets have expressed interest in acquiring Harvey to fill the import slot left by the departure of Chris Smith, and Peter Hooley believes that should the current Hawks captain become a naturalized local talent following this season, then NBL26 could be the Bullets’ year.

Brisbane has already had an active off-season so far. Nathan Sobey has departed for South East Melbourne, while Deng Adel has been signed on a one-year deal. Mitch Norton, Isaac White, Casey Prather and Tyrell Harrison all also had contract options exercised.

“If you almost look at it, you get Tyler Harvey on a three-year deal and he can be a local for NBL26, and it’s weird to say, but this year can be an experiment year so let’s see what Deng Adel we get and if he thrives, and Casey Prather goes forward,” Hooley said on The Marketplace.

“I think that’s not a bad get for the Brisbane Bullets if they can manage to get Tyler Harvey, because I think in NBL26 they’d be tough to beat.”

Harvey was an MVP candidate in NBL22 and Illawarra’s leading light in NBL23, however last season he saw his role reduced under Justin Tatum.

He averaged an NBL-career low 15.1 points per game on 40 per cent shooting, but both Hooley and Derek Rucker believe 15 points per game should be the minimum benchmark for Brisbane’s import search.

Harvey has played 125 games over four seasons for the Hawks, and Rucker says that ability to stay healthy should not be underestimated.

“This is a guy who has longevity. If you look at his body and the way he plays, he’s never really had a problem with injuries, he shoots the ball well, and he’s always a threat.

“When he’s out there that gravity is creating opportunities for other people, he’s got better size than people think – he’s not a small guard – and imagine him as an Australian in NBL26.”

Bullets reportedly pushing for Scott buyout

The Brisbane Bullets have already moved on from NBL24 import Chris Smith, but is Justin Schueller’s side done with chopping and changing its contracted imports ahead of next season? According to ESPN’s Olgun Uluc, they’re not.

Shannon Scott arrived at the Bullets from Cairns ahead of last season, and the ESPN news breaker has reported Brisbane is looking to move on from the injury-hit guard.

Scott played 22 of Brisbane’s 28 games for the season, however he averaged just 4.9 points and 3.3 assists per game – down from 10.3 and 5.4 respectively in his solitary campaign with Cairns.

“Shannon Scott at 60 per cent, which is probably what he was operating at for much of last season is, with respect, an unplayable basketball player in the NBL,” Uluc said on The Marketplace.

“The Brisbane Bullets couldn’t play him, they played him for two minutes, didn’t like what they saw, and sat him.

“There are talks between the Brisbane Bullets and Shannon Scott about a potential buyout. This is something the Bullets would love to get done as they go into Summer League and start recruiting.”

Former Brisbane guard Derek Rucker believes there is a place for Scott at the Bullets, but he has to find a way to remain fully fit.

“He's a capable point guard who wasn’t healthy, but I get where you’re coming from,” Rucker said.

“There is space for saying he’s not up to it at this level. I want to see if they bring him back and he can stay healthy, but sometimes you just can’t stay healthy and it’s a wrap.

“I would love to see him fully fit because the season before in Cairns when McCall was out, he showed glimpses of being a really good point guard. We saw none of that last season.”