Six free agents to watch

With free agency beginning Friday, options on contracts have now been decided on every player in the league, leaving some intriguing prospects looking for a new home. 

There are the obvious big dominoes to fall in the coming weeks, like Matthew Dellavedova, Bryce Cotton and Sam Froling.

But today, we look at some of the locals who could make an immediate difference at a new club.

Related >> The big names on the move

Sunday Dech
One of the best perimeter defenders in the competition will be a sought-after free agent with his multi-year deal at Adelaide coming to an end. After a career-best year in 2022, Dech found himself in and out of the rotation in the following seasons, largely due to the coaching carousel surrounding the club. 

With a minor hamstring injury keeping him out of a key period of the 36ers season last year, Dech still put his best foot forward with his opportunities and continued to show why he is one of the best guard defenders in the competition. While his contract may be up, Dech comes with a lofty price tag, but will have significant interest from around the league.

Flynn Cameron
It was an expected outcome on his mutual option for the kiwi local, with Flynn Cameron now set to test free agency. The 24-year-old guard has improved immensely in the last two seasons at Melbourne, but ultimately fell victim to a star-studded veteran guard presence on the team. Now Cameron is set to find a home that should see him double his playing time and production going forward.

There has been strong rumours in recent weeks between Cameron and a return home to New Zealand, with the new Breakers ownership very vocal about bringing back a local flavour to the club. 

Josh Bannan
It’s been a rollercoaster of a first two seasons as a professional for Josh Bannan, who has had to battle through multiple injuries to find his feet in the NBL. The 24-year-old forward played 19 games in each of the last two seasons and finished last year averaging over 13 points and eight rebounds per game. 

Bannan declined his player option to return to the Bullets and becomes a free agent. Melbourne-born Bannan has been rumoured to have interest from United, where he spent some time practicing between his college seasons, but has been strongly linked to Tasmania in recent weeks. 

Makuach Maluach
Maluach is an intriguing name to watch throughout this period, as the athletic wing has some interest from around the league, largely due to his defensive impact. Entering his fourth season in the NBL, Maluach managed to work his way into the rotation on a deep Kings team last season and could be set to find a new home and increase that role going forward. 

Mojave King
The former second-round pick and Next Star returned to the NBL in style for the Breakers last season. The 22-year-old guard displayed his talent immediately last season, scoring in double figures in four of the first five games. An unfortunate timing with an injury meant that King would miss a significant portion of the season when his team needed him the most. 

King would return and have his two best performances late in the season with a 20-point game against Adelaide as the standout. 

Ben Ayre
Ayre is another interesting free agent, as he has shown that he belongs at this level with every opportunity he has been given. After his breakout season with the Taipans in 2023, Ayre signed a multi-year deal with the Phoenix and was outstanding in the following season, averaging almost 11 points per game.

Last year he found himself in and out of the rotation, yet still managed to have a big impact when his number was called. At 29-years-old, Ayre still has plenty to offer a team if he finds himself in the right situation.