Snakes secure signature of key big

The Cairns Taipans have locked away one of their key pieces for NBL25 by re-signing Sam Waardenburg on a one-year deal.

The inaugural NBL Next Generation Award winner endured a difficult, injury interrupted NBL24 campaign in which he averaged 9.7 points and 5.2 rebounds across 23 appearances following a breakout rookie NBL23 season.

The 25-year-old flashed his immense ability and potential across a handful of games over the season, including a 22-point performance in Cairns’ Round 5 win over Sydney, and a career-high 14 rebounds in his side’s Round 2 win over South East Melbourne.

Head coach Adam Forde says the extension was agreed even prior to the NBL24 season commencing, and Waardenburg is a key building block for his Taipans side.

“It was especially important for me to retain Sam for next season,” Forde said. “To have a stretch big make big plays like a point guard allows us to add and explore unique opportunities on the floor.

“There were obviously a lot of ups and downs last season, but Sam provided stable leadership in the locker room. That will only develop and grow, and we expect him to continue to lead the team both on and off the court.“

The announcement of Waardenburg’s re-signing has followed the confirmation that fellow New Zealand-born big Sam Mennenga will head to the Breakers for NBL25.

NBL free agency officially opens on Monday, April 15.