The South East Melbourne Phoenix have mutually parted ways with their incoming import guard, Omari Moore. At the time of his signing in June, there was talk of major interest by teams in Europe and it was reasonably impressive that the Phoenix even managed to make that signing in the first place. Only one month has passed and Moore is going back to where he apparently was always supposed to be: in Europe. He is expected to join Valencia Basket of the Spanish Liga ACB and EuroLeague. Moore is presently playing for the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Summer League.

Moore’s signing was touted by the Phoenix as being their primary target during the off-season. Phoenix head coach Josh King had coached Moore during the start of the 2024–25 season with Darüşşafaka in Türkiye. King was only there for two games before leaving to take the Phoenix top job; Moore stayed the whole season to average a team-high 15.4 points and 5.5 assists as well as 5.4 rebounds. As a 6’6″ shooting guard, Moore possesses the expected scoring ability but coupled with exceptional playmaking ability for his height. King had shared his excitement at having Moore for his versatility and imagined using him primarily as a point guard but also being used as a shooting guard and small forward. In a league which is increasingly relying on small guard combinations, Moore would have excelled in his mismatches and been a dynamic player to watch.

However, it is not to be. The Phoenix will be back to exploring their options. They have four full roster spots available including three imports.