We have less than two weeks until the start of official NBL preseason action and signings are now happening all over as teams finalise their rosters. The slow trickle of announcements are gone and the floodgates will now continue to stay open. Exciting times! The largest signing of the week goes to the Cairns Hares who have played a remarkably patient approach to free agency yet lure an Australian back from his NBA ambitions on one of the top-four largest NBL contracts of all time. Keep in mind that this is the Cairns Taipans: the sole community-owned franchise in the league who have developed the reputation of developing talent who go on to greener pastures elsewhere. This is perhaps the first time in their recent history where they have signed a star local player so – if the Taipans are doing it – what is now to stop other teams from having brazen dreams? The New Zealand Breakers complete their roster with an import, the South East Melbourne Phoenix get their second import and the Tasmania JackJumpers find their Sean Macdonald replacement; all three signings coincidentally spent last in the German Basketball Bundesliga. The Illawarra Hawks and Brisbane Bullets both add some local talent. There was also a slew of development player additions so let us get into it.

1. Rob Baker to New Zealand Breakers
2. Ellis Biggar to South East Melbourne Phoenix
3. Jonah Bolden to Illawarra Hawks
4. Tyger Campbell to Tasmania JackJumpers
5. Liam Judd to New Zealand Breakers
6. Hunter Maldonado to South East Melbourne Phoenix
7. Jack McVeigh to Cairns Taipans
8. Johny Narkle to Illawarra Hawks
9. Jack Purchase to Brisbane Bullets
10. Nicolas Tata to Melbourne United
11. Team overviews
12. Remaining free agents
    1. Locals
    2. Imports

Rob Baker to New Zealand Breakers

Position: Forward
From: Alba Berlin (Germany – Basketball Bundesliga)
2025 statistics: 6.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, .7 blocks, .7 steals, 41.7% field goal, 30.0% three-point, 62.5% free throw

The New Zealand Breakers complete their roster with the signing of their third import in forward Rob Baker. He split the 2024–25 season with the Osceola Magic of the NBA G League (10.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists) and Alba Berlin of the German Basketball Bundesliga and EuroLeague. Baker’s statistics listed at the top are from his three games in Basketball Bundesliga play; he averaged a similar 6.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.3 assists in his seven EuroLeague games. He played college basketball at Harvard and has spent the majority of his professional career in the G League with stints in Slovakia, Japan and Puerto Rico. Baker is likely being brought over as a high-character, low-maintenance presence but his last international starting role showed what he can do; he averaged 14.8 points and 7.3 rebounds with Iskra Svit in Slovakia during the 2020–21 season.

Ellis Biggar to South East Melbourne Phoenix

Position: Centre
From: Melbourne Tigers (NBL1 South)
2025 statistics: ???

The South East Melbourne Phoenix go bigger by getting Biggar, Ellis. The local centre spent last season as a training player with the team and is rewarded with a development player slot. Biggar has played for the Dandenong Rangers, Nunawading Spectres and Melbourne Tigers in the NBL1 South. He apparently played for the Tigers during the 2025 season because other sources have cited statistics that he allegedly attained during that time; all I can find is that he had surgery on his foot and was supposed to miss time in March (per Rookie Me Central) and his NBL1 profile lists no 2025 appearances. Biggar did hit the court in 2024 for the Spectres and averaged 4.0 points with 3.5 rebounds per game. His Phoenix press announcement noted his perseverance despite injury setbacks so there could be bigger things to come from Biggar.

Jonah Bolden to Illawarra Hawks

Position: Forward
From: New Zealand Breakers
2024–25 statistics: 6.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, .5 blocks, .6 steals, 43.0% field goal, 27.2% three-point, 60.0% free throw

The forward depth of the Illawarra Hawks is boosted with the recruitment of Jonah Bolden from the New Zealand Breakers. He has spent the offseason in Puerto Rico where he played for two teams with averages of around 7 points and 7 rebounds per game. This will be Bolden’s third NBL team in as many seasons and he has had a fascinating and unusual career history now. He was once an NBA prospect and spent two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers and their G League team in addition to a brief stint with the Phoenix Suns. Once that ended in 2020, he retired from basketball to pursue a career in cryptocurrency. Three years later, the basketball urge was back and he has since settled into a reserve role across his two seasons. Bolden has demonstrated that he has much more in him yet has not shown it in the NBL. The Hawks still have some outstanding positions in their roster which will determine how much of a role Bolden has this season; will he receive his first starting position or be relegated to the reserve role that he has provided well thus far?

Tyger Campbell to Tasmania JackJumpers

Position: Guard
From: Rasha Vechta (Germany – Basketball Bundesliga)
2024–25 statistics: 12.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.2 assists, .0 blocks, .7 steals, 41.3% field goal, 32.5% three-point, 80.7% free throw

Losing Sean Macdonald for another season was the Tasmania JackJumpers’ worst nightmare which came true when he ruptured his ACL in a warm up game for the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup last week. The JackJumpers had a completed roster of 11 players but only had two imports; they get their third by signing injury replacement player Tyger Campbell who will be here for the full season. Campbell had a standout collegiate career at UCLA then has spent the two years of his professional career in Europe. He has interestingly only been used as a role player and his JackJumpers signing suggests that it will be his first starting role. His addition means that the JackJumpers will run a remarkably uncommon all-guard import trio of Campbell, Bryce Hamilton and David Johnson. All three have ball-handling abilities but Campbell will be the one true point guard. Furthermore, the signing of a player named Tyger is too poetic for the JackJumpers. The Tasmanian tiger might have become extinct in 1936 but the Tasmanian Tyger has a whole season coming up to prove his prowl.

Liam Judd to New Zealand Breakers

Position: Forward
From: Nelson Giants (New Zealand – National Basketball League)
2025 statistics: 9.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists, .3 blocks, .6 steals, 47.9% field goal, 40.8% three-point, 71.1% free throw

New Zealand native Liam Judd culminates a busy 2025 by signing with the New Zealand Breakers as a development player. He spent the 2024–25 season with the Breakers as a training player in the Australian National Basketball League, played for the Mumbai Titans in the Indian National Basketball League season and then returned to New Zealand to join the Nelson Giants for the New Zealand National Basketball League. Judd is a standout shooter and could find a permanent role in the Australia NBL if he stays consistent.

Hunter Maldonado to South East Melbourne Phoenix

Position: Guard
From: Riesen Ludwigsburg (Germany – Basketball Bundesliga)
2024–25 statistics: 10.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, .1 blocks, 1.3 steals, 44.4% field goal, 27.8% three-point, 62.5% free throw

South East Melbourne Phoenix head coach Josh King continues to flex his international connections with the team’s second import signing: Hunter Maldonado who last played for Riesen Ludwigsburg in the German Basketball Bundesliga. King served as head coach of the team – albeit before Maldonado’s arrival – from 2022 to 2024. Another superlative is that he will be partnered in the backcourt with a collegiate alumnus: fellow Wyoming graduate Nathan Sobey. Maldonado is the essential replacement for the loss of Omari Moore last month; both are combo guards yet Maldonado is more of a defensive presence than a playmaker. His signing instead of a true point guard also suggests that the Phoenix really will be using Vrenz Bleijenberg as their primary ball handler; they do still have one import slot left but I presume it will go towards needed front court depth.

Jack McVeigh to Cairns Taipans

Position: Forward
From: Houston Rockets (United States – National Basketball Association)
2024–25 statistics: 1.6 points, .6 rebounds, .1 assists, .2 blocks, .0 steals, 29.4% field goal, 30.8% three-point, 0.0% free throw

The Bryce Cotton move to Adelaide will remain the biggest signing of this off-season (in addition to all-time) merely due to its magnitude; the Cairns Taipans may have made the biggest signing of the off-season if measured by improbability. The Taipans have not so much as signed a development player since finishing the 2024–25 season in last place yet the team calmed their eager fans with a promise of something great. That something great arrives in the form of 2024 NBL Grand Final MVP Jack McVeigh freshly removed from a season in the United States with the Houston Rockets and lured away from his essential namesake Tasmania JackJumpers. This is almost undoubtedly and inarguably the most prominent signing that the Taipans have ever made. McVeigh persevered through the nonsense that his stint with the Rockets would be over by the end of 2024 (which was amplified by the NBL itself) and ended up having the whole season there. He appeared in nine NBA games but spent most of his time in the NBA G League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers where he averaged 15.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. McVeigh was not retained by the Rockets and spent the 2025 NBA Summer League with the Atlanta Hawks where he played well enough that it was looking likely for him to receive a second two-way contract. The first suggestion that would not happen was the JackJumpers releasing him from the final year of his contract that he had signed in 2024 yet had not played under due to his Rockets stint. The second and obvious suggestion was when the Cairns Taipans announced that they had signed Jack McVeigh. Though his teenage years in Queensland might have been a pull for him to join the tropical Taipans, McVeigh was instead most prominently enticed with a package that makes him one of the top-four highest paid NBL players in history; his elite company is Cotton, Xavier Cooks and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. It is deserved for someone that has willed himself by sheer self-belief into positions far beyond what anybody could have imagined for him – I wrote about it here. McVeigh’s mere appearance suddenly makes the Taipans six-man roster look like they will be competitive this season. It was an unfortunate end, however, for McVeigh’s JackJumpers association; he joined the team for their inaugural season in 2021, led them to two Grand Final appearances and then hit the greatest shot in league history on way to winning their first championship in 2024. It could be said that he had accomplished all that he needed to with the JackJumpers and wants another board for his competitive spirit; the persisting blank slate of the Taipans should provide him with that opportunity.

Johny Narkle to Illawarra Hawks

Position: Guard
From: Geraldton Buccaneers (NBL1 West)
2025 statistics: 22.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.6 blocks, 2.1 steals, 51.4% field goal, 74.4% free throw

The output of Johny Narkle over the last two years has meant that he has been among the best Australian players not in the NBL; the Illawarra Hawks have put that suppression to an end by signing him as a development player. His statistics with the Geraldton Buccaneers of the NBL1 West are close to unbelievable; he posts standout numbers in all major categories as a 6’6″ guard. It is an oddity that the West Australian local was not picked up by his hometown team but instead will relocate across the country to the Hawks for the start of his professional career. If those statistics eventually translate to a top division level, Narkle will be a major talent for years to come.

Jack Purchase to Brisbane Bullets

Position: Forward
From: Melbourne Tigers (NBL1 South)
2025 statistics: 21.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.3 blocks, 1.1 steals, 43.2% field goal, 96.8% free throw

Jack Purchase is no stranger to the NBL: he has spent three seasons with three teams in addition to numerous offseason stints in the NBL1. He makes his return to the NBL after a three-year exodus by signing with the Brisbane Bullets. It was the team where his father, Nigel, finished his NBL career in 1993 yet Purchase still should have much ability left in him as suggested by his recent showing with the Melbourne Tigers in the NBL1 South. Purchase’s previous NBL stints have been modest – averaging around 1 point per game in 21 appearances – but he provides an extra scoring ability off the bench. The move means that the Brisbane Bullets roster is complete; they choose to have only one true centre.

Nicolas Tata to Melbourne United

Position: Centre
From: Nunawading Spectres (NBL1 South)
2025 statistics: 6.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, .2 assists, .1 blocks, .2 steals, 69.2% field goal, 75.0% free throw

It must be the week for Melbourne-based, former training player big men earning their first professional contracts: Nicolas Tata joins Melbourne United as their nominated replacement player. It is a good insurance signing for United who are still yet to find their import big man and have no other centres on their roster. He spent the 2024–25 season with United as a training player.

Team overviews

G: Guard / F: Forward / C: Center / I: Import / NS: Next Star / IRP: Injury Replacement Player / NRP: Nominated Replacement Player / DP: Development Player

Adelaide 36ers
G: Flynn Cameron, Bryce Cotton (I), Michael Harris, Matt Kenyon, Keanu Rasmussen, Dejan Vasiljevic, Isaac White
F: Zylan Cheatham (I), Montrezl Harrell (I)
C: Ben Griscti, Isaac Humphries
DP: F Deng Manyang, F Magok Manyang
Needs: General stability

Brisbane Bullets
G: Jaylen Adams (I), Alex Ducas, Javon Freeman-Liberty (I), Sam McDaniel, Taine Murray, Mitch Norton
F: Jacob Holt, Casey Prather (I), Jack Purchase, Tohi Smith-Milner
C: Tyrell Harrison
DP: F Jensen Bradtke, G Tristan Devers

Cairns Taipans
G: Kyle Adnam, Kody Stattman
F: Kyrin Galloway, Alex Higgins-Titsha, Jack McVeigh, Sam Waardenburg
Needs: Everything but also: import guards, import centre, local guard, local centre

Illawarra Hawks
G: Tyler Harvey (I), William Hickey
F: Todd Blanchfield, Jonah Bolden, Daniel Grida, Mason Peatling, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk
C: Sam Froling, JaVale McGee (I)
NRP: C Harry Froling
DP: G Jackson Ball, G Kobe McDowell-White, G Johny Narkle, G Luca Yates
Needs: Gary Clark/Darius Days-type import forward, retaining Justin Tatum

Melbourne United
G: Dash Daniels (NS), Milton Doyle (I), Chris Goulding, Shea Ili, Tanner Krebs, Tyson Walker (I), Tom Wilson
F: Kyle Bowen, Finn Delany, Fabijan Krslovic, Malith Machar
NRP: C Nicolas Tata
DP: G Campbell Blogg, F Tom Koppens
Needs: Import center

New Zealand Breakers
G: Taylor Britt, Izaiah Brockington (I), Parker Jackson-Cartwright (I), Izayah Le’afa
F: Sean Bairstow, Robert Baker (I), Max Darling, Carlin Davison, Karim López (NS), Reuben Te Rangi
C: Robert Loe, Sam Mennenga
DP: G Kaia Isaac, F Liam Judd, G Alex McNaught

Perth Wildcats
G: Sunday Dech, Elijah Pepper, Dontae Russo-Nance
F: Kristian Doolittle (I), Ben Henshall, Noa Kouakou-Heugue (NS), Lat Mayen, David Okwera, Jesse Wagstaff, Dylan Windler (I)
C: Jo Lual-Acuil Jr.
DP: F Thomas Gerovich, F Cameron Huefner
Needs: Bryce Cotton clone / import point guard

South East Melbourne Phoenix
G: Owen Foxwell, Angus Glover, Hunter Maldonado (I), Nathan Sobey
F: Akech Aliir, Vrenz Bleijenbergh (I), Malique Lewis (NS), DJ Mitchell
C: Gorjok Gak, Jordan Hunter
DP: C Ellis Biggar, G Daniel Foster
Needs: Import forward

Sydney Kings
G: Shaun Bruce, Kendric Davis (I), Matthew Dellavedova, Tyler Robertson
F: Xavier Cooks, Jaylin Galloway, Bul Kuol, Keli Leaupepe, Makuach Maluach, Kouat Noi
C: Tim Soares (I)
DP: C Jason Spurgin
Needs: A return to 48-minute games so the quality of players receive enough minutes

Tasmania JackJumpers
G: Ben Ayre, Bryce Hamilton (I), David Johnson (I), Nicholas Stoddart, Sean Macdonald
F: Josh Bannan, Majok Deng, Anthony Drmic, Nick Marshall, Kobe Williamson
C: Will Magnay
IRP: Tyger Campbell (I)
DP: G Brody Nunn, F Archie Woodhill
Needs: Injury-free Sean Macdonald

Remaining free agents

Players who were contracted during the 2024–25 season. Statistics are from last season. Strikedthrough names mean that player has signed elsewhere for the 2025–26 season.

Locals

• Jack White (F, Melbourne United) – 35 games, 13.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists
• Alex Toohey (F, Sydney Kings) – 30 games, 10.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists
• Thomas Vodanovich (F, S.E. Melbourne Phoenix) – 30 games, 2.7 points, 1.8 rebounds, .7 assists
• Keanu Pinder (F, Perth Wildcats) – 29 games, 15.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists
• Lachlan Olbrich (F, Illawarra Hawks) – 29 games, 8.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists
• Hyrum Harris (F, Perth Wildcats) – 28 games, 2.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists
• Grant Anticevich (F, New Zealand Breakers) – 26 games, 4.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, .7 assists
• Jonah Antonio (G, Cairns Taipans) – 26 games, 4.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, .8 assists
• Akoldah Gak (F, Cairns Taipans) – 21 games, 6.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, .9 assists
• Tai Webster (G, Perth Wildcats) – 20 games, 7.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists
• Taran Armstrong (G, Cairns Taipans) – 19 games, 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists
• Rocco Zikarsky (C, Brisbane Bullets) – 18 games, 4.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, .3 assists
• Mojave King (G, New Zealand Breakers) – 17 games, 8.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists
• Dillon Stith (F, Cairns Taipans) – 14 games, 1.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, .1 assists
• Emmett Naar (G, Brisbane Bullets) – 14 games, 1.1 points, .6 rebounds, 1.1 assists
• Jackson Makoi (G, Cairns Taipans) – 11 games, 4.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists
• Deng Adel (F, Brisbane Bullets) – 10 games, 4.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, .8 assists
• Lachlan Barker (G, Tasmania JackJumpers) – 10 games, 2.0 points, .3 rebounds, .2 assists
• Jacob Rigoni (F, Adelaide 36ers) – 10 games, 1.6 points, 1.0 rebounds, .1 assists
• Luke Rosendale (G, S.E. Melbourne Phoenix) – 10 games, 1.2 points, .3 rebounds, .2 assists
• Jarred Bairstow (F, Brisbane Bullets) – 8 games, 2.3 points, 1.6 rebounds, .1 assists
• Kye Savage (G, Brisbane Bullets) – 8 games, 1.3 points, .0 rebounds, .3 assists
• Joel Foxwell (G, Melbourne United) – 8 games, 1.1 points, .3 rebounds, .8 assists
• Walter Brown (F, Tasmania JackJumpers) – 8 games, .8 points, .5 rebounds, .1 assists
• Zac Triplett (F, Illawarra Hawks) – 8 games, .6 points, .4 rebounds, .3 assists
• Josh Kunen (F, Brisbane Bullets) – 7 games, 1.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, .7 assists
• Majok Majok (C, S.E. Melbourne Phoenix) – 5 games, .8 points, .6 rebounds, .0 assists
• Kuany Kuany (F, Illawarra Hawks) – 5 games, .8 points, .0 rebounds, .0 assists
• Callum Dalton (F, Brisbane Bullets) – 4 games, 3.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, .0 assists
• Tad Dufelmeier (G, Cairns Taipans) – 4 games, 2.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists
• Tai Wynyard (F, New Zealand Breakers) – 4 games, 1.0 points, .5 rebounds, .0 assists
• Alex Starling (F, Adelaide 36ers) – 4 games, .5 points, 2.3 rebounds, .3 assists
• Patrick D’Arcy (G, Adelaide 36ers) – 3 games, .0 points, .0 rebounds, .3 assists
• Luke Fennell (G, S.E. Melbourne Phoenix) – 2 games, .0 points, .0 rebounds, .0 assists
• Brad Ballinger (G, Illawarra Hawks) – 1 game, .0 points, 1.0 rebounds, .0 assists
• Klairus Amir (F, Sydney Kings) – 0 games, .0 points, .0 rebounds, .0 assists
• Fiston Ipassou (F, Adelaide 36ers) – 0 games, .0 points, .0 rebounds, .0 assists
• Tom Kubank (F, Adelaide 36ers) – 0 games, .0 points, .0 rebounds, .0 assists
• Henry Lau (F, Sydney Kings) – 0 games, .0 points, .0 rebounds, .0 assists
• Ngor Nai (C, Adelaide 36ers) – 0 games, .0 points, .0 rebounds, .0 assists

Imports

• Ian Clark (G, Melbourne United) – 36 games, 14.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists
• Matt Hurt (F, S.E. Melbourne Phoenix) – 34 games, 19.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists
• Marcus Lee (C, Melbourne United) – 34 games, 6.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, .9 assists
• Joe Wieskamp (G, S.E. Melbourne Phoenix) – 33 games, 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, .7 assists
• Darius Days (F, Illawarra Hawks) – 33 games, 10.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, .6 assists
• Trey Kell III (G, Illawarra Hawks) – 32 games, 17.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists
• Cameron Oliver (F, Sydney Kings) – 30 games, 12.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists
• Matthew Mooney (G, New Zealand Breakers) – 29 games, 16.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists
• Keandre Cook (G, Brisbane Bullets) – 28 games, 16.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists
• Jordon Crawford (G, Tasmania JackJumpers) – 28 games, 16.0 points, 1.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists
• Rob Edwards (G, Cairns Taipans) – 26 games, 19.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists
• Pedro Bradshaw (F, Cairns Taipans) – 24 games, 10.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists
• Tanner Groves (F, Cairns Taipans) – 22 games, 13.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists
• Jarell Martin (F, Adelaide 36ers) – 22 games, 8.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, .5 assists
• Tacko Fall (C, New Zealand Breakers) – 18 games, 11.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, .5 assists
• Derrick Walton Jr. (G, S.E. Melbourne Phoenix) – 18 games, 11.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists
• James Batemon (G, Brisbane Bullets) – 16 games, 15.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists
• Craig Sword (G, Tasmania JackJumpers) – 15 games, 6.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, .9 assists
• Todd Withers (F, Perth Wildcats) – 14 games, 5.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, .4 assists
• Ian Hummer (F, Tasmania JackJumpers) – 12 games, 4.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, .4 assists
• Josh Adams (G, Brisbane Bullets) – 9 games, 10.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists
• Freddie Gillespie (F, New Zealand Breakers) – 9 games, 6.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, .6 assists
• Deshon Taylor (G, Cairns Taipans) – 3 games, 3.0 points, 1.3 rebounds, .3 assists