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NBL teams make more import moves

Updated: 6 days ago

CJ Penha Jr and Jaylen Forbes NBL basketball
New Canterbury Rams signing CJ Penha Jr (left) and Nelson Giants guard Jaylen Forbes.

With the National Basketball League (NBL) tip-off fast approaching, several teams have made import additions in the past week.


Seven of the league's 12 franchises announced at least one overseas signing in the last seven days, with less than a week until the start of the NBL's 43rd season.


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The Nelson Giants and Canterbury Rams completed their three-man import quotas, the Indian Panthers, Hawke's Bay Hawks and Otago Nuggets confirmed their first, while the Franklin Bulls and Wellington Saints picked up their second.


The Giants have signed 6-foot-5 American shooting guard Jaylen Forbes, joining American power forward Brice Johnson and Australian centre Callum Dalton in Sun City.


The two-time defending champion Rams have inked 6-foot-7 American forward CJ Penha Jr to a one-year deal, but he will not arrive in Christchurch until early-April. Canterbury also signed Tall Blacks forward Tohi Smith-Milner, joining Max Darling and Australian Kyle Bowen in the front-court.


Darnell Cowart, Alex Robinson Jr, Jose Perez NBL basketball
New import signings (from left) Darnell Cowart (Bay Hawks), Alex Robinson Jr (Indian Panthers) and Jose Perez (Otago Nuggets).

American guard Alex Robinson Jr was the Panthers' first import, among four players announced over the last two days. The franchise also revealed former Tall Black and NBL veteran Miles Pearce as their first head coach.


After filling their roster with NBL role players and Rapid League regulars, the Hawks locked in 6-foot-8 American forward Darnell Cowart, who has played professionally in Mexico, Spain and Kosovo, along with time in the G-League.


The Nuggets locked down their local core before announcing 6-foot-5 Dominican-American forward Jose Perez, who will be playing professionally for the first time.


Nick Muszynski and Till Gloger NBL basketball
Wellington Saints import Nick Muszynski (left) and Franklin Bulls big man Till Gloger.

The Wellington Saints added another Nick to their front-court, with 6-foot-11 American centre Nick Muszynski joining Australian forward Nick Marshall and their Tall Blacks-laden guard line.


Muszynski, 26, has played professionally in Germany and Poland, while he appeared in three games for the Portland Trail Blazers' G-League affiliate earlier this season.


The Bulls put pen to paper with 6-foot-8 German forward Till Gloger, to go with American Tae Hardy and the Cameron brothers, Flynn and Tobias. Gloger, 32, has spent the last four-plus seasons with the Rostock Seawolves in the top-two tiers of German hoops.


Phill Jones and Chris Tupu NBL basketball
New assistant coaches (from left) Phill Jones (Nelson Giants) and Chris Tupu (Wellington Saints).

In coaching and front office news, Tall Blacks legend Phill Jones has come out retirement again, this time to serve as an assistant coach on Michael Fitchett's staff.


Jones, who played two decades in the NBL, with all but one season in Nelson, will join his teen son Hayden, who is in his second season with the Giants.


The Giants have also hired former Black Caps all-rounder and long-time selector Gavin Larsen as commercial manager.


The Wellington Saints have signed former Tall Blacks guard and assistant coach Chris Tupu as an assistant under first-year coach Aaron Young.


Tupu, a physical education teacher at Wellington's Rongotai College, started his NBL career with the Saints in 1989, and won two championships as a player and another as an assistant coach.


NBL FREE AGENT TRACKER


Auckland Tuatara

Rob Loe, Tom Vodanovich, Dan Fotu, Dylan Wilkie, Josh Wyllie, Charles Pride*, Will 'Davo' Hickey*, Buay Tuach*, Cooper Te Ratana, Nick Barrow, Chris McIntosh, Josh Leger, Matthew Dalton, Chris Wyllie, Bart Jackowski, KC Ioane, Noa Latu


Indian Panthers

'}Lokendra Singh, Jaideep Rathore, Alex Robinson Jr*, Riyanshu Negi


Franklin Bulls

Ethan Rusbatch, Halasiale Maile, Tobias Cameron, KC Nwafor, Corey Perry, Harrison Coker-Grey, Brody Perry, Payton Hughes, Harrison Kelso, Zion Anderson, Flynn Cameron, Tae Hardy*, Till Gloger*


Tauranga Whai

Jayden Bezzant, Sean Bairstow*, Te Tuhi Lewis, Jett Thompson, Chris Jones*, Kruz Perrott-Hunt, Denhym Brooke, Carter Hopoi, Jayden Boucher


Taranaki Airs

Dom Kelman-Poto, Scott Telfer, Jack Exeter, Owen Foxwell*, Jack Andrew, Armon Fletcher*, Quintin Bailey


Manawatu Jets

Dontae Russo-Nance, Kenny Goins*, Isaac Miller-Jose, Dion Collins, Makhel Mitchell*, Miles Gibson*, Zavier Pearn, Tinashe Matambanadzo, Hikaia Lambert, Tautoko Wynyward, Corey Webster


Hawke's Bay Hawks

Jackson Ball, Jacob Murphy, Clifton Bush II, Ezrah Eagle, Harry Keighley, Kobe Kara, Maz Taylor, Isaac Allan, Lennox Singh, Campbell Scott, Darnell Cowart*, Luca Yates


Wellington Saints

Hyrum Harris, Troy Plumtree, Izayah Le'afa, Shea Ili, Rangimarie Dougall-Mita, Nick Marshall*, Kazlo Evans Jr, Lukah Richards, Nick Muszynski*


Nelson Giants

Alex McNaught, Liam Judd, Aston Inwood, Hayden Jones, Lachlan Crate, Sam Dempster, Brice Johnson*, Callum McRae, Callum Dalton*, James Matthews, Kaleb Chamberlain, Jaylen Forbes*


Canterbury Rams

Taylor Britt, Kaia Isaac, Max Darling, Walter Brown, Sean Macdonald*, Tama Isaac, Mana Martin, Jake Holmes, Ihaka Cate, Tawhiri Cate, Kyle Bowen*, Jonty Bond, Tony Worthington, CJ Penha Jr*, Tohi Smith-Milner, Max De Geest


Otago Nuggets

Matthew Bardsley, Darcy Knox, Josh Aitcheson, Jono Janssen, Caleb Smiler, Michael Ruske, Mac Stodart, Jose Perez*, Danyon Ashcroft


Southland Sharks

Alonzo Burton, Johnny Helu, Sam Timmins, Keylan Boone*, Tukaha Cooper, Caleb Asberry*, Hayden Collier, Dane Bertinshaw, Josiah Allick*, Quake Webster, Riley Snow, Joseph Riwhi, Will Leger, Jack Ramage

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