NBA’s Bogut to return to play in Australia

SYDNEY: NBA championshipwinning centre Andrew Bogut has confirmed he will return to Australia to play for the Sydney Kings, who said Monday they are submitting “appropriate paperwork” to the NBL head office.

Bogut, 33, has confirmed the move on social media, but the Kings tweeted they had “submitted to NBL (National Basketball League) head office appropriate paperwork for úandrewbogut for review and processing”.

The NBL in turn said in a tweet: “The NBL has received paperwork from the úSydneyKings for Andrew Bogut. We are fol lowing the Standard Player Contract process as we do for all players.”

Last month, Bogut announced he would not return to the NBA for the remainder of the 2017-18 season as he wanted to stay in Australia with his pregnant wife.

Bogut became the first Australian to be the NBA’s overall number one draft pick when he was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2005.

After seven seasons with the Bucks, he was traded to Golden State where he won a championship with the Warriors in 2015.

The seven- foot ( 2.13 metre) Bogut was then traded to the Dallas Mavericks the following year and after one season moved to Cleveland, where he broke his left leg in his Cavaliers debut.

Late last year, Bogut signed with the Los Angeles Lakers but was waived by the club in January this year.

NBL champion Shane Heal praised the Kings’ pending recruitment of Bogut, saying he would dominate the local league.

“There’s no doubt he can still play in the NBA ... Bogut will be the glue; he’ll dominate this league not just statistically but in a way where he’ll make his team better,” Heal told Fox Sports. — AFP