Breakers begin extreme makeover with three free agent signings
Jonah Bolden, Mitch McCarron and Mojave King have all reportedly signed on with the New Zealand on the first day of free agency in the Australian National Basketball League
The New Zealand Breakers entered the free agency period with just three confirmed fully-rostered players, but ESPN’s Olgun Uluc has reported Mody Maor’s side is set to make a serious splash this off-season.
Former Philadelphia 76er Bolden made his return to professional basketball with the Sydney Kings last season, and the former NBA roleplayer will reportedly take his talents across the Tasman this season to link up with the Breakers.
Bolden showed flashes of his immense ability in his return season with the Kings. He scored 28 points in a loss to Perth, while he had two performances where he made 15 rebounds during the campaign.
“This is someone we all thought would be lost to the NBL,” Uluc said on The Marketplace. “He had an upand-down but largely good season with the Sydney Kings that earned him a lot of money wherever he wanted to go.
“There are a lot of teams who were interested, but a lot of teams who thought they would be priced out. The New Zealand Breakers are a team that is reshuffling what they’re doing from a local perspective.
“Jonah Bolden fills that hole when it comes to a high level local … the idea of someone like Jonah Bolden, the three-point marksmanship opening the floor with his shooting for Parker Jackson-Cartwright is a good sign for New Zealand.”
Former NBL Next Star King will reportedly return to the NBL with the Breakers following two seasons playing in the United States since his last NBL stint.
King, who was born in Dunedin, played as a Next Star for the 36ers and Taipans before heading to the G-League Ignite, where he was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, and traded to the Indiana Pacers.
He spent this past season representing Indiana’s G-League affiliate, the Mad Ants.
“There’s something in Mojave King that Mody Maor likes, there’s an untouched talent there — potential. Whether he reaches it, we don’t know, but at the very least Mojave King is the idea of an excellent basketball player,” Uluc said.
And former All-NBL Second Team nominee and NBL champion McCarron has reportedly joined Maor’s project in New Zealand on a two-year deal.
McCarron initially signed a threeyear deal with the Adelaide 36ers following his successful, titlewinning season with Melbourne United in NBL21, however he fell out of favour under interim coach Scott Ninnis last season, who preferred a starting guard pair of DJ Vasiljevic and Trey Kell III.
The former Cairns and United guard averaged a career-low 4.6 points per game in NBL24.
Uluc says a lack of true point guards in this season’s free agency market made McCarron a hot commodity.
“Mitch McCarron was really sought after,” Uluc said.