TAIPANS START TALENT SEARCH

SPRIGHTLY veteran forward Alex Loughton is positive about extending his career into season 2018-19 with the Cairns Taipans while point guard Jarrad Weeks is weighing up a number of offers from NBL clubs.

New Cairns Taipans head coach Mike Kelly is less than a week into the role, with his immediate focus replacing star pair Cameron Gliddon and Mitch McCarron and building a competitive roster that can help the club fight to return to the post-season.

Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning Australian Boomer Mitch Norton is weighing up a contract to move to Cairns to run Kelly’s offence while out-of-contract Melbourne United big man Majok Majok, with whom Kelly worked in Melbourne, is also linked to a move north.

With just Nate Jawai and Kuany Kuany under contract, Weeks has been offered a fresh deal at the Snakes while fan favourite Loughton is hopeful he can remain in orange.

“Negotiations are positive at this stage,” Loughton said.

Loughton is fresh from a standout season with an average 12.6 points per game while sinking a career-high 92 per cent from the charity stripe as well as being named in an extended Australian Boomers squad at age 34.

The stretch-forward recently completed a three-game stint in Western Australia’s SBL competition with the Perth Redbacks.

Kelly said on Wednesday he was speaking to Weeks, who took over the starter’s role as import Scoochie Smith struggled last season, about returning to Cairns.

Weeks, 28, has been approached by several NBL clubs as he weighs up his future.

He is spending the off-season playing in the New Zealand National Basketball League after signing with the Southland Sharks.

His teammate last NBL season, Damon Heuir, has also ventured across the ditch to play with the Nelson Giants and is being considered for another season in orange.

Majok is playing for Wellington in the NZ NBL following an injury-interrupted NBL season where he and Kelly claimed the championship with United.

The 25-year-old would make an intimidating centre rotation with big man Jawai if he followed Kelly north.