Breakers must bite bullet as Vukona heads to Brisbane
New Zealand Breakers veteran Mika Vukona has signed with the Brisbane Bullets Basketball team.
Vukona has spent the majority of his career with the Breakers in the Aussie NBL, but Fox Sports reported he has chosen to link back up with former Breakers head coach, Andrej Lemanis, with the Bullets.
Vukona, 36 next month, averaged six points and six rebounds last season with the Breakers, shooting 53 per cent from the field and 42 per cent from the freethrow line.
He has won four titles with the Breakers, and one with the now-defunct South Dragons, but with his role set to be reduced at the Breakers, he has looked elsewhere to continue his career. Vukona is set to now link with a trio of former Breakers employees at the Bullets — Lemanis, general manager Richard Clarke, and Tall Blacks teammate Reuben Te Rangi.
The Breakers are chasing Tai Wesley to return to the club, and the 31-year-old would be an upgrade on Vukona after a superb season with Melbourne United. Wesley, who has already turned down an offer from Melbourne, also has a link with new Breakers coach Kevin Braswell, having played under him the last two seasons with the Wellington Saints.
The Breakers have four players under contract for the 2018/2019 season — Alex Pledger, Shea Ili, Finn Delany and Tom Abercrombie.
— Niall Anderson