Breakers cut ties with Webster

The New Zealand Breakers expect all seven Australian NBL rivals to go hard after Corey Webster after they made the decision to cut their problematic star loose for next season.

The club revealed its decision yesterday to sever ties with the talented Tall Blacks guard in the wake of his latest indiscretion, an assault charge which is still before the North Shore courts.

Breakers general manager Dillon Boucher said Webster had failed to live up to their ‘‘expectations’’ and ‘‘make the most of his opportunities’’ and they felt the best move for both club and player was for him to pursue other opportunities outside of New Zealand.

Boucher, a former team-mate of Webster’s during his 10 seasons with the club which included three championships, said it had been a hard but necessary call to make.

‘‘We felt it was better for Corey to maximise his basketball career by not being here,’’ Boucher told Fairfax Media. ‘‘We felt like with the distractions around in New Zealand it would be better for him to further his career elsewhere, hopefully in Europe. But we want what’s best for Corey in whatever situation comes up for him.’’

Asked if he had to be prepared for the possibility of Webster coming back to haunt his old team with, say, the Sydney Kings or Melbourne United, Boucher said they had to accept that as a ‘‘reality’’ of the situation.

‘‘It could come back to be detrimental to us if he plays on a team against us, but we know that’s what’s going be best for Corey and we wish him the best.

‘‘I think there will probably be seven [ANBL] clubs that want his signature. I’d say him and [Adelaide free-agent] Nathan Sobey would be the names on everyone’s lips.

‘‘We know it’s a reality [if an ANBL team] snaps him up he’s going to want to play well against us. It was like when Kirk [Penney] played for Illawarra.’’

Webster had been a standout performer for the club since breaking into the top squad in 2008 and played in three championshipwinning squads (2011, ‘13 and ‘15). But he was well down on form through the 2016-17 season (11.7ppg, 35%FG) before being shut down to deal with niggling injuries before Christmas.

Boucher said he would not rule out re-signing Webster, now playing with Wellington’s Saints in the Kiwi NBL, should the right situation come up in the future.

Webster responded to the news of his departure from the team by expressing optimism at the challenges ahead. ’’Fresh start, new challenges and vulnerability ... that’s where I grow and I love it,’’ he wrote on Twitter.

The Breakers said their priority was now in continuing negotiations with big man Rob Loe about a return to the team. They have six players already on contract in Alex Pledger, Mika Vukona, Tom Abercrombie, Kirk Penney, Finn Delany and Shea Ili.