Breakers target Kings forward
The New Zealand Breakers may have finally lost the all-in battle for Will McDowell-White, but some big-time consolation prizes, including former Aussie NBA big man Jonah Bolden, are set to be in play when free-agency opens on April 15.
As predicted, the revolving door has been spinning wildly at Breakers HQ on the North Shore, with highly valued “locals” McDowell-White and Tall Blacks forward Finn Delany set to turn down player contract options and leave the club.
This, on top of the retirement of veteran swingman Tom Abercrombie, leaves a significant hole in the roster for the 2024-25 Australian NBL season.
Added to that, nuggety defence-minded Kiwi guard Izayah Le’afa – currently plying his trade with Wellington’s Saints in the New Zealand NBL – is also off contract and yet to confirm his intentions for next season and beyond.
But head coach Mody Maor has been busy, and well-connected sources in Australia say the Breakers are set to make quite a splash when free-agency officially opens.
Bolden could be at the top of that list, with the 2.03-metre Sydney free agent understood to be heavily coveted by Maor.
Sources have said Bolden could be ready for a move after an under-achieving season with the Kings (8.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in about 17 minutes a game), that he heavily values Maor’s coaching and is intrigued by the prospect of playing alongside star import guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright.
The 28-year-old played 51 NBA regular-season games for Philadelphia and Phoenix between 2018 and 2020 and made 10 post-season appearances for the Sixers in 18-19. He has good size, excellent shooting touch and can slide between the centre and power forward spots. He shot 40% from deep for the Kings last season and 49% overall.
The departure of McDowell-White, named yesterday in Australia’s pre-Olympic Boomers squad of 22, is not unexpected. He had played the previous three years for the Breakers, and over the last offseason turned down a swag of big-money offers to return and continue his development under Maor.
But his fit alongside the ball-dominant Jackson-Cartwright was not seamless, and when Maor was able to land the all-NBL standout for a surprise return for 2024-25 the writing was somewhat on the wall.
The talented point guard is being heavily pursued by the Sydney Kings (coached by national boss Brian Goorjian), his home-town Brisbane Bullets and recently crowned champions Tasmania, among others, and sources indicate he has already said his goodbyes at Atlas Place.
It is thought to be a similar story with Delany, who is coming off an under-performing season (9.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in just 17 games) and was looking to explore options elsewhere.
Bolden will not be the only Breakers pickup, it is understood, when free-agency opens.