haha.. I like this. Im also a Football person and for some reason Im amused that these funds wont go to the Phoenix.

Would welcome any additions to the league provided they are secure and viable.

10 teams will be good next year, if Townsville can survive.

Even though I don't mind teams playing each other so regularly, 10 will make it less dejavu-ey.

This is good news. Hopefully ready for next year but I also hope they don't rush it if it's not ready.

So NZ Breakers to Auckland Breakers if the new team goes ahead?

I doubt it, there's no way they'll change such a successful brand.

NZ Breakers to the Auckland Breakers

Lisch to Ankle Breakers

Conklin to the Jaw Breakers

Wesley to the Tai Breakers

En fuego!

Also hope we get another NZ team. The more teams the merrier, and NZ folks love their sports.

Would be a bit silly if we had a 'New Zealand' Breakers if there was another NZ team, though.

NZ Breakers would never rebrand if another NZ came along.

West Coast Eagles didn't change their name when Fremantle came in, we had Melbourne and Victoria in the NBL, I don't see why you can't have New Zealand and Wellington.

Heck, the Kings didn't change their name to South East North Sydney Kings when West Sydney came in!

^ While it has been tough having NZ be dominant over the last few years it has also kept the standard of the league high which I think Australian Fans have appreciated. I still think we can go to 10 teams and keep the quality of play and players at or better than this year. There is a lot of talent in Aus and NZ, players who can come back from OS and we are now attracting some great imports.

Having one team named after a state or city is one thing, but having one team named after the country and another after a city or area in the same country looks a bit ridiculous. Imagine if the expansion Brisbane team decided to call themselves the Australia Bullets.

Would be great to disperse the talent in NZ over 2 teams so the Aussie teams aren't playing against a National team. ;-)

They will attract the players the Breakers didn't keep like the Leon Henry's, BJ Anthony's etc.
The Breakers developed all the local talent in their roster so you would assume the players loyalty's lay with them moving forward.
Tom Abercrombie and Alex Pledger and Reuban TeRangi etc aren't going to jump ship unless pushed.

It would happen over time rather than straight away I think Mystro.

Behind the scenes, I think the Breakers, BBNZ and Wellington should all get into bed and replicate the Academy program in Wellington to grow the game further down there too. Can only be good for NZ basketball in the end.

I would think the Breakers would be concerned because the new NZ team would be very keen to secure a high profile current Breaker, and probably willing to spend quite a bit to do it.

The Breakers development program is up there with the North QLD teams, but you have to wonder how that will fare against $$$.

I doubt they be concerned, the rivalry would be a huge selling point for the Breakers. I think they'd see it as a commercial win.

The Breakers spent a long time building their team culture, things like that don't happen over night and the new franchise will have to build an identity also.

Some players may be open to chasing dollars but then they (Webster, Abercrombie, Pledger, TeRangi) all could have gone to Europe and got paid much more a while ago if that was the case Angus.

Agree Mystro. Jackson, Abercrombie, Vukona and Webster have all turned down sizeable OS offers to stay at the Breakers, I doubt some Wellington $$ would tempt them.

It's the next generation that Wellington will have to target. It would be great if they could make a marquee play for Isaac Fotu and also sign Rob Loe . That would give them a solid frontcourt base.

It will be tough to get Fotu (might have to buy him out of Zaragoza if in next season), but the growing NBA interest in the NBL could be a potential lure.

Get two quality imports and have guys like Kenny, Anthony, Tait and Henry fill roles.

"It will be tough to get Fotu (might have to buy him out of Zaragoza if in next season), but the growing NBA interest in the NBL could be a potential lure."

That and he's from Auckland and his family all live in Auckland. If he's gonna take a paycut to come home you would think he would come home to Auckland and not Wellington.
Loe & Fotu were also both developed by the Breakers so I assume there would be a desire for both of them to eventually play for the senior team after trying their hands in Europe but it may be like the Kirk Penney scenario where we had to wait a few years before he came home for a stint.

Add up and comers heading to College and others who are already there that may want to start getting paid to play.

Matt Freeman
Tohi Milner Smith (Melbourne DP)
Shea Ili (Breakers DP but from down those ways)

I expect Tai Webster will be a Breaker if he doesn't head to Europe but if they don't have room (I think they would make room) he may look South?

It will all come down to how they sell it and how much they're willing to spend. If they're willing to spend the cap plus a generous marquee then they're a chance at getting some of those guys. Moreso if they have a professional set up and make it appealing to be a part of.

Loe
Fotu
Import
Import
Kenny

Solid starting 5

I think local born guard Le'afa could be a foundation player, he has potential to grow if he can secure a prof. gig. And current NCAA D1 players Michael Karena and Tom Vodanovic were also from Wellington program, adding these new faces to the new franchise would be interesting to see.

You'd imagine guys like Henry, Prewster, Trueman, Tait, Anthony, Ruscoe and Delaney would all come into consideration to fill roles.

Could they make a play at Kirk Penney? With a good coach, a couple of good recruits and a professional set up he might think it a good challenge. Or he might feel the only NZ club he wants to play for is the Breakers.

As discussed, it would be good to see a second NZ team in the league. I personally don't know whether a so-called lower-north, or a South Island team would be better, but hopefully someone with a better understanding of NZ can answer that
Auckland can call themselves whatever they want. Everyone knows they are an Auckland team, and that's how I will continue to think of them.

One thing that concerns me is the talk of moving the home games around. That will make it difficult to sell memberships, and also sounds like they will be playing in small third rate Venues.
The ONE hope for Wellington is that it's the nation's capital, so they can mount political pressure for the government to build a decent multi-purpose venue. The problem is that if they are roaming the countryside, playing in front of 1,000 people, its hard to mount a case.