Breakers to Run It Back With Import Trio?

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Will the New Zealand Breakers be running it back with their Championship Series lineup for NBL24? According to ESPN Insider Olgun Uluc, it’s certainly a possibility.

Despite already re-signing star point guard Will McDowell-White, the key signatures of the Breakers’ import trio – Jarrell Brantley, Dererk Pardon and Barry Brown Jr – have so far eluded the organisation. But things could change fast.

All three were star performers across the competition in NBL23. Pardon earned a Defensive Player of the Year nomination, Brown Jr was named as the league’s Sixth Man of the Year, and Brantley’s performances saw him return to the NBA with the Utah Jazz.

“What I can tell you is there is a desire from the New Zealand Breakers to bring all three imports back,” Uluc said on The Marketplace. “They want them all back.

“I’m also told there is a desire from all three guys to return to New Zealand.

“It’s very rare that there is this sort of mutual interest across the board.”

Just because there is interest on all sides doesn’t mean all three are guaranteed to return though.

“There are still hoops to jump through,” Uluc continued.

”As far as the money and opportunity these guys get – they may stand in the way … Jarrell Brantley wants to wait and see with potential NBA offers down the track, Barry Brown Jr wants a lot of money.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBLxNBA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBLxNBA</a> <br><br>After a strong Championship Series, Breakers star forward Jarrell Brantley has signed a 10-day contract with the NBA's Utah Jazz.<br><br>Watch some of Brantley’s top plays of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> ? <a href="https://t.co/lh8f7pZBtz">pic.twitter.com/lh8f7pZBtz</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1637721191355133952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“There is interest on both sides to make it happen.”

The new contract awarded to star guard McDowell-White will not stand in the way of a return for any – or all – of the trio.

“The money for Will McDowell-White was upped from last season, but it’s not a crazy amount that it handcuffs the Breakers in any way,” Uluc said.

“There is a chance at least two of them (the imports) to come back, but from what I’m told there is interest from all sides for all three to return.”

The Breakers have been comparatively inactive in NBL Free Agency thus far and, at the time of writing, have made no new signings ahead of next season.

They have, however, kept a strong contingent of local players contracted, as well as re-signed their star performer in McDowell-White.