Hools is Hearing ... Snakes set to strike

With the recent announcement of Dillon Stith joining the Taipans on a two-year deal, Hools is Hearing Cairns is close to locking down their remaining puzzle pieces for NBL25.
 
Head coach Adam Forde has been open about the types of players he is looking for to finish his roster. When this off-season began, he had a significant goal in mind and that was to find shooters to open up the driving lanes for his young guards Taran Armstrong and Jackson Makoi.
 
Forde went early with the signing of import Rob Edwards, a bigger combo guard, who will give some versatility to the Taipans and it's believed they re closing in on their final import piece, a '3 and D' type wing, who will be part of the NBA Summer League when it tips off on July 12.

With Tahjere McCall, one of the prominent perimeter defenders in the league, not returning to the Taipans, this would be the missing piece for Cairns' NBL25 roster. Forde has previously mentioned his need for tough and gritty defenders, and combining that with the need for outside shooting. 
 
The final local roster spot for the Taipans seems to be narrowing down to a couple of free-agent names. Recently on NBL Now, Forde mentioned he was looking for a veteran to add to his young roster. One name that stood out to him was Jarred Bairstow, the 109-game journeyman, who did not re-sign with Tasmania after winning the title last season.

With the signing of Stith, it looks as if that final spot would more likely be a guard/wing veteran rather than a big man. As it stands, Cairns' young backcourt duo has a total of 39 games experience between them, so it would seem the smart decision to add a veteran name to that mix. 

Stay tuned...