The waiting game: Hawks eye Aussie NBA stars

The Illawarra Hawks have been one of the quieter teams this off-season, largely due to their roster being nearly complete and hence taking their time to get the remaining pieces.

With their championship winning core from two seasons ago in Tyler Harvey, Sam Froling, Will Hickey, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, Dan Grida, Todd Blanchfield and Mason Peatling locked in, the Hawks' attention turns to two important positions.

“They're one of the teams though and I'll flag this … I'm not saying this will necessarily happen, but we've seen this happen in the past … they're a team that was searching for a marquee four man,” ESPN's Olgun Uluc reported on NBL Marketplace, presented by Paywise.

“Now none of those players are available right now. Do the Hawks commit to a really high-level import four, which is what they're looking for at Summer League or do they be patient and wait?”

The Hawks have been openly looking to bolster their starting unit with a point guard and a power forward, with the rest of that core already looking strong.

Uluc had previously reported about the Hawks' desires to land a marquee Australian at the four spot, to both help their cap spend, but also their flexibility on the rest of the roster.

“We saw teams last season that were patient, it paid off for [them],” he said. “The Cairns Taipans were patient; they waited and got Jack McVeigh. The Perth Wildcats were patient and they got Jo Lual-Acuil Jr.

“Should the Hawks be patient? Can they get a Luke Travers? Can they get a Lachlan Olbrich? Can one of these guys, if a NBA deal doesn't eventuate … will the Hawks be patient and maybe wait for one of them?”

Former Hawk and champion big man, Olbrich, is currently with the Golden State Warriors for Summer League, after a promising season for the Chicago Bulls last year on a two-way deal. Then there is Travers, who was recently with the Cleveland Cavaliers and again impressed in his opportunities, and is now with the Milwaukee Bucks looking to land a new deal.

“Waiting around can be hard, because you still need to shop for an import just in case,” Pete Hooley added.

“Another name that's out there when we talk about marquee power forwards is Jack White, but I don't expect him to be in the NBL, I think there's a Europe opportunity there.”

While the Hawks plan out their final moves, Uluc predicts they'll likely be using the next few weeks to find an import.

“I will stress that Olbrich and Travers, these guys will exhaust NBA opportunities as that is their goal, but the Hawks have shown interest there.”