Injury-depleted JackJumpers sign reinforcements

The Tasmania JackJumpers have added Kody Stattmann and Biwali Bayles as injury replacement players, with both set to fill the void while Ben Ayre and Anthony Drmic work their way back from injury.

Bayles, 23, will be a Nominated Replacement Player while Ayre continues to rehab his hip flexor and returns to the court over the next few weeks. He has 75 games' NBA experience in Illawarra and Sydney.

Stattmann, 26, will join the team as an Injury Replacement Player while Drmic continues to recover from a back injury. He's played 61 games across three clubs.

JackJumpers General Manager of Basketball Operations Darren Smith said the two replacement players would be great assets.

"Kody Stattmann is a born and bred Queenslander, with basketball in his blood," Smith said.

"He's coming in off the back of a great NBL26 with the Cairns Taipans, and an MVP NBL1 season with the Cairns Marlins.

"We're fortunate to have him replacing Drmic. He brings good size and versatility for his position, while his decision-making and scoring ability are key aspects of his game.

"Biwali Bayles is an experienced guard who has played for the Illawarra Hawks and Sydney Kings, as well as a stint in Europe.

"We'll have another expert ball handler with Bayles on board. He is an energy guy, and you can't help but notice his aggression for the ball on the court.

"He'll be a great backup for Taran as well, so that's some added depth for us too."

Tasmania next faces Melbourne United on Thursday at MyState Bank Arena from 7.30pm AEST, live on ESPN.