Kings Building New Era Around Simon?

Thursday, March 23, 2023

There’s a chance Justin Simon could repeat the timeline of his time at the Illawarra Hawks with the Sydney Kings. Come into the NBL, win some silverware, leave after one season

Star import Justin Simon is sure to have interest from around the NBL after playing a key role in the Sydney Kings' back-to-back championship success.

But according to ESPN Insider Olgun Oluc, the departure of Xavier Cooks makes Simon an even more important signing for the Kings.

Simon was named as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in NBL21 – his sole campaign with the Hawks – before departing the league for Germany. He then came back with the Kings for NBL23 and won the championship.

He averaged 10.3 points and 1.5 steals per game across the NBL23 regular season, and exploded for 12 points, nine rebounds and six steals in the Kings’ decisive Game 2 win in the Championship Series.

While Simon initially only signed a one-year deal with the side, Uluc believes the Kings could elect not only to retain the star wing, but build around him.

“There is some mutual interest in bringing Justin Simon back,” Uluc reported on The Marketplace. “You can go and effectively recruit around a guy like Justin Simon, because we saw in this Championship Series just how valuable a player like that can be.

“I think it’s more palatable, because with Xavier Cooks doing his thing in the NBA you can have more of a non-shooter like Justin Simon in that lineup and it doesn’t feel as weird because you don’t have Xavier Cooks anymore.”

Angus Glover could also hit free agency, after his contract with the Kings expired following his back-to-back championships with the side, but Uluc believes Sydney will re-sign the courageous guard.

Following the title celebrations, the team's majority owner Paul Smith stated he wants Glover to remain a King for life – and Uluc says re-signing the 24-year-old would be an important part of keeping Sydney at the top end of the competition.

“Glover was poised after his Grand Final showing to be one of the more intriguing free agents,” Uluc said.

“The Sydney Kings have not rested on their laurels. They’re going hard at retaining that core bench that won them back-to-back titles.”

NBL Free Agency officially opens on March 30, while all player, team and mutual options must be announced by March 27.

Players can be re-signed to their current clubs at any time.