The Star Import Who Could Unite Melbourne

Thursday, May 18, 2023

Melbourne United may have confirmed the signing of Matthew Dellavedova on Wednesday morning, but the recruitment train keeps on rolling for the side

Melbourne United may have confirmed the signing of Matthew Dellavedova on Wednesday morning, but the recruitment train keeps on rolling for the side.

With the local contingent all but set in stone for the upcoming season, eyes have turned to the race for potential high-profile imports to pad out an already dangerous looking lineup, and ESPN Insider Olgun Uluc has reported the side is in discussions with one seriously high-profile name - Armoni Brooks.

Brooks, 24, spent last season on the books of the College Park SkyHawks of the NBA G-League following 74 games – with 16 starts – in the NBA in seasons prior.

A sharpshooting wing, Brooks has shot a career 33 per cent from three-point range in the NBA, and across 28 games for the SkyHawks last season averaged 14.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game on shooting splits of 44.3 per cent from the field, 38.2 per cent from three and 80 per cent from the free throw line.

“I would consider him one of the best shooters outside the NBA,” Uluc said of Brooks on The Marketplace. “I was at Hoop City last week and I helped conduct a press conference that involved Dean Vickerman. He flat out said ‘we need a shooter’.

“I’m told United has started engaging in talks with Armoni Brooks … if you could bring in someone like Armoni Brooks, that makes United probably the frontrunner heading into next season – not even knowing who the other teams are prepared to bring in.

“If you have a team that has Matthew Dellavedova and then two of the best shooters in the world outside of the NBA on either wing with the sort of creation you can get with Luke Travers and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr … that’s one hell of a line-up.”

United currently has no imports locked in for the upcoming season, and with nine rostered players already locked in the side will be unable to bring in more than two international players for NBL24.

Six of the ten teams in the competition currently have at least one import contracted for next season, with only Melbourne, New Zealand, Tasmania and Sydney currently without any international talent.