Andrew Bogut co-owns the team he’s now an assistant coach of. Should Brian Goorjian be nervous?

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Will Goorjian have a Kings-sized headache?

That almost goes without saying when it comes to coaching the Sydney Kings – just ask the long list of Brian Goorjian’s frazzled predecessors, including Bob Turner, Brett Brown and Andrew Gaze.

Sydney coach Brian Goorjian talks to his side.

Goorjian, 72, conducted a coaching clinic in Melbourne recently where he was his typical chatty self, and even gave an insight into the types of training drills the Kings have embraced. He then spent time as an assistant coach with the New York Knicks’ Summer League team in Las Vegas; his thirst for knowledge is not diminishing.

Goorjian is heading into his second season back with the Kings (he has a third and final year to run on his contract) after falling in the play-in qualifier last season when star forward Xavier Cooks was suspended. There is a feeling across the league that it’s grand-final or bust for a man who led the Kings to a three-peat between 2003-05, and later took the Boomers to a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

Andrew Bogut is an assistant coach to Brian Goorjian at the Sydney Kings this season.

The Kings are loaded, having poached veteran point guard Matthew Dellavedova (a good tip to lead the league in assists) from United, and sharpshooter Kendric Davis – the MVP runner-up last season – from Adelaide to share the back-court duties, but they already have season-ending injuries to Keli Leaupepe (ACL) and Jason Spurgin (foot).

That Australian great Andrew Bogut has been brought on as an assistant coach is a point of intrigue across the league.

Bogut, an NBA championship winner with Golden State, and a Boomers great, will remain a part of the Kings’ ownership group while stepping into his first major coaching role. That’s an interesting dynamic, particularly if the season goes sour for the Kings, and Goorjian’s future becomes a point of discussion.

Co-owner Luc Longley says the Bogut call “is a smart one” that “will bring a fresh dynamic to the Kings”. Strap in, this will be some ride.

Will United’s big changes lead to a title?

Melbourne United made major changes after losing in the deciding game of the grand final series for the second season in a row.

Melbourne United’s Tyson Walker shoots a free throw.

They didn’t match Sydney’s offer for Dellavedova, let Ian Clark and Marcus Lee go and supported Jack White in his move to Europe. In their place, they have brought in proven winners Milton Doyle (Tasmania title-winner) and Finn Delany (New Zealand title-winner) and some lesser-known but highly motivated recruits in import guard Tyson Walker, import centre Jesse Edwards and NBL Next Star Dash Daniels, who all are chasing a future in the NBA.

United will contend once again, and they are excited about the defensive length and athleticism of their line-up, which still has Chris Goulding, Shea Ili and Kyle Bowen. This team fits coach Dean Vickerman’s style like a glove. Time will tell if they can take this club past its recent heartbreak and win that much-desired title.

Will the 36ers Cotton on that this is a championship-calibre team?

They’d better. The 36ers pulled off the recruiting coup of the decade by signing Cotton, the former Perth Wildcat and five-time league MVP, and are loaded with talent.

New Adelaide signing Bryce Cotton stunned the NBL with his move to the 36ers.

He had considered a lucrative move to Japan’s B League, but a deal fell through. That wasn’t great news for the star playmaker, but it was for the NBL – and the 36ers, who pounced.

What is also great news for the 36ers is that Cotton’s Australian citizenship has been approved, meaning his local status could allow the 36ers to pursue another import.

A three-time champion, Cotton has averaged 23.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 258 NBL games since debuting in the 2016-17 season. He was the league’s top scorer last season, averaging 28.07 points per game, including a record-breaking 59 points against New Zealand in December.

Cotton loves the big moment, and typically delivers, but the big question will be how willing the playmaker is to give the 36ers shooters around him, namely fellow marksman DJ Vasiljevic, the rock. Forward Montrezl Harrell will also want to be a factor, and has spent the NBL off-season playing around the world.

“Everyone calls us championship favourites, but we’ve got to do the work behind the scenes,” Vasiljevic said on his podcast Straight Shooter. “And having guys like big ‘Monsta’ [Harrell] back, we’ve got [import] Zylan Cheatham now, who is an athlete, but is also shooting the three-ball well and someone like Flynn Cameron who was with [Melbourne] United the last few years and has a kind of championship feel – he’s going to bring that into our group.

“It’s championship or nothing for us now… [but] everyone’s got to sacrifice some.”

What can we expect from the league’s million-dollar men?

Plenty, because they need to deliver. The NBL’s Marketplace podcast recently claimed Kings forward Xavier Cooks, Perth forward-centre Jo Lual-Acuil, Cairns sharpshooter Jack McVeigh and Cotton will trouser more than $1 million each this season. That’s big money, and with that comes big expectations.

The big money will mean big expectations for Sydney’s Xavier Cooks.

Cooks, a former league MVP and an Australian Boomer, has redemption on his mind, having been suspended late last season for a month for testing positive to cocaine. He missed the knockout final against Adelaide, which the Kings lost. Now back, and having represented Australia at the FIBA Asia Cup, he has work to do.

He is a unique talent, with the athleticism and versatility required of a forward but the ability to handle the ball and knowledge to run an offence, which the Kings often look for him to do. However, his outside shot is still a concern, and an area he told this masthead last year he was looking to improve.

Lual-Acuil made his name as a championship player with Melbourne United in 2021. He was the league’s best sixth man that season, won all-NBL first team honours in 2022 and was selected to the all-NBL second team in 2024. Having spent time abroad, he has returned to his hometown of Perth on a two-year deal. He will be a fan favourite at RAC Arena.

And we couldn’t be happier that McVeigh is back in the local league. He was spectacular in sinking United in the 2024 finals when he guided Tasmania to their maiden championship and was named finals MVP.

Jack McVeigh has returned from the Houston Rockets and is a key figure in the Cairns Taipans’ plans.

Having chased his NBA dream – he played nine games with the Houston Rockets last season, and 35 games with their G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers – McVeigh is just the second marquee player in Taipans history.

As for Cotton, we know what to expect.

“Who we’ve got coming into this league has never, ever been better from a talent point of view and also from a ‘talkability’ point of view – the shuffle around of a few Australians between the clubs is going to create so much interest. It’s crazy,” NBL owner Larry Kestelman said.

“The talent is legit and the interest in those moves is going to be amazing. I can’t tell you who is going to win or lose those games, but I want to see Adelaide play Perth. I want to see Adelaide play Sydney – those games will be a lot of fun to watch.”

Can the fast Phoenix match it with the title fancies?

This is very much a team after coach Josh King’s heart, and one that leans into a fast, defensively aggressive style.

John Brown III is a Euro League veteran, and could be a difference-maker inside, DJ Mitchell is a hard-working, end-to-end player, while Hunter Maldonado has been on the NBA fringes and will want to make an impression. Malique Lewis returns after testing the NBA waters ahead of the draft, while Nathan Sobey, Owen Foxwell, Jordan Hunter and Angus Glover will all be better for last season with King.

Losing import Omari Moore to a big money overseas offer hurt, while 211cm Belgian Vrenz Bliejenbergh was released this week after a modest preseason. If they can find a gun replacement, it could change their season.

SEM Phoenix import John Brown III battles for the ball during the NBL Blitz.

Will the courthouse drama leak onto the basketball court?

One of the most talked-about stories in the off-season is the ongoing legal battle between NBL owner Larry Kestelman and Illawarra Hawks owner Jared Novelly.

It’s a feud that has cost the league, Kestelman and Novelly plenty of money in legal fees and has captured headlines, especially since the Hawks are the reigning NBL champions and have brought in one of the most high-profile imports in league history – three-time NBA champion and Olympic gold medallist McGee.

NBL owner Larry Kestelman has vowed to protect the league at all costs.

In June, South-East Melbourne Phoenix owner Romie Chaudhari has also joined the matter in which the two owners raised concerns about the league’s ownership structure, Kestelman’s financial transparency and how league profits are shared with clubs.

But Kestelman is confident that the frosty off-court relations won’t extend onto the court.

“My hope is that if someone has a grievance, we sort that grievance out behind closed doors and let the sport be the sport and let it be there for the fans to enjoy,” Kestelman said.

“If someone has a beef with me, I’m a big enough boy to look after myself and resolve it with them, but my preference is for them to do it behind closed doors.”

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