NBL 2024 Free Agency Guide: Who to watch, re-signings, key dates

The NBL Championship Series nearing its finale means free agency is right around the corner.

A heap of teams were able to lock in their primary players ahead of the official opening of free agency, but there are still pieces on the market that have the ability to shift the NBL landscape going into the 2024-25 season.

Like last offseason, Will McDowell-White and Bul Kuol will be among the most sought-after potential free agents, and, because the talent across the available players is thin, their value is as high as ever.

Here's everything you need to know, from when free agency should begin, the re-signings we already know about, and a rundown of the key free agents to keep an eye on.

When does NBL Free Agency begin?

The 2024 NBL Free Agency opening date has yet to be set, but it will begin no later than 14 business days after the final game of the Championship Series.

All options must be confirmed 72 hours before Free Agency begins; free agent lists will then be distributed to teams.

Early re-signings and option pick-ups

• Isaac Humphries signed a new three-year deal to return to the Adelaide 36ers. He joins Dejan Vasiljevic, who signed a three-year extension to stay in Adelaide in the middle of the season.

• Will Magnay signed a new two-year deal to remain with the Tasmania JackJumpers.

• The Brisbane Bullets exercised Nathan Sobey's team option for the 2024-25 season. The expectation is that the Bullets will exercise all of their options -- Tyrell Harrison (team), Casey Prather (mutual), and Isaac White (team) -- going into free agency. Prather is expected to opt in to his portion of the mutual option, sources told ESPN.

• Kristian Doolittle signed a one-year deal to return to the Perth Wildcats.

• Sam Mennenga signed a two-year deal with the New Zealand Breakers, who bought out the second season of his contract with the Cairns Taipans.

• Shaun Bruce signed a two-year deal to remain with the Sydney Kings.

• Sam Waardenburg signed a one-year extension to remain with the Taipans, source said. 

Key Free Agents

Xavier Cooks

Cooks -- the 2023 NBL MVP has agreed to a three-year deal with the Sydney Kings, sources told ESPN, in what is the largest deal in league history.

The Australian Boomers forward will be the Kings' first major signing under new head coach Brian Goorjian, with Cooks returning to the team he led to back-to-back NBL Championships in 2022 and 2023.

Cooks left the Kings at the conclusion of last season to join the Washington Wizards. He's since been plying his trade with the Chiba Jets in Japan's B.League.

Will McDowell-White

Like last offseason, McDowell-White could be one of the hottest assets, and the interest from around the league is clear evidence of that.

McDowell-White has a player option with the Breakers for the 2024-25 season, but has yet to make a decision on it, sources said. If he opts out, there are a significant number of suitors for his services.

Seven of the NBL's 10 teams are preparing to show interest in McDowell-White, sources said: the Perth Wildcats, South East Melbourne Phoenix, JackJumpers, Kings, Brisbane Bullets, and 36ers, while the New Zealand Breakers have a strong desire to retain him.

The 6'5 point guard averaged 9.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game over a 2023-24 season that was hampered by multiple injuries.

Bul Kuol

Given the lack of marquee-level free agents available, Kuol's value is extremely high going into this offseason.

The 6'7 wing averaged 12.7 points and 3.1 rebounds this past season, shooting 40.8 percent from downtown, while being regarded as one of the league's best perimeter defenders.

Kuol has informed the Taipans that he won't be returning, sources said, and there are multiple teams preparing significant offers for him.

The Kings, Phoenix, Breakers, and Hawks are the teams preparing to show interest in Kuol, sources said. The expectation is that Kuol's decision will come down to the Kings and the Phoenix, sources said, with Sydney likely to emerge as his preferred landing spot.

Tyler Harvey

Imports have largely been omitted from this list, but Harvey is a unique case because of his impending potential Australian citizenship.

The latest timeline indicates Harvey will be eligible for his citizenship in June, 2025, sources said. If Harvey obtains it, he'd be considered a local player.

Harvey has been a member of the Hawks for four seasons, and the team is preparing an offer for the shooting guard, sources said.

Harvey, however, is expected to garner strong interest from around the league, sources said, with the 30-year-old seeking a multi-year deal. He averaged 15.1 points and 2.5 assists per game, for a Hawks team that qualified for the semifinals.

Mitch McCarron

McCarron enters free agency as a functional, reliable guard option, with the hopes of putting three volatile seasons in Adelaide behind him.

The Wildcats, Breakers, and Hawks are the three teams preparing to show the strongest interest in McCarron, sources said; the sense around the league is that the combo guard could fill a role similar to what Norton did in Brisbane this past season.

McCarron averaged 4.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game for the 36ers this past season.

Jordan Hunter

With Humphries and Magnay re-signing in Adelaide and Tasmania, respectively, Hunter becomes the most sought-after local big-man on the market.

There's been long standing mutual interest for him to return to the Kings, sources said, but talks appear far apart.

One team expected to show significant interest in Hunter, sources said, are the Phoenix, who parted ways with centre Alan Williams at the conclusion of the 2023-24 NBL season.

The Phoenix have a need at the five-spot, and Hunter is coming off the best season of his career, averaging 10.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.

Jonah Bolden

Bolden, the Kings' other centre from the 2023-24 season, is already receiving significant interest from teams around world basketball, sources said.

The Kings showed an initial interest in bringing him back, sources said, but the likelihood is that the 28-year-old will be priced out of the NBL.

In his return to basketball -- after a three-year hiatus -- Bolden averaged 8.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, primarily coming off the bench.

Aron Baynes

Baynes, 37, has made no secret about the fact that he'll strongly weigh up the future of his playing career.

The three-time Olympian averaged 7.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, mainly as the Bullets' backup centre.

The expectation is that Baynes remains in Brisbane, regardless of the decision he makes.

Kyrin Galloway

The way Galloway ended his 2023-24 season saw him emerge as one of the most intriguing free agent options; there's much intrigue in his combination of size, athleticism, and ability to stretch the floor.

The 36ers have an interest in bringing Galloway back, sources said, but he's expected to strongly assess his other options in the offseason.

Both Queensland teams are preparing to offer Galloway, with the Taipans emerging as a potential landing spot for the athletic forward.

Galloway averaged 5.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game for the 36ers this past season, but significantly increased his production due to more opportunity as the campaign came to a close.

Kouat Noi

Noi just completed his second season with the Kings, averaging 10.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

There's mutual interest in a deal being reached for the forward to return to the Kings, sources said.

Deng Adel

We haven't seen Adel in the NBL since the 2020-21 season, when he was a member of the Hawks; he averaged 5.9 points per game, shooting 31.4 percent from the field and 20.3 percent from downtown, and was cut from the team before the season's end.

Adel has most recently played in France's second division, with an eye toward returning to the NBL.

The Bullets have entered advanced talks with Adel on a deal for the 2024-25 season, sources said.