Hoops

Tai Wesley will be a local

Meh,
Like a lot of people who have moved around and had different citizenship, He effectively got to choose which country he wanted to play for. He chose Guam.
I know he was born in the USA, but I thought his dad actually came from somewhere in Oceania?
Anyway, under the previous rules, he qualified as a "local" and that's how he played for the Breakers.

It's not unreasonable that the NBL provides some Grace whilst he waits for Aussie citizenship.

TBH, I think he'd still be here whether it's as a local or as an import. I'm fine with the rules being bent to accommodate him given both his personal situation and his status at the time of signing with Melbourne, though. I like to think common sense can rule the day, and I also like to think it's not just happening because he plays for the league owner's team (maybe I'm overly optimistic...).

The problem is you can't be a joint Australia or NZ citizen...the time he spent in either country is irrelevant if he is going for citizenship in either country. The NBL (local) rule doesn't override the laws in either country.

Thank you KobeRulz, that’s what these people are missing. He was allowed to play as a local and then the rule changed whilst he was playing as a local. It’s technically a restraint of trade. So the NBL doing it this way is fair as he still has to be a local on paper with the Aust Gov too

Prather has never played as a local.

Wesley's time in Australia specifically is irrelevant. New Zealanders are also locals.

Here here

A lot of sticklers in this board. Fact is Tai is a great player, and the league should want to keep guys around like him rather than set their rules such that they're excluded. Yes, you can't do it for everyone, but he's already here, already established. Just shut up and let the guy play here. The league is better for it.

* doesn't

It's got nothing to do with whining I'd love to have Wesley on my team as a local or an import I'm probably his biggest fan on here over the years.

However it does change the fact it was a bit dodgy by the Breakers and then United to get him classified as Guamanian and thus a local.

Watch all of the whiners stop if Tai ends up at their team. He’s a free agent coming off career best form. He could go to a small market team too, such as Cairns and help with depth. Not out of the question.

Wesley has 2 young kids and has become a long term fixture in the NBL, making it his home. How many "imports" stay for four years?

As I said a couple of months ago, it'd be perfectly fair if the rule was grandfathered for existing players.

The NBL would be doing itself a favour too, giving a long term player a chance to remain in the league.

Typo *3

What makes the Wesley situation particularly galling is he's actually American. Born in the US (spent a few years as a kid in Guam when his dad worked there) basically raised in the US, college in the US the lot.

Adding to the above, if he does make citizen as dodgy as it may be then get him on the Boomers squad asap.

Effectively Melbourne running 4 Imports (lets face it Guam exclusion is a joke-it’s America) and Adelaide running 2. Yes, LV buying wins and Adelaide punching above their weight against the teams with some solid backing. Respect deserved for what teams are doing that have little backing and put together the wins. And Tai should be an import next year, has not met requirements for citizenship and only spent half a year here last year. And lets face it he deserves an import spot. Melbourne would bot be winning if he was injured and he was a beast for them last season.

Citizenship?! How long has he been in Australia?

He has only been playing in the NBL since 2014 and Melbourne (Australia) since 2016.

It doesn't matter how you look at it...it wreaks of favouritism & hidden agendas.

Anon #671365...enlighten me on how you know I have no idea on the situation/application?

Citizenship application in process . Guam has not been reclassified.

Well can you offer some clarity around 'the process' then?

If its Wesley becoming an Australian citizen by the 2018/19 season, then fair enough, thats hardly on LK.

If Guam is magically back on the exception list when it was removed in favour of Asian countries, then that is another matter entirely.

Tornado, you literally have no idea of the process that went on in the background to get this done, so yes, you are uneducated on the application.

Uneducated, ok....we will see.

Tai is a free agent, so if anything this helps him more than Larry. He will get offers from most teams i’d think.

But feel free to keep hating on Larry.

What a surprise...considering the NBL owner and United owner are one in the same.

No such thing as a bad Jawai joke.

I think most here understood that joke lol I take it you haven’t watched much NBL recently.

Oh so that was a 'joke'. Sounded like a primary school comment. Not needed at all. Like the Jawai 'jokes' Totally not needed.

Impending citizenship, which is why it’s a 12 month grace period.

Maybe YOU shouldn't take jokes so serious

If United are really paying Andersen $600k, then Tai should be getting the same money or more.

His 17 kids will be able to upgrade from cheeseburgers to whopper value meals with the money this grown man will be earning next season

United have more then enough $$$$ to keep him

PERTH WILDCATS 3.00
GOLD COAST BLAZE 4.00
MELBOURNE TIGERS 5.00
NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 8.00
SYDNEY KINGS 9.00
ADELAIDE 36ERS 15.00
WOLLONGONG HAWKS 15.00
CAIRNS TAIPANS 26.00
TOWNSVILLE CROCODILES 26.00

If there were a trading market for bets, I think you could pick up Adelaide at $15 and sell down the track.

Perth are short, but I think they're also such strong favourites that you'd have to consider it. Breakers could be value at $8. Nothing else though.

Here are the MVP odds:

MILLS, Patty (MEL) 2.50
KHAZZOUH, Julian (SYD) 5.00
WORTHINGTON, Mark (GCB) 5.00
REDHAGE, Shawn (PER) 7.00
MARTIN, Damian (PER) 12.00
UBAKA, Ayinde (MEL) 15.00
WARREN, Chris (ADE) 17.00
ABERCROMBIE, Thomas (NZL) 21.00
GIBSON, Adam (GCB) 21.00
GRANT, Jerai (SYD) 21.00
LOUGHTON, Alex (CRN) 21.00
NEVILL, Luke (PER) 21.00
WILKINSON, Gary (NZL) 21.00
CATRON, Joevan (WOL) 41.00
MIMS, Elvin (TOW) 41.00
SCHENSCHER, Luke (TOW) 41.00
BALLINGER, Adam (ADE) 51.00
WEIGH, Stephen (ADE) 51.00
CROSSWHITE, Ian (CRN) 61.00
FORMAN, Oscar (WOL) 61.00
GYNES, Alex (SYD) 61.00
HARVEY, James (GCB) 61.00
JOHNSON, Daniel (ADE) 61.00
KNIGHT, Matthew (PER) 61.00
VUKONA, Mika (NZL) 61.00
WARREN, Andrew (CRN) 61.00
WILSON, Jamar (CRN) 61.00
BURSTON, Matthew (MEL) 81.00
CRAWFORD, Peter (TOW) 81.00
DAVIDSON, Larry (WOL) 81.00
DORSEY, Ronald (MEL) 81.00
LISCH, Kevin (PER) 81.00
SAVILLE, Glen (WOL) 81.00
TRAGARDH, Cameron (MEL) 81.00

Not excited about any of those short-priced options. Mills may not stay the entire season. Khazzouh will have more competition at the Kings this year. It's quite remarkable that the first NZ appearances are from $21 and up.

One of these guys wouldn't be out of the question:

ABERCROMBIE, Thomas (NZL) 21.00 - someone is going to have to fire for NZ
WILKINSON, Gary (NZL) 21.00 - can score and board
BALLINGER, Adam (ADE) 51.00 - has been an MVP candidate in the past
WEIGH, Stephen (ADE) 51.00 - could be his year
JOHNSON, Daniel (ADE) 61.00 - or his
DORSEY, Ronald (MEL) 81.00 - wouldn't count him out
TRAGARDH, Cameron (MEL) 81.00 - someone has to get the numbers inside at Melbourne