We have received a number of a questions around free agency from our fans and thought it might be appropriate to answer as many as we can. It is an exciting time, putting the roster together, and coach Aaron Young, assistants Sonny Tuaputa and Josiah Maama, and GM Dale Budge have been working hard on assembling the best roster possible.
With five players already announced and a number more signed, the roster is starting to take shape.
Here are some answers to questions, we’ve been asked.
What signings can we expect to complete the 2024 roster?
The club will add two more starters to go with Rob Loe, Tom Vodanovich and Cam Gliddon. We are actively in discussions with two likely recruits and hope to make announcements in the coming couple of weeks. We expect the starting five to all be of Australian NBL quality. In addition, we have already signed some players that will be announced shortly and there are a handful of spots still open.
Will the Tuatara chase imports this season?
The short answer is yes. Cam Gliddon fills one of the import spots although we consider him very much a local given his ties to the country and the North Shore of Auckland in particular. It is highly likely that our starting point guard will be an import. Having said that, our goal has been to assemble a core group of Kiwi players first and build around that. Where possible our preference will be players that hail from Auckland or at least have significant ties to the area. We have a great relationship with Harbour Basketball and ABSL and have put a huge focus on filling our amateur slots with local talent. We have a role to play in providing a pathway to young Aucklanders that want to embark on a professional career and that has served both us, as a club, and some young players well in recent seasons – think Dontae Russo-Nance, Charlie Dalton and Tom Beattie.
Why did the Tuatara not bring back Dontae Russo-Nance?
The Tuatara would love to have brought Dontae back – he is a favourite of the franchise and of coach Aaron Young’s. When Dontae signed with the Perth Wildcats, we knew it was likely he would have to play for Otago in the NBL, given the Wildcats and Nuggets are owned by the same ownership group. We certainly asked the question, but Dontae was committed to going to Dunedin.
What about other players linked to the Tuatara? Who else did the Tuatara chase?
The Auckland Tuatara have chased a number of players this season that have ultimately signed elsewhere. That is the salary cap at work and while it is frustrating to miss out on players you want, we think the League has done the right thing setting the cap where it has, which ensures the talent is spread evenly, which makes for a much better competition. We wanted to bring Taki Fahrensohn back, but he got a very competitive offer elsewhere. We love Taki – there is no ill feeling, and we are happy for him and wish him well and hope to see him back in our colours in the years ahead. There have been a number of other Kiwi players that we tried to sign but it wouldn’t be appropriate to mention those names publicly.
What type of player is the Tuatara looking for?
Culture is super important to us – it has been a hallmark of the past two seasons and our run to the grand final in both 2022 and 2023. In players like Rob Loe and Cam Gliddon, we have experienced veterans that drive a high standard on and off the court. We know Tom Vodanovich will only add to that when he joins the franchise this season as will our two remaining starters. A big part of our group is our local core with the likes of Chris McIntosh, Reuben Fitzgerald and Nick Barrow providing a depth of talent on court while also being the heart and soul of the group off it. It is no surprise we have built around these players again this season. We also want players that want to be with us, that are prepared to be part of something bigger than themselves and those qualities are high on our priority list. It is fair to say, all of our players could have chased more money elsewhere but have been prepared to play for slightly less to play together and in a competitive but enjoyable group.
How will the club approach Rapid League?
Sky Broadband Rapid League will be an exciting new addition to the competition this season and one that we will need to adapt to quickly. We’ve watched how it has worked in the Tauihi League in 2023 and have made some assumptions but like all the other teams, we will have to assess and adjust as we go, once the competition gets underway. We feel we have put together a strong group to tackle Rapid League. While it is very much about the fans, we feel Rapid League will give some fringe players a chance to press their claims for more Sal’s NBL minutes while it provides a perfect opportunity for some exciting youngsters to get a chance to play meaningful minutes against quality opponents.