Two NBL contenders have continued shaping their rosters ahead of the 2026-27 season, with Melbourne United’s blockbuster new arrival revealing why he chose Australia over opportunities elsewhere, while the Breakers have added another local piece with strong basketball bloodlines.
All of this and more in the latest edition of NBL Daily.
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‘FELT LIKE THE RIGHT MOVE’
It is one of, if not the biggest, off-season signings in the NBL ahead of the 2026-27 season, with NBA guard Cole Anthony joining Melbourne United.
Now, speaking to the media for the first time since the blockbuster move was announced, Anthony has revealed the path that led him to Melbourne and why he chose the NBL over opportunities elsewhere.
Anthony, donning a United polo shirt, revealed it was his manager, Brian Council, who first raised the possibility of making the move to Australia.
“The first person to bring this opportunity to the table was my manager Brian Council, who was been one of my best friends for twenty-plus years.”
“He was actually the first person to bring up that they [United] were interested in me potentially joining the program, and when he brought this deal to the table, I was like ‘This is something I am definitely going to consider’ because I trust him” Anthony said.
Prior to Anthony’s signing, United had been under a little bit of pressure from fans to land a high quality guard with their final import spot. In the end, they delivered a signing bigger than many could have imagined, with Anthony admitting during his media call that the decision simply “felt like the right move”.
“The more I started to look into it, I got on the call with everybody in the organisation and the call went really well. It just felt like the right move to me.”
Naturally, Anthony’s decision was helped by the opportunity to reunite with former Orlando Magic teammate Joe Ingles, or as Anthony likes to call him, ‘Uncle Joe’.
Anthony gives Ingles hilarious nickname | 00:30
For Anthony, the chance to team up with Ingles again was the “icing on the top of the cake”.
“Joe was there. That was just a little icing on top of the cake where I was just like ‘This feels right’ you know. The NBL is a respected league. This is a well-respected program. And I just felt this was the best next step for me in terms of my maturity as a man and as a basketball player” Anthony said.
The big question surrounding Anthony’s move is a fair one. How does a 26-year-old guard with 367 NBA appearances find himself leaving the world’s best league at this stage of his career?
During the 2021-22 season, at just 21 years old, Anthony averaged 16.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists for the Magic, establishing himself as one of Orlando’s most promising young guards.
Several years later, Anthony admits he is coming off a down year with the Milwaukee Bucks. Across 35 appearances, he averaged career lows of 6.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists, although those numbers came in just 15.1 minutes per game.
Rather than wait for another NBA opportunity to emerge, Anthony decided it was time to play.
“For me, I had a down year in Milwaukee. I haven’t been playing my best brand of basketball the last couple of years and I just felt for me, it was like ‘All right, you know I could wait around and probably to get a training camp deal and fight my way into a spot’, but for me, that sounds like a bunch of siting around and waiting.”
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“I always told myself, especially while I can, I’m going to goop while I can and I looked at a few other opportunities with the EuroLeague potentially and China, but this was the opportunity for me” he said.
Anthony now arrives in the NBL with something to prove, looking to rediscover the form that made him a regular NBA contributor earlier in his career.
But when discussing why Melbourne ultimately won him over, Anthony again returned to Ingles and the opportunity to learn from someone he already knows and trusts.
“I have said it several times already, and I continue to say it, Joe was a but part of this.”
“You know, he may not have had to say much, but for me, it was learning from someone who played in the league for several years, who I already had a relationship with, as teammates with.” he said.
Anthony is expected to arrive in Melbourne next week, joining a United roster built to contend immediately under newly appointed head coach Jacob Chance.
And while there will inevitably be an adjustment period for a player entering the NBL for the first time, Anthony’s ceiling is enormous.
At just 26, with 367 NBA games already behind him and a point to prove, Anthony has the talent to establish himself among the NBL’s elite guards. If everything clicks in Melbourne, there is every chance his impact could reach the levels we’ve recently seen from stars such as six-time MVP Bryce Cotton and reigning champion Kendric Davis, if not higher.
BREAKERS LAND SON OF TALL BLACKS LEGEND
The New Zealand Breakers are set to add another local piece ahead of the 2026-27 NBL season, with sources telling Fox Sports Australia the club is signing Tobias Cameron as a training player.
Cameron, son of Tall Blacks legend and FIBA Hall of Fame inductee Pero Cameron and the older brother of reigning NBL Most Improved Player Flynn Cameron, will join the Breakers after an impressive season split between the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
The 27-year-old is coming off a stint with the Cheshire Phoenix in the UK’s Super League Basketball (SLB), where he helped the club reach the championship game.
Cameron and the Phoenix defeated former NBL player DJ Mitchell and Manchester Basketball in the semi-finals before falling to the London Lions in the final.
READ MORE: Reigning champs confirm long-anticipated split with three-time NBL champion
The 6’5” guard appeared in 28 games for Cheshire, averaging 10.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 22.2 minutes per game while shooting an efficient 50.5% from the field.
Following his return from the UK, Cameron joined the Southland Sharks for another stint in the New Zealand NBL, having previously played for the Taranaki Airs and Franklin Bulls.
Despite appearing in just 11 games, Cameron played an important role in helping Southland claim its first championship since 2018, defeating the reigning champion Wellington Saints in the final.
He averaged 13.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game during his stint with the Sharks, adding another championship to what has been a strong year for the versatile guard.
For the Breakers, Cameron’s signing provides more than just another body at training.
His experience and recent form give the club valuable depth, while also providing the option to potentially elevate him to an Injury Replacement Player should the need arise.
That possibility could become particularly relevant with Breakers guard Izayah Le’Afa currently dealing with a foot injury sustained during his season with Wellington.
Sources told Fox Sports Australia Le’Afa is expected to be sidelined for up to a month, making Cameron a valuable insurance option as the Breakers continue preparations for the new season.