<\/p>\n
Fox Sports Australia<\/i> can reveal the Breakers are signing 6\u201911\u201d American-Canadian centre Charles Bediako for the 2026-27 season.<\/p>\n
The new signing is set to arrive in New Zealand following a high-profile NCAA eligibility saga earlier this year, bringing elite size, athleticism and a defensive presence to Gordon Herbert\u2019s revamped roster.<\/p>\n
Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n The addition would round out New Zealand\u2019s main roster, giving the club an elite rebounder, rim protector and lob threat, while providing star point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright with a dangerous target above the rim.<\/p>\n Bediako is coming off a season with the Scarborough Shooting Stars in Canada\u2019s CEBL, where he averaged 7.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 17.4 minutes across 20 appearances, while shooting an impressive 75% from the field.<\/p>\n Like any player, Bediako has areas of his game to improve. Free-throw shooting remains one of them, having converted 57.1% of his attempts during his time in the NBA G League. He also isn\u2019t a floor-spacing big, but with proven perimeter shooters such as Kouat Noi and Dejan Vasiljevic already on the roster, that is unlikely to be a major concern.<\/p>\n NBL Daily: Taipans dealt major setback with teen prodigy injury as another key signing confirmed<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Where Bediako separates himself is on the offensive glass. Of his 602 rebounds in the G League, 37% came at the offensive end, highlighting his ability to generate second-chance opportunities. If he earns consistent minutes, he has every chance to establish himself among the league\u2019s best rebounders.<\/p>\n Bediako has also represented Canada on multiple occasions, linking him with new Breakers head coach Gordon Herbert, who was appointed as Canada\u2019s Head Coach earlier this year. Most recently, Bediako suited up in last month\u2019s FIBA World Cup Americas Qualifiers, recording seven points, four rebounds and three blocks against Puerto Rico.<\/p>\n NCAA CONTROVERSY<\/b><\/p>\n Bediako, 24, found himself at the centre of one of college basketball\u2019s biggest eligibility controversies earlier this year after attempting to return to Alabama, where he played between 2021 and 2023.<\/p>\n After going undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft, Bediako signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs and went on to play 83 NBA G League games across the Austin Spurs, Grand Rapids Gold and Motor City Cruise.<\/p>\n During that span, he averaged 8.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 20.4 minutes per game while shooting 61.1% from the field<\/p>\n Ordinarily, competing professionally in the G League would end an athlete\u2019s NCAA eligibility. However, amid the rapidly evolving college athletics landscape, Bediako challenged that interpretation after the NCAA denied his bid to return to Alabama.<\/p>\n