Does an off-season of change loom for coaches?

The upcoming off-season looms as one of change for the NBL coaches, with a lot of movement expected across the league.

One club that won't have to experience that is South East Melbourne, who, according to ESPN’s Olgun Uluc, are preparing a landmark deal for Josh King.

“The ownership of the South East Melbourne Phoenix really likes Josh King,” Uluc said on The Marketplace, presented by Paywise.

“Obviously, [they love] the defensive identity and they're close to the top of the league right now. He is one of the best coaches in the NBL, he likes being in Melbourne and he likes the Phoenix.

“[Their] ownership of the Phoenix want to go all-in and build around King’s image and are prepared to put an offer in front of him that I'm told is longer than usual coach’s contracts.

“In my 10 years covering the NBL, I don't know if I've heard of an offer like this. They’re preparing a very long term offer for him.”

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NBL champion Pete Hooley believes the extension of King, who has a 37-20 record at the Phoenix, is an excellent move by the Heartland club.

“There was a lot of turnover in the Phoenix for a couple years, so to have that security, stability and direction [is amazing],” Hooley said.

“This is the foundation of not only contending this season but every year he is at the helm. This is a really positive move by the Phoenix.”

While one contender appears set to lock in their coach long-term, there’s reports that another might be ready to make a move ahead of NBL27.

“Things have gotten very noisy around Adelaide and I've been trying to separate the noise from reality. Adelaide is a place where it's very tough to do that though, because there are so many people sort of in the periphery of the team who are quite noisy.

“From what I understand, there wasn't this full blown meeting of leadership in the team that's discussing Mike Wells’ future in the immediate, but there is obvious pressure on Mike Wells [with all the recent losses].

“We are at a point where this team has to sit back after the season's finished and see what the best option is to maximise Bryce Cotton, who is 33 years old.

“While Wells is contracted for next season, this is their window and they need a coach that’s going to help them win now.

“The question is, is Mike Wells that guy or perhaps a more proven winner in an NBL environment?”

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The NBL is heating up on and off the court. Jack, Pete and Olgun break down the biggest coaching rumours, contract talks and player movement, as Pre-Agency begins. From Josh King’s long‑term future, Adelaide’s turbulence, and potential coaching avalanches, to blockbuster free‑agency names like Jack McVeigh, Will McDowell‑White, Taran Armstrong, and more.

00:00 - Intro

01:35 – Coaching Carousel could be huge this year

05:40 – Adelaide 36ers: & Championship or Bust for Mike Wells?

11:15 – Dean Vickerman Rumblings

14:35 – Brisbane Bullets coaching search continues

18:05 – Adam Forde’s future with the Taipans

24:40 – John Brown III & Phoenix looking at multi-year deal

27:10 – Australian Stars Overseas

31:40 – When will Will McDowell‑White return?

35:20 – Contract Options: McVeigh, Harvey, Delany & More

39:45 – Players With Uncertain Futures

43:10 – League‑Wide Free Agency Outlook

54:00 - Outro

Another contender that could have a new coach on the sidelines in 2026-27 is Melbourne United, according to Uluc.

“Let's preface this by saying this is something that had been in the rumor mill for a few years that Dean Vickerman is open to potential opportunities in Asia, potentially Japan,” Uluc said.

“It’s important to note, there are Japanese teams who are interested in Dean [once again], who’s achieved everything he can here in the NBL and might be keen to maximise his earnings potential and have a new experience overseas.

“A lot of people have had a hand in building Melbourne United to where they are today and Dean is right at the top of that. So if he ever had the desire for something else, I believe United would be gracious and let him do his thing if he wishes.”

On the other end of the ladder are Brisbane, who have confirmed that they will have a new coach next season.

While reports last month signalled the Bullets were close to signing former Sydney Kings coach Will Weaver, Uluc is sceptical that it will eventuate.

“They were in deep conversations with Will Weaver, and had reached, from what I understand, the advanced stages [of negotiations] to the point where they had a contract ready,” Uluc said.

“But every day that he doesn't sign a contract, it lowers my confidence that Will Weaver will be the head coach of that team.

“The same with Trevor Gleeson. There was initial interest, they had conversations. That doesn't seem like that's on the table either.

“It feels like this team is still in the process of figuring out who their next head coach is going to be and what direction they go.”

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Staying in Queensland, Uluc said it’s “probably in his [Adam Forde’s] best interest to go and spread his wings, try another opportunity” away from the Taipans.

While Uluc explained that Illawarra’s Justin Tatum “is really proud, and would not want to leave the NBL after a season like this.”

Uluc expects both contracted coaches, John Rillie, Brian Goorjian and Scott Roth, to return to their respective Perth, Sydney and Tasmania helms.

Finally, after two seasons at the Breakers, this might be Petteri Koponen’s last in Auckland, with the club pushing for a strong New Zealand influence across the whole organisation, according to Uluc.

Despite that, Hooley believes Koponen could be an asset to another franchise.

“I'd love to see coach Koponen stay in the league if that's the case,” Hooley said.

“You can kind of understand the decision that New Zealand wants to go in, but it would have been great to see what he could have done if everybody were healthy.

“I think coach Kop's a terrific coach, and we've seen that, if you go back to the start of last season, before the FIBA Break and everything changed.”

Round 21 of the Hungry Jack's NBL26 Season tips off on Thursday, with Cairns hosting Melbourne from 7.30pm AEDT, live on ESPN.