The NBL’s greatest ‘what could have been’ signings

The off-season in any sport is a busy period, with conversations between teams and players continually taking place behind-the-scenes.

The NBL has quickly risen to become one of the most respected leagues in world basketball and continues to attract some of the game’s biggest names.

While some potential signings ultimately come together, others fail to progress and a few feel almost like a fever dream.

Let’s look at some of the biggest “what could have been” moves in NBL history.

Allen Iverson – Sydney Kings

Was this ever likely to happen? Probably not, but we’ll never know what could have been had the 2001 NBA MVP chosen to come to Sydney instead of heading to Turkey in 2010.

At the time, Sydney Kings court announcer Rodney Overby, who had a relationship with the 11-time All-Star, reached out about a potential move Down Under.

“Allen was that dude with swagger and game, O was that dude that spread that name and fame. That combo in Oz would’ve been insane," Overby said to CODE Sports.

“I hear Sydney is a real good city to live in,” Iverson tweeted in 2010. “My boy Rodney O asked me to come over. I am comin!”

Unfortunately for Australian hoops fans, he did not come.

Allen Iverson.

Joe Ingles – Adelaide 36ers

The five-time Olympian is finally returning to the NBL after signing a two-year deal with Melbourne United. However, Adelaide 36ers fans will never forget how the club missed out on the Australian basketball legend’s signature when he was just 17 years old.

Speaking on The Howie Games podcast, Ingles revealed the details of the infamous meeting involving himself, his father and his agent. He explained how his surname was misspelled and discussed the offer and situation presented to the homegrown prodigy.

Ingles has acknowledged how far the club has come since then, noting the incident involved the “old management, old general manager”, and insists he holds no grudge against Adelaide.

"I've got no hate or anything towards Adelaide now, I wish them all the best …. but yeah, still in the back of my mind, I wish I could have followed Brett Maher, who was my hero. It's all worked out, though."

LaMarcus Aldridge – Cairns Taipans

During NBL24, the Cairns Taipans appeared set to land one of the biggest signatures in recent league history in seven-time NBA All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge.

CODE Sports reported that conversations between Aldridge and NBL teams began to heat up after the Adelaide 36ers signed Montrezl Harrell as an injury replacement.

The legendary power forward was 39 years old at the time but still had plenty left in the tank.

Unfortunately for the Taipans and NBL fans, the deal fell through at the final stage, following the birth of his child.

LaMarcus Aldridge with Aussie star Patty Mills at San Antonio.

Dennis Rodman – South Dragons

Yes, this was a genuine possibility.

In 2009, Fox Sports reported that the South Dragons were believed to have offered Dennis Rodman $80,000 to play in a one-off game.

The five-time NBA champion was 46 at the time, but the Dragons wanted to bring the All-Star to Australia for a pre-season game against the Sydney Kings in an effort to fill the arena.

Dragons majority owner Mark Cowan did not hide the fact that it was a blatant publicity stunt, but he was also adamant it was going to happen.

"We just reckon it's a great idea and a good chance to ramp up the publicity for the season," Cowan said.

"We reckon it's about a 99 per cent chance that it will happen and we'll have Dennis playing for us."

Scottie Pippen – Perth Wildcats

The 1998 NBA lockout created plenty of uncertainty for some of the biggest names in world basketball and, according to Luc Longley, Scottie Pippen could have been playing in the NBL.

“I had him pretty close to coming back and playing with me at the Wildcats in our lockout year,” he said on the Aussie Hoopla podcast.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest Australian players of all time, Longley, who now co-owns the Sydney Kings, has spoken openly about his special relationship with Pippen.

Having won multiple championships together with the Chicago Bulls and been part of one of the greatest basketball teams of all time, it’s hard not to imagine what a Pippen-Longley combination out west might have looked like, however brief it may have been.

Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman in their prime at the Chicago Bulls.

Andrew Bogut – Melbourne United

Current Sydney Kings assistant coach Andrew Bogut, one of the all-time greats of Australian basketball, appeared set to return home following his successful NBA career.

The FIBA Hall of Fame inductee penned a column for the Herald Sun in 2021 detailing how the situation unfolded and how he eventually became a Sydney King.

In Bogut’s words, he thought the deal to sign with United was “done and dusted.”

Instead, the marquee big man joined Sydney, dominated the NBL19 season and won both the MVP and Best Defensive Player awards.

A year later, he returned to the Golden State Warriors and helped them reach the NBA Finals before eventually rejoining Sydney the following season.

John Brown III – Perth Wildcats

Perth Wildcats fans received a haunting reminder of what could have been during NBL25 as they watched John Brown III claim the Best Defensive Player award under Josh King at the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

In 2022, the Wildcats looked to add the defensive weapon as a mid-season signing in an effort to strengthen the team before the finals.

Brown III had recently left a situation in Russia, but was unable to meet the NBL’s requirements for finals eligibility and therefore did not suit up for the Wildcats.

James Johnson – Brisbane Bullets

In 2022, when the Bullets secured the signatures of Aron Baynes and Tyler Johnson, NBL fans began turning their attention to what the star-studded roster could become.

With one import spot available, there were strong reports that NBA veteran James Johnson could put pen to paper and complete the lineup.

The two Johnsons had a strong relationship after playing together in Miami in 2016, and the Bullets were keen to reunite them in the NBL.

Tyler Johnson and James Johnson at Miami.