'Sign him now': Taipans’ answer is already here

Plenty has gone wrong for the Cairns Taipans this season, but one decision stands above the rest: landing marquee star Jack McVeigh has been an undeniable win.

The NBL24 championship winner has been a standout for his new club, averaging 21.6 points. 6.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists a game.

He’s already locked in as a Taipan until the end of NBL27, but Brisbane rival Casey Prather says the club should move fast to secure their man man for the long term.

“If I’m Cairns I’m trying to get that pen to the paper as soon as possible, lock him and just keep building that roster around him,” Prather said on NBL Now.

“Jack McVeigh is just a hard-working guy. Very confident in the way he approaches his game. He’s one of the most competitive guys I’ve played against.

“He’s just a physical, hard-working, smart all-round guy.

“He’s shown night in, night out that he can go out there and win you games.”

McVeigh has gone on a tear of late, with three 35+ point games in his last five appearances, highlighted by a 47-point haul against New Zealand last week.

Wednesday night’s Ignite Cup showdown sees him go head-to-head with Bryce Cotton, as the Taipans chase a statement upset of ladder-leading Adelaide.

Cotton has averaged 38 points a game across his last six matchups against Cairns, as the 36ers host a big Christmas Eve clash at home.

Watch Adelaide take on Cairns on ESPN from 5.30pm AEDT.