Cairns man has expressed his desire to remain a Taipan beyond NBL24.

Cairns import Josh Roberts has expressed his intention to continue his career in Far North Queensland beyond NBL24.

Roberts, who joined the Taipans from Manhattan College, has had an impressive debut season in professional basketball, showcasing his skills with notable performances. However, he has also experienced periods of limited playing time under coach Adam Forde.

Despite fluctuations in his playing minutes, Roberts has demonstrated his potential, including a standout performance where he scored a season-high of 22 points on 9-10 shooting against Melbourne in Round 9. However, he only played two minutes in the Taipans’ Round 18 loss to Tasmania.

When asked about his future with the Taipans, Roberts expressed his openness to staying with the team, stating, “I have no clue, I would definitely be open to that though. I love it here in Cairns. It’s my first professional contract, so I’ll see where it goes from here.”

“I appreciate the fans’ support; they always uplift me on social media after the games. They’re the reason I enjoy playing the game as much as I do. I haven’t had any discussions yet, but I’m open to all possibilities, and I’m loving it.”

As the Taipans head into Round 19, they find themselves in a precarious position and are likely to be among the next teams to be eliminated from Finals contention. While all 10 NBL teams still have a mathematical chance to secure a top-six spot, the odds seem stacked against the Taipans, Phoenix, and 36ers in the upcoming weekend’s matches.

With only two games remaining in the season, Cairns will face the Wildcats in Perth, their sole fixture for Round 19. Despite the challenging circumstances, Roberts remains optimistic about the team’s chances of reaching the Finals this season.

“We’re staying united and keeping our spirits up,” he affirmed. “There’s still a chance for us to turn things around. It’s just a matter of one or two games, and anything can happen. We’re not giving up; we’re still fighting.”

The Taipans’ showdown against the Wildcats is scheduled for Saturday night at 8pm AEDT, airing live on ESPN via Kayo.