The deal is the largest in NBL history, the Sydney Kings have reached an agreement on a new three-year NBL contract

 

According to ESPN, sources, former MVP Xavier Cooks and the Sydney Kings have reached an agreement on a new three-year NBL contract.

According to insiders, Cooks is joining the squad he helped win back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023 in the richest deal in NBL history.

Cooks signed a contract with the Washington Wizards for the balance of the 2022–2023 NBA regular season after leading the Kings to the 2023 NBL championship. He signed with the Chiba Jets of the Japan B League after being waived prior of the following season.

The 28-year-old Cooks, who was named to one All-NBL First Team and earned one MVP and Grand Final MVP during his four seasons with the Kings, is now back with the team.

Cooks, a Wollongong, New South Wales native, averaged 15.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in his most recent season with the Kings. This performance helped him win the 2023 NBL Championship and the NBL’s Most Valuable Player award.

After a 13–15 campaign in which they placed fifth in the NBL standings and missed out on a postseason berth, the Kings are coming off of a first-year head coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah tenure. After the season, the team quickly parted ways with Abdelfattah and brought in Australian Boomers head coach Brian Goorjian for a three-year contract.

The 6’8 forward Cooks, who is well-known for his flexibility and quickness on both sides of the court, played for the Boomers in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and is probably going to be a member of the squad in 2024 when they head to the Olympics in Paris.

With Cooks’ agreement, the Kings will have signed players entering the 2024 NBL Free Agency in addition to Alex Toohey (Next Star), Shaun Bruce, Jackson Makoi, Angus Glover, DJ Hogg (mutual option), and Makuach Maluach (team option).