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Adding to the romance, former Boomers coach Brett Brown is an assistant there, as is Mills' former Boomers teammate Matt Nielsen. "I'd love to see him back at San Antonio and finish his career there," Goorjian told AAP. "I'm sure it's something he'd love too. You're always better when you're happy. I know he loves San Antonio. I know he loves coach Pop. He's got a real connection with Matty and Brett as well.”
American teenage basketball prodigy LaMelo Ball is still keen on buying the Illawarra Hawks and is just awaiting word from the NBL. Ball’s father, LaVar Ball, said on Thursday the 18-year-old is “ready, willing and able” to purchase the team. “We are just waiting to see what they (NBL) say,” LaVar told AAP on Thursday.
Loeliger said the NBL regarded it as an "honest mistake" and remains committed to negotiations with Ball's team. "It was a bit of misunderstanding and a miscommunication and I don't think there was any malice intended," Loeliger told AAP. "I don't think anyone was trying to leverage the situation. "I think it just snowballed and it got a little bit out of control but we've all had conversations and there's certainly no bad blood out there between anyone."
"Australian basketball has obviously done an amazing job developing players, punching well above its weight in producing NBA players," NBA Elite Basketball Operations lead Chris Ebersole told AAP. "I think there's something about Australian players that NBA coaches know they're going to get. Tough players, and something that kind of ties them altogether is the toughness on the court.”
Free agent Bogut has said around four unnamed teams have shown interest in his services but his future remains unknown ahead of the season start in late October. Jazz star Ingles has no doubt the 32-year-old Bogut would be a valuable asset after playing key roles for Milwaukee, Golden State and Dallas since joining the NBA as No.1 draft pick in 2005. "I would love for him to come over to Utah," Ingles told AAP. "He's got a connection there already and if they want to take him I'll happily have him."
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Asked if he thought Ingles could break into the NBA Mills said, "No question, he's definitely an NBA Player. "For us to do well, he was going to need to have a good tournament and that's what he did, so very proud to play with him and all the boys are very happy with him." Ingles revealed his agent had already fielded calls from NBA parties. "He didn't tell me the specifics, he just said there was some interest there," Ingles told AAP. "I kind of told him to be quiet and I'm going to focus on Barcelona for one more year and see what happens after that.
Bogut is adamant he is in good enough shape to tackle a 66-game regular season - 16 shorter than normal - which will be shoehorned into a tighter timeframe. "I'm about 85 per cent (fit)," Bogut told AAP. "I don't want to be at 100 right now because if I'm peaking right now, I'm going to get through training camp and I'm going to be burned out. "I'm pretty comfortable with where I'm at. "I've been shooting ever since the lockout started, and lifting weights. So I'll ramp up my conditioning a little bit this week and I'll be fine. "It's good to be out of the unemployment line and back to what I do best."
The Portland Trail Blazer had a get out clause that allowed him to return to the NBA or accept a better offer. "He will fly out tonight," Melbourne coach Trevor Gleeson told AAP on Sunday night. "But we wish him well and we'll never hold back a player when he gets a good offer like that."
Instead the news Robilliard got as he gathered his team in Melbourne to prepare for their NBL season opener with the Tigers and their NBA star Patty Mills was that the deal had fallen through at the 11th hour. "I thought it was a done deal and I was actually advised before I jumped on a plane to Melbourne (on Thursday) that it was only one or two words on the insurance policy that had to change," Robilliard told AAP. "That was the mail that I was told ... It was that close. "But I guess when you're insuring $40 million on a temporary and permanent disability policy there's one or two words that can significantly change the focus of an insurance policy."
Kaider said Bogut would only line up in the NBL's first round if an insurance policy was finalised by Wednesday night. Otherwise Bogut won't suit up until the second weekend of the NBL "at the earliest". "I think that would be fair. Andrew doesn't want to come in and disrupt the team," Kaider told AAP. "We just have to be patient for this policy to come through. "There will be an end in sight one way or another in the next 24 to 48 hours."
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However, discussions are in limbo until FIBA finds a policy that suits about 60 NBA players - including Bogut - seeking to insure their multi-million dollar contracts so they can play outside the United States. Considered the favourite to snap up Bogut's signature, Blaze boss Paul Pamenter said talks with the Boomers centre were in a "holding pattern". "It is bigger than just Andrew globally," Pamenter told AAP. "There are 60 or 70 guys on contracts valued up to $100 million now who are trying to get themselves around the world while this lockout drags on. "It is a bit of an unknown at the moment. "(But) we are quietly confident."
But Portland-based Mills confirmed on Tuesday that he would suit up for Australia - but after that his future remained clouded. Aja "Being a free agent I haven't actually signed with a team for next season - but I will definitely play for the Boomers in September," he told AAP. "The most important thing for me is to find somewhere to play. "Definitely NBL teams have reached out - I am looking at that, but also teams in Europe and other options.
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