Australian basketball great Andrew Bogut has left the door ajar on a possible return to the court, despite saying his decision to walk away from the Sydney Kings was "a pretty easy one."
Last week, Bogut announced he would not to re-sign with the Sydney Kings due to the ongoing uncertainty of the league amid the coronavirus pandemic.
However, in an interview with SBS Sport on Tuesday, the former No. 1 NBA draft pick revealed a return to the court was still an option, either in the NBL or NBA, and also earmarked a possible Olympics appearance in 2021.
"There are just too many unknowns right now. Not just in the basketball community but around the world," Bogut said in regards to his decision to quit the Kings.
"I wasn't going to commit to something half-assed and not know what's in the other end. I thought it was best to hit pause for now and reassess around about the new year, rather than me sitting here with one foot in, one foot out and the club not knowing where I'm at, so they can't act accordingly with recruiting, signing and the salary cap.
"I didn't want to have that pressure of every week having to call and say 'I don't know yet'.
"I think in fairness to the club, it's the best thing for the Kings to be able to make decisions they need to make without worrying about me at the other end."
The 35-year-old, who re-joined the Golden State Warriors in 2019 in between his two seasons at the Kings, said he was still eyeing a possible NBA return. He said he had entertained NBA offers before the season was shut down.
"I had NBA offers right before the COVID-19 pandemic, where I was potentially going to go back after the NBL season. I was talking to a few teams that wanted me to come over," he said.
"Yes [I would consider another NBA stint], especially halfway through the season when the buyout and trade season comes up.
"It saves me having to spend the whole season over there and I can kind of join someone late, like I did with the Warriors last time.
"[I] can try to make a play-off run and then let that phase into the Olympics.
"I still think I've got a little bit of fuel left in the tank."
Meanwhile, the Kings have decided to pick up Craig Moller's club option for the 2020-21 NBL season, keeping him at the club for another year.
"Craig played a key role in our strong start last season before sustaining his injury. We are excited to have him back fully healthy and ready to continue building towards NBL21," Kings chief executive Chris Pongrass said.