NBL Free Agency had been dormant until Wednesday, but then came a flurry of signings that are expected to get the ball rolling even more.
Mitch McCarron, widely regarded as the top free agent in the NBL, agreed to a three-year deal with the Adelaide 36ers, multiple sources told ESPN.
McCarron is coming off a championship-winning campaign with Melbourne United, averaging 10.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game over the course of the 2021 season.
The point guard's signing with Adelaide sees him join long-time 36ers big-man, Daniel Johnson, while the team is currently in negotiations with star centre, Isaac Humphries, and are confident a deal will get done.
McCarron's decision came down to the 36ers, a return to United, as well as significant interest from the Sydney Kings and Brisbane Bullets, sources said, with the 28-year-old set to step into the point guard void left by Josh Giddey.
The 36ers are coming off an up-and-down 2021 season, marred by an injury to Humphries, that saw them finish with a 13-23 record.
McCarron agreeing to a deal with the 36ers is a coup for Jeff Van Groningen, Adelaide's General Manager of Basketball, because it allows the team to be flexible with its import sports, having already locked in a local starting point guard.
The 29-year-old is considered one of the best local players in the NBL, and has been one of United's key cogs on both ends of the floor since 2018. He was named to the 2021 All-NBL Second Team.
McCarron will join Sunday Dech and Daniel Johnson as the contracted players on the 36ers' roster.
A former 36er, Jack McVeigh, agreed to a two-year deal with the Tasmania JackJumpers, sources said, with the NBL's newest franchise completing the first roster spot signing in its history.
McVeigh averaged 9.4 points and 3.2 rebounds a game for the 36ers over the 2021 season, shooting 42.5 percent from behind the three-point line. A move to Tasmania is expected to allow him to play a significantly larger role than the one he had in Adelaide.
Meanwhile, Xavier Cooks has re-signed with the Sydney Kings on a one-year deal, the team announced. The Kings and Cooks had been progressing on a new deal for the past few weeks, sources said, with Chris Pongrass and co. retaining their marquee local player.
The start of Cooks' season was delayed by injury, but the 25-year-old still ended up averaging impressive numbers over the eight games he played: 10.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists a contest.
The biggest day of free agent movement to date came as the NBL and Australian Basketball Players' Association finalised the salary cap for the new season.
The salary cap for the 2021-22 season has been set at $1,637,000, sources said, which is an increase of 17 percent from last season.
The minimum salary has also been increased, sources said: from $58,584 to $62,685; the minimum salary for Development Players has increased from $17,000 to $18,190.