One-time MVP Xavier Cooks has agreed to a new three-year NBL deal with the Sydney Kings, sources told ESPN.
The deal is the largest in NBL history, sources said, with Cooks returning to the team he led to back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023.
After leading the Kings to the 2023 NBL title, Cooks signed a deal with the Washington Wizards for the remainder of the 2022-23 NBA regular season. He was waived ahead of the following season and signed with the Chiba Jets in Japan's B.League.
Cooks, 28, now rejoins the Kings team he spent four seasons with, having won one MVP, one Grand Final MVP, and named to one All-NBL First Team during his time with the franchise.
In his most recent season with the Kings, Cooks - a native of Wollongong, NSW - averaged 15.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, en route to winning the NBL's Most Valuable Player award and the 2023 NBL Championship.
The Kings are coming off a 13-15 season, finishing in fifth place on the NBL ladder and missing out on a playoff berth under first-year head coach, Mahmoud Abdelfattah. The team was quick to move on from Abdelfattah following the season, and signed Australian Boomers head coach Brian Goorjian on a three-year deal.
Cooks, a 6'8 forward known for his versatility and athleticism on both ends of the floor, was a member of the Boomers team during the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and is likely to remain on the roster going into the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Cooks' signing will see him join Alex Toohey (Next Star), Shaun Bruce, Jackson Makoi, Angus Glover, DJ Hogg (mutual option), and Makuach Maluach (team option) as the Kings' contracted players going into the 2024 NBL Free Agency.