Australian NBA star Matthew Dellavedova will play in the NBL next season - but it won't be for the Tasmania JackJumpers.
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Long-touted as a target marquee player for the competition's newest franchise, the Cleveland Cavaliers star and 2016 NBA champion announced a three-year deal with Melbourne United on Friday.
"This is one of the biggest signings in NBL history," NBL commissioner Jeremy Loeliger said.
"Still an NBA-level talent, the fact he wants to return home and continue his career here is a massive endorsement of the NBL and our standing as one of the world's best leagues outside of the NBA."
Set to take to the court for the first time when the new season begins in October, the JackJumpers have already signed up 1700 members and hope to reach 4000 by round one.
Scott Roth's team is set to begin its maiden campaign on the road while the club's home court, Derwent Entertainment Centre, completes a $68.5 million upgrade.
NBL and JackJumpers owner Larry Kestelman said the timeline for the DEC's upgrade had been "crazy", and said Silverdome upgrades, allowing the JackJumpers to play games in Launceston, were still in the pipeline.
"I don't think the arena will be 100 per cent finished, all aspects of it, but it'll certainly be ready for basketball," Kestelman said.
"I think every team and coach I've ever spoken to prefers to go on the road first and putting a brand new team of this nature together, I think a trip away and a bonding experience away from the home crowd pressures ... I think everyone does prefer a road trip first.
"[The Silverdome upgrade] definitely still needs to happen, I understand there is a commitment and [JackJumpers chief executive Simon Brookhouse] is dealing with the government.
"They've been super supportive and they understand that this team is for all of Tasmania, it's not just for Hobart, so we do need their help in making sure the Silverdome is up to NBL standards and those commitments are there and I have no doubt they'll be delivered."
Brookhouse said he expected players to begin arriving in the state early next month, with the whole team - including at least three American imports - to come together in early September.
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"We're really pleased with where we're at and we've got a few more announcements in the coming days," he said.
"We had some sleepless nights ... it's been a really high rollercoaster of emotions but we're really pleased with the players that we've got.
"Scott's trawling the NBA summer leagues and leagues all round the world at the moment and we've got some really good links to the NBA through Scott and through Europe.
"We want scorers and we want entertainers and that's important for us."