Brisbane Bullets future and an NBL expansion update

I'm a bit late and most people would have seen this already, but here's the latest update from Boti Nagy on the future of the Brisbane Bullets as well as the NBL's expansion plans.

Bullets’ bid still not firing as Tassie and second Melbourne club move to join NBL

    BOTI NAGY THE ADVERTISER
    The Advertiser
    April 22, 2014 2:25PM 

A SECOND NBL team in Melbourne and a united state-representing team out of Tasmania are front-runners in league expansion plans for 2015-16. 
 
While the recent loss of WNBL club Logan Thunder, in addition to the absence of Gold Coast Blaze and Brisbane Bullets as NBL entities, leaves south-east Queensland without an elite-level presence, the other bids are further advanced.

“The second team in Melbourne and the Tasmanian bid are further along than Brisbane,” NBL chief executive officer Fraser Neill said.

“We are very keen to re-establish an NBL presence in Brisbane and we are continuing to work hard in that area.

“But that’s a very strong catchment area for basketball in the south east of Melbourne and the Tasmanian bid is travelling very well too.”

Melbourne has not had a second team since South Dragons won the 2009 championship and withdrew.

Tasmania has been without NBL representation since the Hobart Devils were dropped from the competition after the 1996 season.

Previously the state also fielded the Devonport Warriors, while Launceston Casino City was NBL champion in 1981.

The new Tasmanian bid aims to represent the entire island and garner statewide support by spreading its home matches across multiple venues.

Brisbane Bullets, which boasted iconic NBL superstar Leroy Loggins and other league MVPs such as Derek Rucker, Sam Mackinnon and Steve Woodberry, dropped out of the competition after the 2008 season. 

Adelaide 36ers coach Joey Wright, led the Bullets to their last championship in 2007.

He also was in charge of south-east Queensland’s last NBL team, Gold Coast, which was shunted out of the NBL after the 2011-12 season while Basketball Australia was running the league.

Neill said the NBL was looking to expand to 12 teams for 2015-16, the door ajar for Brisbane.

But interest also has been shown by Wellington Saints of the NZ NBL — currently being coached by former Sydney Kings coach Shane Heal — along with Newcastle and Canberra.