NBL free agency, every team’s roster: Ex-Minnesota Timberwolves big man Jesse Edwards signs with Melbourne United

Edwards, who made his NBA debut with the Timberwolves last season, split time in the G League with Iowa and, with his massive 213cm frame and 226cm wingspan, should be among the league leaders in rebounding in NBL26.

The 25-year-old said he was drawn by United’s reputation as one of the best teams in Australia and the ever-improving standard of the NBL.

“I wanted to be somewhere where I could play high-level competition and winning basketball,” Edwards said.

“That’s what most players want in their career, to be in a place where they can compete, have a staff and a fan base around them that really wants to win, and that’s exactly what United has – a winning culture and a great fan base that supports every game.”

Wolves Beat Writer Andrew Dukowitz told Code Sports Edwards had a hidden cerebral talent.

He said star big man Rudy Gobert told him the Wolves played chess on their phones every night and Edwards was comfortably the gold standard. 

“The Wolves have a chess club, believe it or not, and he won the chess club tournament,” Dukowitz said.

Interestingly, the Timberwolves decision to draft former NBL Next Star Rocco Zikarsky played into Edwards’ availability – the Aussie centre took one of the Wolves’ three two-way contracts.

Iowa was a basket case last season, finishing with the worst record in the G League at just 7-27. But Edwards was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise forgettable season, putting up 11.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per outing. 

“Despite all the chaos, he rebounded, stayed locked in and played hard – It would have been hard to play on that team for a big,” a source told Code Sports.

The athletic Amsterdam giant arrives as the prototypical Dean Vickerman-United big man – a rim-running, glass eating defensive beast who will be no stranger to the highlight reel with his monster dunks.

Vickerman believes Edwards, who rounds out United’s roster for NBL26, can use a standout campaign to make the leap back to the NBA.

“Looking at our final import spot, we wanted to bring in someone that was an elite rim protector, which Jesse has been across his college and pro career so far,” Vickerman said.

“I really believe he’s an NBA player. We think he’s got great length, really good timing and elite defensive instincts.

“He’s also got the mobility to get out and play with pace, which really suits what we’re wanting to do this year.

“He can live above the rim, and I think our crowd is going to love it.

“He’s a great lob threat, and we’ve got the guards to put the ball in the perfect place for him to make big plays.”

NL26 ROSTER TRACKER

All but three NBL teams have complete their rosters for NBL26.

Can champions Illawarra, Perth and South East Melbourne lock in a superstar to complete their rosters?

Michael Randall takes a look at every club’s squad as it stands and what the three incomplete teams might be targeting as the season fast approaches.

DOUBLE OR NOTHING?

ILLAWARRA‍ HAWKS

Coach: Justin Tatum

Open roster spots: 2 — 1 import, 1 local

Need: Import point guard, local guard

DEPTH CHART

PG: TBC/Will Hickey

SG: Tyler Harvey/TBC

SF: Wani Swaka Lo Buluk/Todd Blanchfield/Dan Grida

PF: Mason Peatling/Jonah Bolden

C: Javale McGee/Harry Froling

Injured: Sam Froling

Jonah Bolden’s arrival is an interesting one. He is an ELITE three-point shooter at close to seven-feet, physically gifted and an excellent defender. But it makes for a bit of an unlikely NBL frontline mix with former NBA man Javale McGee — another seven-footer — the ever-dependable Mason Peatling and man mountain Harry Froling. Unclear if McGee and Bolden can play together, so the Hawks might be cooking up plenty of minutes for the likes of Dan Grida and Todd Blanchfield at the four. Back-court looking a little thin at the moment as the search continues for Trey Kell’s replacement and we’d expect the last local to be a ball-handler/shooter to back up Tyler Harvey.

THE MISSING PIECE

PERTH WILDCATS‍

Coach: John Rillie

Open roster spots: 1 — 1 import

Need: Import point guard

DEPTH CHART:

PG: TBC/Donte Russo-Nance

SG: Ben Henshall/Sunday Dech/Elijah Pepper

SF: Dylan Windler/Lat Mayen

PF: Kristian Doolittle/Noa Kouakou-Heugue/Jesse Wagstaff

C: Jo Lual-Acuil Jr/David Okwera

The arrival of championship-winning former Melbourne United centre Jo Lual-Acuil on what is understood to be close to $1 million per season is both an upgrade on Keanu Pinder and gives the Wildcats the luxury of signing an import to orchestrate the offence. The Bryce departure remains a heartbreaker but the Wildcats brains trust hasn’t sat on its hands, putting together what appears to be a more balanced roster than last season. The job now is simple — nail the third import and the Red Army (Wildnation) will be right up there again, even if the locals are getting a little restless with the pre-season NBL Blitz just around the corner.

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX

Coach: Josh King

Open roster spots: 1 local

Needs: Best available

DEPTH CHART

PG: Hunter Maldonado/Owen Foxwell

SG: Nathan Sobey/Angus Glover

SF: Vrenz Bleijenbergh/Malique Lewis

PF: DJ Mitchell/John Brown III

C: Jordi Hunter/Akech Aliir/Gorjok Gak

Completed their import triumvirate with the arrival of defensive dynamo John Brown III. Wollongong-born guard Lachlan Dent and former Phoenix forward Craig Moller are among the faces understood to be in the running for South East Melbourne’s final local roster spot. That pair has been prominent at the State Basketball Centre this off-season. Code Sports has been told the Phoenix have also considered Chinese guard Lin Wei, who would provide cap relief under the NBL’s Asian marquee player provision.

DONE AND DUSTED

ADELAIDE 36ERS

Coach: Mike Wells

Open roster spots: 0 — roster complete

DEPTH CHART

PG: Bryce Cotton/Isaac White/Keanu Rasmussen

SG: Dejan Vasiljevic/Michael Harris/Matt Kenyon

SF: Flynn Cameron

PF: Zylan Cheatham/Montrezl Harrell

C: Isaac Humphries/Ben Griscti

Landing one of the league’s greatest ever players in Bryce Cotton to replace the talented but recalcitrant Kendric Davis made Adelaide the talk of the NBL and then they brought back the Monsta Montrezl Harrell and went out and landed high-level big man Zylan Cheatham to create a big five. It’s going to be a very different look in Adelaide this season. The Sixers parted ways with Davis — who had the ball in his hands more than any other player in the entire NBL last campaign — and haven’t signed a pure point guard in a ballsy move that could spell genius or disaster. Code Sports has been told Mike Wells plans to handle the ball by committee, with former Melbourne United guard Flynn Cameron set to have an early opportunity to establish himself as the primary offensive initiator alongside Cotton and veteran Aussie sharpshooter Dejan Vasiljevic. There’s title expectation in the City of Churches: chief executive Nic Barbato this week told members in an email they’d compiled a roster “that we believe is capable of winning championships.”

CAIRN‍S TAIPANS

Coach: Adam Forde

Open roster spots: roster complete

DEPTH CHART

PG: Ashton Hagans/Kyle Adnam

SG: Reyne Smith/Kody Stattmann

SF: Admiral Schofield/Alex Higgins-Titsha/Mawot Mag

PF: Jack McVeigh/Kyrin Galloway

C: Sam Waardenburg/Marcus Lee

Cairns has compiled a NASTY roster that would not have come cheap. Boomer Jack McVeigh, alone, is on $1 million per season and Admiral Schofield is a former NBA draft pick who has the potential to take the NBL by storm. The ball-handling is a bit of a worry with only new arrival Ashton Hagans and ever-steady veteran Kyle Adnam recognised initiators. Perhaps McVeigh and Waardenburg will do a little playmaking out of the frontcourt and Schofield will likely bring the ball up a bit. After finishing bottom of the table last season, there is, all of a sudden, a weight of expectation on Adam Forde and the Taipans. The cattle is there for them to deliver a return to the postseason for the first time since 2023.

SYDNEY‍ KINGS

Coach: Brian Goorjian

Open roster spots: 0 — roster complete

DEPTH CHART

PG: Matthew Dellavedova/Tyler Robertson/Shaun Bruce

SG: Kendric Davis/Jaylin Galloway

SF: Bul Kuol/Makuach Maluach

PF: Xavier Cooks/Kouat Noi

C: Tim Soares/Keli Leaupepe

The Kings roster for year two of Brian Goorjian’s return has been set for some time and they’ve already had an early pre-season contest against the visiting University of Colorado. Delly took to Sydney like a duck to water, controlling that game. Loved the signing of Tim Soares as a long, no nonsense stretch big who gives them someone who can match it better with some of the league’s big gorillas this season. The Kendric Davis experience did not end well in Adelaide and multiple sources told Code Sports the Kings are privately aware the explosive import guard’s integration into the team’s culture could make or break their season.

BRISBANE BULLETS

‍Coach: Stu Lash

Open roster spots: 0 — roster complete

DEPTH CHART:

PG: Jaylen Adams/Mitch Norton

SG: Javon Freeman-Liberty/Taine Murray

SF: Sam McDaniel/Alex Ducas

PF: Casey Prather/Jacob Holt/Jack Purchase

C: Tyrell Harrison/Tohi Smith-Milner

There’s cause for optimism in Brisbane that the Bullets can break a drought of six straight campaigns without a postseason appearance. Chicago NBA Summer League star Javon Freeman-Liberty has a claim to being one of the best new imports to arrive in the NBL this season, while Casey Prather stunningly revived his career and Jaylen Adams has a point to prove crossing from Sydney. Adams and the Bullets will hope he is over the back complaint that robbed him of some of his elite physical tools last season. Would have loved to have been in the Jack McVeigh sweepstakes but settled on resurgent Melbourne Tigers NBL1 star Jack Purchase as their 11th man this season.

MELBOURNE UNITED ‍

Coach: Dean Vickerman

Open roster spots: 0 — roster complete

DEPTH CHART

PG: Shea Ili/Tyson Walker

SG: Milton Doyle/Dash Daniels/Tom Wilson

SF: Chris Goulding/Tanner Krebs/Malith Machar

PF: Finn Delany/Kyle Bowen

C: Jesse Edwards/Fabijan Krslovic

It’s a new-look United in NBL26, which will still lean on veteran pillars Shea Ili and Chris Goulding. Ili is still yet to tak full contact training and is working with a neurologist on his concussion issues, while Goulding, who turns 37 in October, is coming off one of his finest NBL seasons. The arrival of Tasmania JackJumpers legend Milton Doyle and well-travelled Kiwi forward Finn Delany has allowed United to bet on youth in its other import slots, with both Jesse Edwards and Tyson Edwards just 25 and in the early stages of their careers.

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS

‍Coach: Petteri Koponen

Open roster spots: 1 — 1 import

Need: Import four-five man

DEPTH CHART

PG: Parker Jackson-Cartwright/Taylor Britt

SG: Izaiah Brockington/Izayah Le’Afa

SF: Karim Lopez/Sean Bairstow/Carlin Davison

PF: Robert Baker II/Reuben Te Rangi/Max Darling

C: Sam Mennenga/Rob Loe

Finally free of the Tacko Fall experiment, the Breakers have locked in an import four man on the cusp of the NBA in Robert Baker II as the final piece to their roster puzzle. Everyone knows what Parker Jackson-Cartwright is capable of but there is also huge buzz about his new running mate Izaiah Brockington. There should be some big improvement from within, as well, with teen prodigy Karim Lopez and Kiwi monster Sam Menenga both set to take big leaps. Lopez’s off-season injury, which is set to keep him out of this month’s NBL Blitz, is concern.

TASMANIA‍ JACKJUMPERS

Coach: Scott Roth

Open roster spots: 0 — roster complete

DEPTH CHART

PG: Tyger Campbell/Ben Ayre

SG: Bryce Hamilton/Nick Marshall/Nick Stoddart

SF: David Johnson/Anthony Drmic

PF: Josh Bannan/Majok Deng

More Coverage

Bullets star weighs in on Gold Coast NBL expansion dream

Lachlan Onions

Roman’s empire: Hoops prodigy who snubbed NBL, rugby

Matt Logue

C: Will Magnay/Kobe Williamson

Injured: Sean MacDonald

Quietly put together a tough squad with a far higher ceiling than last season but the Jackies have been hit by heartbreak again after rising guard Sean MacDonald suffered an ACL tear during the Boomers’ exhibition game against Colorado U. Scott Roth had planned to hand MacDonald the keys to a JackJumpers’ offence featuring two new imports and emerging young big man Josh Bannan. The Jackies copped some criticism when they kept the third import spot up their sleeve this off-season but, unlike last year when hopes Jack McVeigh would come home to save them mid-season, this one’s paid off — they have signed American Tyger Campbell on a one-year deal. He averaged 12.8 points and 5.2 assists per game playing in Germany.