South East Melbourne Phoenix and Cairns Taipans added new post players to their rosters on Friday.
The NBL expansion club signed big man Daniel Trist who spent part of last season with Melbourne United before finishing the season in Spain, while the Taipans have pinched exciting power forward Majok Deng from Adelaide on a three-season deal.
Trist didn't get to show his best form for Melbourne last season as other players took the major minutes at power forward and centre, but he is highly regarded around the league for his ability to score and play either power forward or centre.
Trist has signed a one-season deal with a team option for a second season.
"Dan is a bull. He is strong, physical and he has a little chip on his shoulder. He knows he's a productive NBL player and he will be hell-bent on proving that," Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell said.
"When it comes to work ethic, Dan is at the top of the tree. He asks questions, absorbs film, and is in constant pursuit of self-improvement. I think in the past 12 months he has found greater life balance which will enable him to work smarter with greater focus, and this will only see his career blossom further."
Deng's move to the Taipans looks a win for both club and player with the Queensland side keen to have an attacking player with shooting skills at power forward and Deng looking to build on two impressive seasons with the Sixers where his form was inconsistent but his best games very promising.
"He's someone I've liked as a competitor for a while, and he's always been dangerous whenever my team has played against Adelaide," Taipans coach Mike Kelly said.
"He's going to be really good for Cairns – he's got a fire in his belly and he shows a little personality on the court.
"He's a really efficient scorer on offence and we'd love to extend our defence with him out there, getting deflections, steals, and causing problems for other players with his length."
Reigning champions Perth Wildcats also made two re-signings with veteran duo Damian Martin (one season) and Jesse Wagstaff (two) agreeing to terms.
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