It has been one of the busiest weeks of the NBL off-season, with three more clubs joining the flurry of roster moves. The Perth Wildcats have added an Injury Replacement Player as they continue their search for a star point guard, the New Zealand Breakers have secured their first import signing of the off-season, and just a day after reuniting with championship forward Darius Days, the Illawarra Hawks have landed another proven winner.
All of this and more in the latest edition of NBL Daily.
DOYLE TO THE ‘GONG
The Illawarra Hawks have bolstered their backcourt by signing former NBL champion Milton Doyle to a one-year deal, pending league approval, following his season with Melbourne United.
Doyle, 32, appeared in 35 games for United during the 2025-26 campaign, averaging 16.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 40.3 per cent from the field.
While it was statistically his best NBL season since arriving in Australia, Doyle endured periods of inconsistency throughout the year. Even so, he remains one of the league’s most reliable clutch performers, making his partnership with Tyler Harvey an intriguing prospect. Few players have built a reputation for delivering in big moments quite like those two.
Prior to joining Melbourne, Doyle spent three seasons with the Tasmania JackJumpers between 2022 and 2025, playing a pivotal role in the club’s maiden championship during its historic title-winning series against United.
Across 131 NBL games, Doyle has established himself as one of the competition’s premier imports, averaging 15.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists over his career.
During the off-season, he also spent time in Italy’s Lega Basket Serie A with Napoli Basket, where he played alongside JackJumpers Nick Marshall.
His arrival gives the Hawks another proven scoring option and one of the NBL’s best late-game shot-makers. Combined with Harvey, Illawarra now boasts two players capable of taking over in crunch time, giving head coach Justin Tatum another significant weapon at the offensive end.
Although Doyle is not a traditional point guard and has, at times, been prone to turnovers, his strengths far outweigh those concerns. His versatility allows him to play both on and off the ball, creating plenty of flexibility for Tatum as he finalises his rotations.
Should the Hawks add a third import, it will be fascinating to see how they structure their lineup around Doyle and Harvey. Either way, Illawarra has continued to strengthen a roster that is shaping as one of the most dangerous in the NBL heading into the 2026-27 season.
BREAKERS SIGN DEFENSIVE-WING.
The New Zealand Breakers have completed another key piece of their NBL27 roster, signing 6’6” forward Josiah-Jordan James for the 2026-27 season.
The Charleston, South Carolina native arrives with a reputation as a versatile, defence-first wing, adding another dimension to a Breakers roster already loaded with offensive firepower.
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James, 25, spent five seasons at the University of Tennessee between 2019 and 2024, where he established himself as one of the premier defensive wings in college basketball.
Across 144 games, he averaged 8.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 0.7 blocks in 28.3 minutes per game while shooting 38.0% from the field.
He departed Tennessee ranked third in program history for wins (114), appearances (144) and minutes played (4,068), while also becoming just the second player in school history, alongside Vincent Yarbrough, to record at least 1,250 points, 800 rebounds, 250 assists, 150 steals and 100 blocks.
James was considered one of the more intriguing defensive prospects heading into the 2023 NBA Draft, but opted to return to Tennessee for another season after undergoing knee surgery and recovering from a torn ligament in the finger on his shooting hand. The decision ultimately allowed him to return fully fit and further strengthen his draft credentials.
After declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft, James went undrafted but was later signed by the Indiana Pacers before being waived ahead of the season. He subsequently joined the franchise’s NBA G League affiliate, the Indiana Mad Ants.
Across 42 G League appearances during the 2024-25 season, James averaged 6.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 23.6 minutes per game while shooting an impressive 42.8% from three-point range (60-of-140).
Later that year, James signed a two-year deal with Hapoel Jerusalem in Israel, competing in both the Israeli Premier League and the EuroCup.
It was there that another Breakers connection emerged, with James becoming teammates with former Breakers forward and All-NBL First Team selection Anthony Lamb, who played for the club during the 2023-24 season before suffering a season-ending injury against the Perth Wildcats.
James appeared in 19 EuroCup games, averaging 18.7 minutes per contest. While his offensive role was limited, attempting just 3.1 shots per game, he established himself as a reliable defensive presence.
He also featured in nine Israeli Premier League games, averaging 9.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 26.5 minutes per game while shooting an outstanding 45.7% from beyond the arc, further highlighting the growth in his perimeter game.
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Breakers President of Basketball Operations Dillon Boucher praised James’ ability to impact games at both ends of the floor.
“Josiah-Jordan James is the exact type of import we wanted to bring into our system for NBL27,” he said.
“He plays with immense physical toughness, defends multiple positions at an elite level, has a sweet shooting touch and brings high-level European and collegiate experience.”
Breakers owner Marc Mitchell echoed those sentiments, highlighting the qualities James will bring to Gordon Herbert’s squad.
“Under Head Coach Gordon Herbert, we want relentless competitors who impact winning in every column of the stat sheet.
“Josiah possesses incredible basketball IQ, leadership, and motor. Breaker Nation is going to love the versatility and grit he brings to Spark Arena.”
READ MORE: Darius Days returns to Hawks as Milton Doyle, NBA veteran Jae Crowder emerge as targets
James joins Parker Jackson-Cartwright, DJ Vasiljevic, Izayah Le’afa, Preston Le Gassick, Kouat Noi, Sam Mennenga, Carlin Davison, Reuben Te Rangi and Anzac Rissetto on the Breakers’ roster.
New Zealand is now just one import signing away from completing its squad for the 2026-27 season.
WILDCATS LAND NBL1 IMPORT
The Perth Wildcats have added extra insurance to their roster ahead of the 2026-27 NBL season, signing NBL1 North Defensive Player of the Year James Whitt as an Injury Replacement Player.
While the Wildcats are still searching for another import, the addition of Whitt provides the club with an experienced, low-risk option capable of stepping into the line-up should injuries arise during the season.
The 29-year-old, 6’3” guard arrives after one of the strongest campaigns of his career with the Gold Coast Rollers, where he established himself as one of the NBL1 North’s premier two-way players.
Whitt played collegiately at Arkansas and SMU between 2015 and 2020, finishing his final season at Arkansas by averaging 14.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 steals in 36.9 minutes across 32 games. During the 2019-20 season with Arkansas, Whitt played alongside former Perth Wildcats import Mason Jones, who was released after just five games last season.
Following college, Whitt spent time in the NBA G League with the Cleveland Charge and Santa Cruz Warriors. Across 29 appearances, he averaged 4.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 13.4 minutes per game.
The signing as an Injury Replacement Player may raise a few eyebrows, but it follows a similar approach to former NBL import Todd Withers, who filled the same role with the Perth Wildcats for the 2024-25 campaign.
Adding an import in this role allows the Wildcats to bring in an experienced player at a lower cost while giving him the opportunity to train with the squad, build chemistry and remain ready to step in should one of the club’s imports suffer an injury.
The biggest question surrounding Whitt’s game is his perimeter shooting.
Throughout the 2026 NBL1 North season, he attempted just two three-pointers, continuing a trend that dates back to his college career. Across 127 NCAA games, Whitt made just 16 of his 66 three-point attempts, averaging only 0.5 attempts per game.
In today’s game, particularly in the NBL, outside shooting is often considered an essential skill for guards. However, Whitt has built his career around a different style of play.
Rather than relying on the three-point shot, he thrives attacking the basket and operating in the mid-range, where he shot an outstanding 62.4% during his NBL1 campaign.
Whether that style translates successfully to the NBL remains to be seen, but after a dominant season in NBL1 North, Whitt has earned the opportunity to prove himself at the next level.
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