There's a sense of déjà vu in the Illawarra, with their NBL Best Defensive Player - winning American import wing leaving the club after one year... for the second year in a row.
In arguably the biggest free-agency coup of the NBL off-season so far, the Adelaide 36ers have signed import Antonius Cleveland to a two-year deal.
Not only was Cleveland selected as the league's best defender for the 2022 season, but he was also named to the All-NBL First Team, averaging 14.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.9 steals per game, and was largely credited with turning around what was at one point a fairly disappointing Hawks season.
NBL 2022-23 Roster Tracker: Signings, departures, and re-signings of every team
Cleveland's move to the 36ers will only add to the team's stash of premier defenders, including Sunday Dech - himself originally an Illawarra Hawk - and Mitch McCarron.
But Cleveland may not be the final steal that Adelaide make, with NBL journalist Liam Santamaria also reporting that the team is also seeking to acquire fellow imports Xavier Munford, who played for South East Melbourne in 2022, and Robert Franks, who spent the previous season in Brisbane.
📈 Free Agency Market Watch 📉
— The NBL (@NBL) June 3, 2022
Breaking down Deng Deng to the Hawks, the JJ's lock in a DP, Scott Machado not returning to Cairns plus the latest on Antonius Cleveland and Robert Franks.#NBL23 pic.twitter.com/hT6NLkuYuR
These signings may help to inject some life into the Adelaide franchise, a team that has not qualified for the NBL finals since the 2018 season.
For Illawarra fans, this scenario is eerily reminiscent of 2021, where they lost import Justin Simon, who preceded Cleveland as NBL Best Defensive Player, before leaving to pursue an opportunity in the German Bundesliga.
The writing seemed slightly on the wall for the Hawks this time, with the signing of Wani Swaka Lo Buluk tipping many off to the fact that they may soon be facing a loss in their starting lineup.
