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Andrew Bogut won’t be playing in NBL

Confirmation has come from Sydney Kings coach Ian Robilliard that Andrew Bogut will not be participating in the NBL.

The star of the Milwaukee Bucks had made arrangements to join the Kings for the 2011-2012 NBL season, but this was contingent on the approval of the insurance policy that safeguards his three-year $39 million NBA contract.

Nevertheless, Robilliard has stated that the agreement did not succeed.

“The insurance deal fell through at the last moment, so he is unable to secure insurance to protect his NBA contract,” said Robilliard.

“I can confirm his absence from the NBL.”

“Conversations with our general manager and executive director revealed a strong belief that the deal would be finalized,” he continued.

“I was informed that only minor adjustments were needed on the insurance policy. It seems that those changes were crucial since everything fell apart literally at the last moment.”

According to Bogut’s manager, Bruce Kaider, the issue was unrelated to any ongoing injury concerns stemming from his severe injuries while attempting a dunk during an NBA game against the Toronto Raptors in April 2010.

“No, it didn’t relate to any pre-existing injuries in any way,” Kaider explained.

“The concern was more about the possibility of him getting injured while playing for the Kings and returning to Milwaukee, where they might terminate his contract due to his inability to pass a medical examination.”

“We sought a complete guarantee, but in the end, they were unwilling to provide the full assurance.”

“From the beginning, we aimed to explore every option, and I believe we can all confidently say we achieved that.”

Kaider expressed that Bogut is profoundly disappointed with this outcome but anticipates playing some role in supporting the Kings during the season.

“He genuinely wanted to contribute to the sport and restore it to its previous glory; he was highly motivated by that and is now deeply disappointed because that opportunity is no longer available,” Kaider remarked.

“Throughout this entire process, we have been very impressed by the Kings’ professionalism, and Andrew certainly has a fondness for the Sydney Kings, so we would like to discuss with the NBL what role he may still have moving forward.”

The Kings are set to begin their NBL season on Friday with a match against the Melbourne Tigers, who will feature Portland Trail Blazers star Patty Mills, for whom the NBA insurance policy faced minimal complications.

“There are substantially different figures concerning salary and remuneration,” Robilliard explained. “This is the reason Patty Mills can play, while securing insurance for Andrew Bogut is far more challenging.”

A silver lining to Bogut’s absence from the Kings this season is that it offers Robilliard the chance to sign a local player to the roster.

“Had Andrew Bogut joined the Sydney Kings, I would have faced the dilemma of who to exclude from our roster, so at least that’s one concern I no longer have,” he stated.

“The uncertainty caused by Bogut’s situation has been managed effectively, but now that we’ve moved past it, I believe it will strengthen our team even more.”

“We are looking forward to a very successful season and eager to start it tonight in Melbourne, where we have an excellent track record.”

by Buford Balony

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