Tall Blacks Centurion Corey Webster will join his father Tony at the Manawatu Jets for the National Basketball League (NBL) season.
Webster will suit up for a seventh different franchise, and fourth in the last four years, in 2025, giving head coach Tony Webster some scoring punch and veteran presence in his first season in Palmerston North.
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Webster, 36, has previously played for his hometown (now defunct) Harbour Heat, Wellington Saints, Super City Rangers (also defunct), and the Franklin Bulls, Canterbury Rams and Auckland Tuatara since 2022.
He averaged 20.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.4 steals, while shooting 45 percent from the field and 38 percent on threes, in 19 games for the Tuatara last season.
The year prior, he appeared in eight games for the Rams, averaging 14.5 points, 2.8 boards, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals, winning his fourth NBL championship. He averaged 25.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.9 steals in nine games for the Bulls in 2022.
Webster has also played professionally in Serbia, Greece, Israel, China, Italy, Egypt and Montenegro since 2015.
The three-time Australian NBL champion joins promising Kiwi guard Dontae Russo-Nance and American imports Kenny Goins, Makhel Mitchell and Miles Gibson in a strong potential starting five.
The Jets, who went 1-19 last season before cutting ties with head coach Natu Taufale and hiring Webster Sr, open their season on the road against the neighbouring Hawke's Bay Hawks on Saturday, March 15 (tip-off 4pm).
Three other NBL teams added imports over the past week, bringing the number signed to 19. The Indian Panthers, Hawks and Otago Nuggets have yet to announce any restricted players.
The Franklin Bulls signed their first import, 6-foot-3 American guard Tae Hardy, the Taranaki Airs will bring back 6-foot-5 American guard Armon Fletcher, one of their imports in 2023, and the Canterbury Rams inked 6-foot-8 Australian forward Kyle Bowen to a one-year deal.
Eight clubs made Kiwi additions, with 3x3 Tall Blacks guard Chris McIntosh (Tuatara), Jayden Boucher (Tauranga Whai), the son of BBNZ CEO Dillon Boucher, big man Jack Andrew (Airs) and one-game Tall Black Jono Janssen (Nuggets) among the notables.
The league's newest team, the India-owned Panthers, have yet to announce a head coach or any player signings, despite their first game - away at the Hawks - being less than two weeks away.
NBL FREE AGENT TRACKER
Auckland Tuatara
Rob Loe, Tom Vodanovich, Dan Fotu, Dylan Wilkie, Josh Wyllie, Charles Pride*, Will 'Davo' Hickey*, Buay Tuach*, Cooper Te Ratana, Nick Barrow, Chris McIntosh
Indian Panthers
No player announcements
Franklin Bulls
Ethan Rusbatch, Halasiale Maile, Tobias Cameron, KC Nwafor, Corey Perry, Harrison Coker-Grey, Brody Perry, Payton Hughes, Harrison Kelso, Zion Anderson, Flynn Cameron, Tae Hardy*
Tauranga Whai
Jayden Bezzant, Sean Bairstow*, Te Tuhi Lewis, Jett Thompson, Chris Jones*, Kruz Perrott-Hunt, Denhym Brooke, Carter Hopoi, Jayden Boucher
Taranaki Airs
Dom Kelman-Poto, Scott Telfer, Jack Exeter, Owen Foxwell*, Jack Andrew, Armon Fletcher*
Manawatu Jets
Dontae Russo-Nance, Kenny Goins*, Isaac Miller-Jose, Dion Collins, Makhel Mitchell*, Miles Gibson*, Zavier Pearn, Tinashe Matambanadzo, Hikaia Lambert, Tautoko Wynyward, Corey Webster
Hawke's Bay Hawks
Jackson Ball, Jacob Murphy, Clifton Bush II, Ezrah Eagle, Harry Keighley, Kobe Kara
Wellington Saints
Hyrum Harris, Troy Plumtree, Izayah Le'afa, Shea Ili, Rangimarie Dougall-Mita, Nick Marshall*, Kazlo Evans Jr, Lukah Richards
Nelson Giants
Alex McNaught, Liam Judd, Aston Inwood, Hayden Jones, Lachlan Crate, Sam Dempster, Brice Johnson*, Callum McRae, Callum Dalton*, James Matthews
Canterbury Rams
Taylor Britt, Kaia Isaac, Max Darling, Walter Brown, Sean Macdonald*, Tama Isaac, Mana Martin, Jake Holmes, Ihaka Cate, Tawhiri Cate, Kyle Bowen*, Jonty Bond, Tony Worthington
Otago Nuggets
Matthew Bardsley, Darcy Knox, Josh Aitcheson, Jono Janssen, Caleb Smiler, Michael Ruske
Southland Sharks
Alonzo Burton, Johnny Helu, Sam Timmins, Keylan Boone*, Tukaha Cooper, Caleb Asberry*, Hayden Collier, Dane Bertinshaw, Josiah Allick*, Quake Webster, Riley Snow, Joseph Riwhi, Will Leger