'We're not going to rush': Breakers weigh options at NBA Summer League for import spots

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Author: Samuel Sherry,
Publish Date: Thu, 16 Jul 2026, 2:14pm

The Breakers are scouting potential new players in Las Vegas at the NBA's Summer League. Photo / Getty Images

The New Zealand Breakers will stay patient as they look to bulk out their roster at the NBA Summer League, with two import spots still open.

Breakers president of basketball Dillon Boucher told the Herald from Las Vegas that the team and new coach Gordon Herbert are working through a “big list” of names they are hoping to lure to New Zealand.

“We’re working through which ones are going to be the preference and certainly when I’ve got through Summer League, we’ll be starting to go a lot deeper into what guys we’re actually going to start making offers to,” Boucher said.

“You’ve got every level of guy [at the Summer League], you’ve got multi-million dollar players on the call, then you’ve got guys who are just G League players who are low-level payment-wise, and then you’ve got two-way players that are on half a million dollars, and then you’ve got guys that have played in Europe that have been on anywhere from US$200,000 to a million.

“So you have to make sure you can afford the guy you’re chasing and you only get that from knowledge of understanding watching them play and understanding what sort of level they’re at.”

Boucher wouldn’t say if the Breakers were looking for a specific type of player, or rather someone who could fit the organisation.

The Breakers are scouting potential new players in Las Vegas at the NBA's Summer League. Photo / Getty Images

“I think for us, it’s not just about how they’re playing, what their career stats look like, what their personalities are like, how they perform under pressure – all those things that tell you a lot more than just what you see in somebody," he explained.

“As much as we’re here scouting players, we’re also building relationships with agents, with coaches, building networks to be able to grab valuable players.

“You can see how they play on the court, but more importantly than that, what sort of person are they? How do they interact with their teammates? And you can’t get that unless you know people that have played with them, coaches that have coached them, scouts that have scouted them.”

Boucher doesn’t have a set date for when he wants the roster finalised, but is hoping to sort everything out sooner rather than later.

“I would hope to have something locked in by the end of this month, but we’re not going to rush,” he said.

“There’s so many factors that you have to take into account and we’re just going to try and find whoever fits what we need the best, and try to stay patient with it.”

The Breakers brought in Herbert on a two-year deal to replace former coach Petteri Koponen, while Sebastian Gleim, who had previously worked with Herbert with the German national team, has joined as an assistant coach.

NBL championship duo Dejan Vasiljevic and Kouat Noi have been signed to the team this off-season, alongside shooter Preston Le Gassick.

Sam Mennenga and Carlin Davison were re-signed as well and join import Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Tall Blacks duo Ruben Te Rangi and Izayah Le’Afa, who were already under contract.

Contracted Breakers players for the 2026-27 season: Parker Jackson-Cartwright, Sam Mennenga, Reuben Te Rangi, Izayah Le’afa, Carlin Davison, Dejan Vasiljevic, Preston Le Gassick, Kouat Noi.