The Sudbury Five is taking advantage of the National Basketball League of Canada contract rules to ensure some of their key players will be back next season.
The club has named seven players to its protected list, giving the Five the right to match contract offers from other teams and keep them in the fold.
Each protected player are restricted free agents. Any player not protected via the Five’s protected list will become an unrestricted free agent. The NBL Canada allows each team to protect seven players at the end of the season through the team’s protected players list.
On the list are Braylon Rayson, Maurice Jones Sr., Jaylen Bland, Grandy Glaze, Travis Releford, Cory Dixon and Mamadou Gueye.
“If I could, I would have protected all our players from last year,” Logan Stutz, Sudbury Five GM and head coach, is quoted as saying in a news release. “I think there is a very good chance you will see players on our protected list return to The Five, and even many that we didn’t protect return to The Five, as well.
“Players want to play in front of our fans and that’s a great feeling to have as a coach … Sudbury has quickly become a desired destination for players to play and that is because of the atmosphere the organization has created and that the fans have supported.”
In addition to the protected players list, the Five and NBL have announced the future considerations the team will receive from the Cape Breton Highlanders for the Feb. 12 trade for the rights to Sam Muldrow. The Highlanders will send The Sudbury Five the rights to Chris Johnson and Jabari Craig for the 2019/2020 season.
On Feb. 15, the Island Storm traded the rights to Maurice Jones Sr. to the Sudbury Five for future considerations. To complete the transaction, The Sudbury Five will send the Island Storm the rights to Mamadou Gueye and Jabari Craig for the 2019/2020 season.
