The Illawarra Hawks have announced that Kevin Lisch has turned down a contract extension with the club and is set to join a rival NBL team. Lisch arrived at the Hawks at the beginning of last season to rejoin former Head Coach Rob Beveridge, and the Hawks qualified for their 19^th appearance in the NBL Finals. Lisch completed the season with two new career-highs, with an average of 19.4 points and 3.3 assists per game. He was recognised for his efforts, and went on to win the 2016 NBL MVP and Best Defensive Player Award. Hawks General Manager Kim Welch says it’s naturally disappointing to lose a player of Lisch’s ability. “Naturally you are disappointed and of course it hurts but Kevin has made his decision and we’ll move on," he said. “I can assure you that we will recruit well, and retain as many key players as possible so that we can continue to deliver the style of basketball we all enjoyed last season." The Hawks are expected to announce some major re-signings early next week. The NBL released the free agents list today, click HERE for more.