Venomous intent: Taipans strike back in title hunt

“We want to go out and have a real crack at winning the thing this season.”

That message is exactly what Cairns Taipans fans have been waiting to hear - a shift in mindset for a club that has finished eighth or lower in four of the past five seasons.

“We're throwing everything at it this season, making some big moves, some big plays ... we're going all in,” Taipans president Troy Stone told Pete Hooley.

Adam Forde and the Taipans’ decision-makers are diving headfirst into a critical week in Las Vegas, using the NBA Summer League as a launchpad to finalise their NBL26 roster. Their targets: three quality imports and a marquee Australian.

So far, just five players are signed, with only one locked in as a starter - Sam Waardenburg. That leaves major gaps to fill, but the club is tackling the task with urgency and intent.

Rather than simply scraping by with one of the league's leanest payrolls, Cairns is aiming to shake things up. They’re in pursuit of more than just respect. This year, they want results.

“Sometimes you've got to throw some money at things to make a big change,” Stone said.

“That's what we're looking to do. Getting Fordey back was fantastic. He was still helping us out in our recruitment with players and doing some scouting for us. And then when he saw the level of talent we were looking at, that's when he came to Mark (Beecroft, General Manager) and I and was like, ‘boys, I want back in. What do I need to do?’. He actually went through an official process to come back in as well, so he couldn't be happier now.”

Enquiring about players like Isaiah Thomas signals just how ambitious the Taipans have become.

That move may not have landed, but it speaks volumes about their fearless approach and unwavering hunger for success.

“Fordey did make a call. No luck there. But the call was made and that's the sort of high-level talent we're looking at,” Stone said of the Thomas approach.

“All the hype is good. People talking about our club, it's great. But we're looking for three imports over here and we're looking for a marquee-level Aussie as well to join the club.

“We've seen a lot of games, seen a lot of talent. Had some good conversations with some agents over here as well, so it's been really good.

“That's the level of player (Thomas) we're looking at. Everyone knows that we're looking to privatise as well, so we're looking at making big moves in private ownership, big moves in our player rotation. We want to go out and have a real crack at winning the thing this season.”

Plenty still needs to play out, and marquee names remain in short supply, but one thing’s clear: the Taipans won’t be sitting back as they chase that long-awaited Championship.

The 2025 NBA Summer League starts from July 11, Australian time, with exclusive interviews and insights available on the NBL App and NBL.com.au.