Jack McVeigh will return from his NBA stint with the Cairns Taipans in a major boost for the NBL's reigning wooden spooners.
The sharp-shooting Australian forward made his NBA debut with the Houston Rockets in November after a career-best 2023/24 NBL season with the Tasmania JackJumpers ended in a championship ring.
The JackJumpers had retained McVeigh's contract rights in the event of a return from the NBA but agreed to the 29-year-old's request for a release from the final year of his contract on Monday.
A day later, the Taipans announced McVeigh had signed a one-year deal containing a mutual option for a second season.
While the NBL has not yet ratified McVeigh's contract, there is no suggestion his move to the Taipans will be blocked.
The forward becomes the Taipans' highest-profile local player since Nathan Jawai and signals optimism in North Queensland following two seasons towards the foot of the ladder.
"I know that the club were aiming for a marquee-type signing throughout the off-season and knowing that it was a real possibility changed everything about the type of roster we could build," said coach Adam Forde.
"I couldn't be happier that it's Jack."
McVeigh played nine NBA games for the Rockets and 35 for G-League affiliate the Rio Grande Vipers during his brief American foray.
He was named the 2024 grand final MVP in his last season with the JackJumpers, memorably hitting a half-court shot that won game three and put the Tasmanian side up 2-1 in the best-of-five series.
McVeigh also represented Australia at 2024 Paris Olympics, where the underwhelming Boomers bowed out in the quarter-finals.
The forward is the Taipans' first new arrival for the 2025/26 season and joins Sam Waardenburg, Alex Higgins-Titsha, Kyrin Galloway, Kyle Adnam and Kody Stattmann on the roster.
