Bullets stars Adam Gibson and Cameron Bairstow to go up for grabs in NBL free agency

OLYMPIANS Cam Bairstow and Adam Gibson may have played their last games for the Brisbane Bullets as NBL free agency looms large

Adam Gibson (left) during the NBL semi-final match between the Perth Wildcats and the Brisbane Bullets at RAC Arena in Perth

OLYMPIANS Cam Bairstow and Adam Gibson may have played their last games for the Brisbane Bullets.

The Australian Boomers duo will be on the NBL’s free agents list on Friday, meaning rival clubs can swoop on their signatures when the competition’s annual meat market officially opens on Monday.

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One Bullets player who will not be on the free agency list is centre Matt Hodgson, whose two-year contract extension with Brisbane has been finalised.

Dual NBL title winner Gibson, 32, was out of contract while former Chicago Bulls forward Bairstow had an option in the club’s favour.

Brisbane is keen to bring back high-class and high-priced import Lamar Patterson, while the Bullets are expected to be one of many suitors for off-contract Boomers star Nathan Sobey, who will be the most in-demand player on the market.

Adam Gibson in Bullets colours last season

If they land both big fish, the Bullets are unlikely to have enough salary cap space to fit Gibson and Bairstow, who both performed well for Brisbane in their run into the semi-finals.

Brisbane general manager Richard Clarke said the club was unable to commit to Gibson and Bairstow at this point.

Cameron Bairstow in action for Brisbane against New Zealand last season.

But he said the Bullets had not completely shut the door on the duo as they could still return depending on what happens in the free agency period.

Gibson first played for Brisbane in 2005 and won a title with the Bullets in 2007. He returned to the club when it emerged from the wilderness three seasons ago. Bairstow had a successful comeback year after missing the entire 2017-18 season with a knee injury.

Meanwhile, with little fanfare, Patterson was yesterday (THURS) crowned the club’s Most Valuable Player for the 2018-19 NBL season.

The Bullets announced their award winners via a press release, a month after they were beaten by eventual champions Perth in the semi-finals.

Patterson was a deserved winner of the Leroy Loggins MVP medal which had been presented at an awards function the past two years when the club won the wooden spoon.

But an email was the low-key approach to cap a season when the Bullets broke their 11-year finals drought.

Lamar Patterson celebrates an important bucket in a win over Perth.

In 22 regular season games, Patterson proved to be a consistent match-winner, averaging 18 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game to earn a place in the All NBL First team.

The former NBA swingman also won the members’ MVP gong. Five-time NBL champion Mika Vukona won the Players’ Player award in a voting landslide after leaving his indelible mark on the club in his first season in Brisbane.

Callum Dalton was awarded as the Young Player of the Year. Dalton has been selected in the Australian Emus team which will compete in the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup.