NBL: Sydney Kings release import centre Jeremy Tyler

The Sydney Kings have all but admitted to giving up on making the NBL play-offs, releasing import centre Jeremy Tyler.

Jeremy Tyler shoots for the Kings in the team’s loss to the Perth Wildcats last Saturday night.

The Sydney Kings have all but admitted to giving up on making the play-offs, releasing import centre Jeremy Tyler two months after he arrived.

American Tyler, 26, has averaged a healthy 14 points and six rebounds in his 10 games but the last-placed club has opted to place more focus on developing its young frontcourt.

“At this time we are keen to look closely at some of the young big men both on our roster and on the edge of it,” Kings managing director Jeff Van Groningen said.

Tyler was recruited in November in the same week as star guard and fellow US import Jerome Randle as the Kings moved to ­resurrect their season. But the team’s five victories in 2017-18 means they are six wins off fourth- placed Adelaide with eight games remaining.

Van Groningen said the rest of the season would be used as an audition for future starting centre prospects. “We believe Isaac Humphries is an exciting player and possesses attributes that, combined with hard work, could see him achieve great heights down the line, while Dane ­Pineau’s development this season has been pleasing,” he said.

“We have youngsters Deng Acouth and Darcy Malone as part of our development player list and we anticipate they’ll get a chance to experience being part of the squad at some stage over the remaining eight games. “I can’t wait to see who stands up.”

Townsville guard Kelly Wilson might be happy to retire one match shy of a 350-game WNBL milestone, if it means the Fire can sweep the grand-final series.

The 16-season veteran enters the series against Melbourne Boomers, starting on Saturday in Townsville, on 347 games.

Townsville would need to split the first two matches in the best-of-three series for Wilson to get her milestone in what could be her final season. “I’m willing to take one for the team and go 349, if that’s the case,” Wilson said ­yesterday.

Wilson, who won WNBL titles with Bendigo in 2013 and ‘14, missed much of last season with a fractured leg and there was talk then that might have been her last campaign.

AAP