Basketball On The Internet.

THERE appears to be a growing chance Melbourne is zeroing in on its new NBL coach to replace departing Dean Vickerman, with Jacob Chance's name being whispered in United's corridors of power. A former United assistant, Chance steered Austin Spurs to the NBA G-League's Western Conference quarterfinals.

Austin is the G-League affiliate of the San Antonio Spurs, an NBA club with many strong links to Australian basketball players and coaches over the past two decades.

In his first head coach role at elite level, Chance took Austin to a 23-13 regular season record and the fifth seeding spot for the G-League's Western Conference playoffs where they were eliminated by fourth seeded Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

He was Vickerman's right-hand man at United before departing for the G-League and its 2025-26 season.

Chance also was entrusted with the reins of the Boomers for wins over Thailand and Korea en route to the most recent FIBA Asia Cup, Basketball Australia clearly identifying him as a young coach with a big upside.

He potentially would inherit a proven successful program (of which he was a part), with Sam Waardenburg incoming from Cairns and Joe Ingles from the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves, despite many predicting he would emerge in Adelaide due to somewhat tenuous links to fleeing 36ers coach Mike Wells and league superstar Bryce Cotton.

The NBL will experience an influx of different coaching faces with Trevor Gleeson (Adelaide) and Will Weaver (Brisbane) returning to weekly action at new destinations, plus World Cup winning coach Gordon Herbert lining up in Auckland with New Zealand.