Why Melbourne United makes sense: Luke Travers is putting his trust in Dean Vickerman

Analysing what is likely the most interesting move of NBL free agency so far.

Credit: JBC Studios

After an encouraging but middling season in Perth, Luke Travers is eager to take the next step as a player. Links to Xavier Cooks, in terms of potential playing style and role, have been thrown around for some time, but now Travers is even publicly spruiking the idea.

Travers speaking with ESPN’s Olgun Uluc:

“The big thing going around is that Xavier Cooks role. Getting a rebound and pushing in transition, or whether it’s coming off an on-ball or setting an on-ball. There’s a lot of action I think I can be used in in that aspect. It was a deciding factor to have the ball a little bit more.”

After Travers initially expressed his desire to test the free agency market, he made comments to The West Australian, around the benefits of moving away from Bryce Cotton, with it being difficult to have the ball in his hands as much as he would like. These comments have been walked back since, with Keanu Pinder’s arrival and the re-signings of the Webster brothers clearly more impactful to his potential role than the league’s best guard, who makes the game easier for teammates.

Signing with United appears much more about aligning himself with Dean Vickerman, and to a smaller extent, getting out of his comfort zone so that he can remove distractions and maximise his talent.