Sydney Kings star and NBL 23 MVP Xavier Cooks will finally make the leap to the NBA upon the conclusion of the Championship Series.
The Kings formally announced the deal on Monday morning that will see Cooks link up with the Washington Wizards for the next two years.
Cooks had yielded interest from a handful of NBA teams, with seven of them sending scouts to Sydney to watch the league’s MVP in person and to gauge his interest in a potential move.
The 27-year-old noted that he didn’t engage with his future prospects heading into the NBL finals series, leaving the hard work to his agent.
“I leave my agent to deal with all that stuff, I told him I really wanted to focus on the playoffs and not worry about anything after the season,” Cooks said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“He’s done a great job of keeping me focused and not worrying about that stuff… I found out about a week ago and (I was) really trying to keep my nerve and a straight face has been tough but it’s out now and that’s really cool.”
Joining the likes of former NBA all-stars Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis in Washington, Cooks admitted it will be an uphill battle to adjust to the league itself.
“This is the greatest league in the world, I’m going to have to earn my respect over there, I think it’s going to be a transition,” Cooks added.
“I think our game styles align, they like to play fast, they like to switch on defence, from a basketball aspect it’s a really good fit but I guess we’ll see when I get over there.”
The Wizards have had an inconsistent year thus far, holding a 30-34 win-loss record, sitting in 10th place which would see them take the final spot in the NBA play-in tournament.
Cooks will look to give the Kings a 2-1 lead in the NBL Championship Series when they host the New Zealand Breakers for Game Three on Friday night.