Taipans shuffle the deck: Jack and King suit up for Round 7

The Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans have welcomed the return of superstar forward Jack McVeigh for their Round 7 battles against the Brisbane Bullets and the Tasmania JackJumpers. 

McVeigh has been sidelined since early October, missing three games after sustaining a wrist injury to his shooting hand in his previous fixture against the Bullets. But the Australian Boomer has rejoined the line-up for Round 7.

His return is a major boost for the Taipans, who are looking to climb back up the standings after struggling with injuries across the opening month of their campaign.

The 28-year old is averaging 14.5 points (from 51 FG per cent), 7.2 rebounds and a career-high 5.2 assists and will add vital leadership and scoring punch to Adam Forde’s rotation.

McVeigh, along with Taipans rim protector Marcus Lee, will face his former club, the Tasmania JackJumpers on Saturday. It will be his first fixture against the team he helped to an NBL championship in 2024.

Adding to the excitement, Mojave King is also back in orange this week after signing as an injury replacement player for rising star Alex Higgins-Titsha.

The former Next Star returns following stints in the NBA G League and in New Zealand with the Breakers and in the NZNBL with the Tauranga Whai bringing added firepower to the squad.

Meanwhile, the latest Round 7 injury update confirmed Sam Waardenburg (ankle), Kody Stattmann (hamstring) and Higgins-Titsha (left hand) remain sidelined, while McVeigh was previously listed as a game-time decision before being cleared for Thursday’s clash.

The Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans will close their road double-header in Tasmania when they face the JackJumpers at the Silverdome on Saturday at 4:30pm AEST. Watch the clash live on ESPN.