Gill set to continue basketball development Down Under

The professional development of national basketballer Romaro Gill will continue in the New Zealand National Basketball League (NBL) this summer.

The 26-year-old Gill has signed a deal to play for the Wellington Saints for the 2021 season which is expected to begin this summer. The deal was finalised on Tuesday. Gill went undrafted in the 2020 NBA draft, however, he was signed with the Utah Jazz the during the pre-season. However, he was waived by the team ahead of the current NBA season but signed with their affiliate the Salt Lake City Stars in early January and will play in the 2021 G League season which starts in Florida next month. Gill will join the Saints after the conclusion of the campaign.

Saints head coach Zico Coronel said the centre's experience playing in the G league in a biosecure environment would be beneficial to the team once he arrives in New Zealand.

"We see his involvement with the Jazz programme as an absolute positive, he will further improve under the guidance of the highly regarded Jazz coaching staff, and as he'll be living and breathing basketball in the bubble, he'll arrive in peak physical condition and rearing to go for us," Coronel said on the team's website.

Looking forward

Gill, a St Thomas native and Seton Hall University alum, said that he is looking forward to playing for his new team. "New Zealanders are an understate and chilled people but also some of the fiercest competitors in sport and I feel a real bond with that and look forward to putting in the [work] for the Saints team," he said on the team's website. "I'm very grateful to play in the New Zealand NBL and can't wait to live in the capital."

While a date has not been finalised for the start of the 2021 season, it is expected to conclude this summer.