Travis Trice returns to the NBL - signs deal with Hawks

The Illawarra Hawks are pleased to announce the signing of Travis Trice for the 2021/22 NBL season.

The 28-year-old guard brings a wealth of experience to the Hawks roster, with Trice's resume including two stops at the New York Knicks G-League franchise - the Westchester Knicks, Summer League stints with the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks, as well as four college seasons at Michigan State under mastercoach Tom Izzo.

Trice also had stints at the Cairns Taipans (2016/17) and Brisbane Bullets (2017/18), with the American native winning the Snakes MVP award for his stellar season.

In 26 games for the Taipans, he averaged 14.6 points, 3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game. In 27 games for the Bullets, he averaged 15.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.3 steals per contest.

Trice has spent the last season playing for Galatasaray in the Turkish Basketball Super League, but is currently training and preparing in Phoenix and is expected to join the Hawks for pre-season training in the coming months.

Illawarra Hawks President and Co-Owner, Dorry Kordahi, said securing the services of Trice was a major coup for the club.

"Travis [Trice] has a pretty good history in the NBL and it's going to be great to see him back Down Under in an Illawarra Hawks jersey. He was a star in this league with the Taipans and Bullets and we feel he is the perfect fit for our backcourt. We can't wait to see him and Tyler [Harvey] in particular mesh and fans should be excited about what this guy can bring to our side," Kordahi said.

"If I've said it once, I'll say it a thousand times. The Illawarra Hawks aren't in this league to take part, we're here to compete for championships. We have bold ambitions for this club, and this ownership group is trying to assemble a roster we believe can bring more success and more glory to our proud basketball family and followers in the Illawarra," Kordahi said. 

Illawarra Hawks Head Coach, Brian Goorjian, said Trice was a "true pro" and another proven leader for his relatively young side.

"Travis [Trice] has played basketball all around the world in elite competitions and that type of experience and toughness is exactly what we need in this league. He can score, he takes care of his teammates and he plays defence so he's a great player, played in some fantastic teams and under some wonderful coaches and I'm really looking forward to working with him," Goorjian said.

Trice joins Sam Froling, Emmett Naar, Akoldah Gak, Dan Grida, Tyler Harvey, Isaac White, AJ Ogilvy, Duop Reath and Lachlan Dent on the Illawarra Hawks 2021/22 roster.