Cheshire Phoenix have freed former NBA player Julius Hodge in what will be the final shuffle of their pack.
The one-time Draft Lottery pick, 31, had only been with the Northgate outfit for two months and – despite playing out of his natural position – had led his team on an eight-game winning streak that has taken them into the midst of the BBL title race, earning John Coffino the leagueâ€
s Coach of the Month prize for December.
MVP understands that Hodge, who has averaged 11.2 points and 5.8 assists, will likely be replaced before Sundayâ€
s home clash with Manchester Giants. However a team source claims that guarantees in the playerâ€
s contract have led to a stalemate in talks to formally end his employment.
The move – which is the ninth and last permitted change to the clubâ€
s roster – comes in the same week that the Phoenixâ€
s ambitious chairman Andrew Donaldson declared that the presence of the Antiguan-born veteran was one factor in raising the bar in Chester.
“We have assembled a winning team under a great coach,†he told the Cheshire Chronicle.
“We had to make changes early on but that has proved to be a wise decision as we are in a position to be challenging for honours going into the new year.â€
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