Basketball's Tasmania Southern Huskies are in talks to become the first Australian sports team to play in a New Zealand-run mainstream competition.
The newly formed franchise is targeting a place in Australia's NBL but will aim for Kiwi shores in the interim, having made a bid to line up in next year's New Zealand NBL.
Talks have intensified in recent months and NBL chairman Iain Potter says Tasmania's participation is expected to be confirmed next month.
"We see it as adding a bit of spice - it's a new concept, a little bit of trans-Tasman rivalry never goes amiss and it also offers an unknown challenge - how will we match up to a relatively strong Australian club?" Potter told Radio Sport.
He said the move had the support of the eight Kiwi clubs.
The South East Melbourne Phoenix were unveiled recently as a ninth team in the 2019-20 Australian NBL, claiming a licence the Southern Huskies had sought.
The team from the Apple Isle haven't given up on an invitation into in an expanded NBL, viewing the Kiwi competition as a launch pad.
