BASKETBALL

NBL

BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT

 

NEXT Traralgon man up for Melbourne United.

The National Basketball League (NBL) club recently announced local export Christian D’Angelo as its first development player signed for the 2026-27 season.

D’Angelo spent last season as a training player for United, which saw him act as a standard rostered player bar participating in games, treated to all the perks of a professional basketballer and able to sit on the bench during select regular season matches.

Now, as a development player, the former Traralgon T-Bird will get the opportunity to actually step onto the court when the next NBL season comes around.

“This is something that I’ve worked towards for a really long time and to finally reach a big goal of mine is really exciting,” D’Angelo told Melbourne United media.

“Obviously having a year as a training player, I got a taste of what it’s like and I kind of got addicted to it.

“Working with the guys every day and seeing how they’re always looking to improve was huge for me.

“I think I have a lot more confidence in my game now and I’m only wanting to get better to help this team win.”

Melbourne previously featured fellow Traralgon basketballer Jack White on two separate instances, most recently during the 2024-25 season, and previous to that, winning an NBL title with United in 2021, although missed due to injury.

Currently into his sixth season with NBL1 South club Nunawading Spectres, D’Angelo featured in an exhibition match with the NBL1 South Under 25 select team against the Chinese National U18 men’s side last week.

D’Angelo played alongside Moe’s Austin Shelley, who during the 2024-25 NBL season, was a training player with the Cairns Taipans.

During the international exhibition showcase on Monday, April 27, China also played against a Big V Championship select team, which included Gippsland United players Matt Berkec and team captain and Traralgon’s Ben Barlow.

For the Spectres, D’Angelo has shot out to his best season yet through the first three rounds, averaging 21 points, five rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.

D’Angelo is the younger brother of former junior national basketballer and Melbourne Boomer, Chelsea D’Angelo, who currently plays overseas in New Zealand before returning for NBL1 side Frankston Blues.

Their football brother Luis plays for Casey Demons in the VFL and for Traralgon in the Gippsland League. Luis and Christian played in Traralgon T-Birds’ last CBL title in 2022.

Melbourne United head coach Dean Vickerman said that the youngest D’Angelo sibling is capable of making a real impact whenever pushed into the rotation.

“He really earned his position as a training player last year and now he’s earned this opportunity as a development player,” he said.

Vickerman continued by describing D’Angelo as “a really balanced athlete” and as a “two-guard” and “combo guard”.

“Players like him are a real valuable commodity right now with the ability to stretch the floor, play in transition and be a willing defender, while still growing as a player,” Vickerman added.

“He’s someone that can really challenge for a roster spot in years to come.”

Vickerman may not be there to see D’Angelo develop however, as it was recently reported that the nine-year Melbourne coach was in active discussions with the club regarding a release from the remainder of his contract.

The Warragul-raised basketball coach is contracted until the end of the 2027-28 NBL season, with ESPN sources saying that he has a head coaching job lined up in Japan.

Vickerman has been a pillar for United since his arrival in 2017, and has won two NBL championships (2018, 2021) and reached a further three grand final series.

He won his first NBL title as head coach of the New Zealand Breakers in 2015.

That championship-winning team included Sale’s Rhys Carter, who currently serves as an assistant coach at United, and took charge as interim head coach when Vickerman was unavailable at the latter stages of the last home-and-away season.

Vickerman has also served as head coach of the Australian Boomers two different times, in 2023 for the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, and in 2025 he became the associate head coach under most recently appointed Adam Caporn.

After United lost in the very last possible match in the 2025 NBL Grand Final series to Illawarra Hawks, the Melbourne side then finished fifth on the ladder and were ousted in the play-in game by the Perth Wildcats in March this year.

Once his NBA playoff campaign concludes with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Australian basketball star Joe Ingles plans to sign with Melbourne, per ESPN.