Wizards to sign NBL MVP Cooks through '23-24

The Washington Wizards are signing Sydney Kings forward Xavier Cooks — MVP of the National Basketball League in Australia — to a deal through the 2023-24 season, Daniel Moldovan of Octagon Sports, his agent, told ESPN on Sunday.

Cooks, who’ll join the Wizards as soon as the Kings complete play in the NBL Finals this week, comes to the NBA on a contract buyout and becomes the fifth player in five years to make the leap from that organization to the NBA.

Cooks, a 6-foot-8 power forward, is regarded as a switching, versatile defender with excellent passing skills. An Australian who went undrafted after an outstanding college career at Winthrop, Cooks, 27, is considered one of the NBL’s and Kings’ outstanding development stories. In his fourth season there, he was the Finals MVP in 2021-22 and the league’s MVP in 2022-23.

The Kings’ front office — including former Memphis Grizzlies executive Chris Pongrass and NBA players Andrew Bogut and Luc Longley — have wanted the franchise to become a springboard for players to the NBA. Cooks has played for Chase Buford, a former coach of the year in the NBA G League with Wisconsin who led Sydney to a title last season.

The Wizards are 30-33 and holding onto the 10th and final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.