Taiwanese basketball teams haven't hire any import player since the pro league CBA folded in 1999. In a weird development, the situation is going to change.
The SBL Committee, the highest governing body of the three-year league, announced that its committee members had reached an agreement that allows non-playoff teams -- which means Videoland, YMY and ETSN -- to hire import players starting next season.
Each team is allowed to hire an import player -- under 200cm if the player comes from non-Asian country and no height limit if he's from Asia.
Any team which makes the playoff is not allowed to hir import players the next season.
Import hiring will be banned three years from now, when the draft system should be established and running smoothly, the committee said.
SBL teams are still divided on the draft system, which has been talked about for a long time but no agreement was reached. It's not a secret that Taiwanese teams pay high school players, even junior high school players, and control their "rights" even though no contract was signed.
In other words, everything is still uncertain regarding the draft system.
And the import hiring system is just plainly weird. Also don't forget, every "agreement" can be re-written in Taiwanese basketball. So hold your resume.