NBL Hawksguard joins Braves

BENDIGO Braves have unveiled the signing of Illawarra Hawks NBL star Biwali Bayles for the 2026 NBL1 South season.

It will be the versatile 23-year-old guard’s first stop in the division following stints in NBL1 North with the Mackay Meteors and North Gold Coast Seahawks, as well as spending the last two seasons with the Sydney Comets in NBL1 East.

Bayles played only eight games for the Comets in 2025 but proved an outstanding acquisition, averaging 28.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game.

He similarly starred during the 2024 season, averaging 18.8 points, 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 steals.

Bayles went on to play for the New York Knicks in the 2025 NBA Summer League, developing his game with some of the best young stars in the world.

Following his return, Bayles signed with the Illawarra Hawks for the second time in his career.

He is currently averaging 2.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists in his role off the bench, having also started a handful of games. Bayles spent the Covid-affected 2020-21 US college basketball season with the University of Hawaii and played 17 games for the Sydney Kings during the 2022 NBL championship-winning season, averaging 3.5 points in 10.6 minutes of court time.

He is the first major signing to be announced by the Braves men’s program for the 2026 season and shapes as a key to their hopes of a final return following a disappointing 8-14 record and 16th place finish last season.

They will start the season with a new coach following the signing of former Brisbane Bullets NBL development coach Josh Cheney, and also announced the signing of American forward Jarvis Doles.

In his second year out of the University of Maryland Baltimore County, the 205cm forward spent the 2025 NBL1 Central league season with Southern Tigers, averaging 15.5 points per game (with an equal game-high of 23 ppg), 9.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals.