lots of interesting rumours flying around

NO rumours there.

There will be no 2nd 2nd tier side. Not sure where that notion came from.

Sad about the crocs because it's not that long ago they were considered the model franchise of the league that all others looked to for how to do things right. I don't know what went wrong up there but the public seemed to almost turn on them and recovering from that is really hard and probably expensive too.

"Australian record for attendances; the Suns sold out their first 69 games at the "Furnace" (capacity 4,141), a streak that was only broken after the venue was expanded for the 1998 season."

RIP Suns/Crocs

Yes The Furnace was a mirror image of the DEC in Hobart with a few additions. It seems that for some reason once the stadium expanded the crowds over a period of time declined then declined dramatically.
The move to the RSL was the beginning of the end.

What happened to the Entertinament Centre owners? Busto?

I recall a falling out with pricing etc with the TTEC? Or what ever acronym they used was?
But pathetic crowds at the RSL venue.
Realistically they were always there abouts and never won a chip, like so many other regional teams.
If the the NBL wants to be a BIG capital city comp the regional teams will never compete. Equally the big City comp is doomed.
No effective salary crap. Oops cap. No enforcement of the over the (no)cap rules is a joke.

With the current rumour of the Hawks folding next year it's only a matter of time before the Taipans are gone.
3 teams in Melbourne? 2 teams in Perth? Nah. Trying to crack the Chinese market will never happen.
Larrys done a great job undoubtedly but he's a flipper and a flopper. He;s wasting his (the NBL's money) on the Bullets. TV deal looming and for 2 seasons in a row (his) Bullets are crap. Crowds are shit and their team is crap x 2 seasons.
The potential is great for the NBL but please Larry try and calm down a bit about your spitball ideas.

That's what I said. You said it differently. The money available for a Tassie team is already there. Maybe even the Government would assist as well.

Tasmanian government spend money on fly in fly out afl teams, could be better served chipping in for there own permanent basketball team..

"I highly doubt it, there is very little money in Tassie, period.
Their economy is a basketcase, and if the government was a company it would be done for insolvent trading."

You probably need to read more:

https://www.commsec.com.au/stateofstates

https://propertyupdate.com.au/tasmania-economy-2017/

https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/tasmania-the-star-of-australias-twospeed-economy-20160520-gozf53.html

http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/tasmanian-economy-on-the-rise-in-the-deloitte-business-outlook-report/news-story/b44e075d0cf369786afdff3a0ddcad05

Why is TAS all of sudden thriving?

Tassie government today should announce some basketball funding.
Tassie is the hottest property market in Australia at the moment.
Building being built everywhere in Hobart and many in Launceston as well.
Libs should win the next election on Saturday. Odds were $3.75 early on, to Labor $1.25.
Now Labor on the outer.
D2.0 better do some research as already suggested.
Time for an NBL team I say.

Tassie Government if re elected will spend $10,000,000 on a multi sports indoor centre that will become the home of the Chargers.
Together with recurrent funding of $250,000 a year for school clinics across the state.
This is the first time Basketball in Tasmania has hade a serious commitment by any government in many decades.
This should secure the future of the Chargers and hopefully inspire the 11,000 + kids that were in the Chargers clinics last season to play for Tassie in a new NBL team.
The increased participation rates are probably the highest in the country right now and for the first time ever "We are now turning kids away from the sport" said Chargers head Coach Anthony Stewart"

Paywall article on the Chargers.

THE Hobart Chargers will finally have a place to call home if the Liberals are re-elected at Saturday's State election.
The Government has pledged $10 million to design, plan and construct a multi-sports indoor facility in Glenorchy, which would be used for multiple sports including basketball, netball, gymnastics, volleyball, futsal and martial arts.
Premier Will Hodgman plays some one-on-one with Archie Stewart, 12, of the Kingston Kings after announcing commitment to new multi-sport facility to be built in Glenorchy. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE
However it is SEABL club Hobart which would be the biggest beneficiary following a boom in participation rates in basketball last year.
The Chargers moved to the Derwent Entertainment Centre last year from the Hobart Netball and Sports Centre at Creek Road, but are still forced to train at New Town High School.
The proposed nine court state-of-the-art centre — likely to be located on the DEC site — would help solve the biggest issue in the sport of inadequate facilities.
"This is huge for all sports, we are in desperate need of facilities down south and in particular with basketball, the increase in participation of numbers has exploded," Chargers coach Anthony Stewart said.
“We are now turning kids away from the sport for the first time.
“It is really important for us as an organisation, we have struggled over the years to get facilities and grow revenue.
“These facilities will allow us to work with Basketball Tasmania to make sure we get basketball on the front foot.”
The investment includes $1 million for consultation and design work in 2018-19, $1 million for planning approvals and site preparations in 2019-20 and $8 million for when construction begins in 2020-21.
A re-elected majority Liberal Government will also continue Basketball Tasmania’s $250,000 funding to deliver school clinics across the state and Netball Tasmania’s $250,000 development funding.
“Increasing participation rates is fantastic but it brings growing pains, we need to provide facilities,” Premier Will Hodgman said.
“The beauty of this is it will be a multipurpose facility as well, it will help cater for the massive increase in participation across a variety of sports and codes.”

I don't get why netball gets the same as basketball (the $250K annual part).

D.002 you clearly didnt learn your lesson last time you put your foot firmly / easily in you mouth did you.

Tassie will never have an AFL team.

Anthony Stewart's son made 9/12 from the 3 point line. Will not as many.