Sheffield Sharks reveal Prentiss Nixon hope as two stars move on

Nixon, Donovan Clay and Rickey McGill formed a dynamic offensive trio last season as Sharks won the SLB Cup and fought for honours in the league and the play-offs.

But Clay will play in Japan next season and McGill is moving on again, this time to Slovakia.

Both have gone amicably, and as a testament to that, both will represent the Sharks in The Basketball Tournament in Kansas City later this month, a one-off knockout competition that represents Sheffield’s first venture into America.

Nixon is also slated to suit up for the Sharks in America - their first knockout game is on Saturday July 19 - but his future beyond that is unknown.

Since joining the Sharks 18 months ago he has been one of the most exciting guards in the league and has become a firm fan favourite at the Canon Medical Arena.

He was named in the league’s team of the year last season, such is the impact he had on the court for Sheffield.

Sarah Backovic, Sharks CEO, told The Yorkshire Post: “We’re in discussions with him, so hopefully we can get that to a fitting end, but we can’t say concretely at the moment that he’s back. We are talking to him.”

Backovic also allayed fears that the ongoing dispute between Super League Basketball and the British Basketball Federation over the decision to award the licence to run the professional tier to Marshall Glickman’s GBB League, is affecting their recruitment.

Last week the SLB announced it was taking legal action against the league for breaching UK competition law, its duties as a sports body and abusing its dominant position.

The BBF replied that it vehemently denies the allegations and will robustly defend the claim.

It is understood SLB’s licence to operate the league expired on June 30, leaving a vacuum for the season ahead where no authority has been awarded to any league to operate the professional tier. GBB League, which currently has no teams and continues to be stonewalled by the SLB clubs it wants to involve, does not take up the licence until next September.

The newly-formed British Championship Basketball League is a second-tier league which has broken away from the governance of Basketball England, and is made up of all 13 clubs who formed that governing body’s top division last season, including Bradford Dragons.

SLB is ploughing ahead with plans for next season, though, with the nine clubs that make up the league confident in their own ability to run the competition.

Clubs like the Sharks have begun selling season tickets and the league has already booked London’s O2 Arena for its play-off finals in May 2026.

Some teams have already started announcing players for next season, and although Sharks have yet to do so - they traditionally begin that process around mid-July - Backovic says it has nothing to do with the uncertainty brought about by the dispute.

“Atiba (Lyons - head coach) and the team are working on it," she said. “Because of the TBT (tournament in America) I don’t think we’ll be making announcements until after that.

“During the course of July we’ll complete recruitment and start making announcements.

“Anyone who had sights on the league last year will have seen it’s a popular league and people want to come and play here.”