Japanese Basketball Club Wakayama Trians Set To Begin Massive Cost-Cutting Measures

Japanese National Basketball League side Wakayama Trians is "poised to undergo a complete organizational restructuring," according to Nagatsuka & Odeven of the JAPAN TIMES. As part of this major overhaul, head coach Zeljko Pavlicevic, who guided the Trians to a championship runnerup finish at the inaugural NBL Finals in late May, "will not return for the 2014-15 campaign, Nikkan Sports and Kahoku Shimpo reported." The Trians "have scheduled a 5 p.m. Wednesday news conference at Noritz Arena Wakayama." A team official said, "We are going to keep running the team by deducting the personnel costs. We would like to get support from the local companies." Wakayama’s current front office, including President Nobuaki Furukawa, who formerly worked for the NPB’s Chiba Lotte Marines and Seibu Lions, "would also not be retained." Presumably as a part of its cost-cutting moves, the club "has also put 10 of its 14 players on the NBL free agent list, including former NBA draft pick Rick Rickert" (JAPAN TIMES, 6/10).