The Australian NBL season seems increasingly likely to be based entirely across the Tasman next year.
And for the NZ Breakers, the issue of whether the players' families can join them could define their campaign before it begins.
For more than a decade, Tom Abercrombie has done just about anything for the Breakers.
But if his family can't join him on the road in Australia next year, Abercrombie says he won't be going.
"I've got three young kids four and under," Abercrombie says. "So leaving them at home with my wife for 3-4 months isn't really an option."
New Breakers American import Colton Iverson, who got to know Abercrombie while playing in Turkey, may also be affected.
"My wife is close with [Abercrombie's] wife and we both have families now, so it's a very important piece to this puzzle," Iverson says.
Quarantine restrictions appear to have dashed hopes of a New Zealand hub for the competition.
"The most realistic scenario is we're either all in a hub together or we have to be stationed in Australia," says Breakers owner Matt Walsh. "We've been preparing for that for months, both mentally and logistically."
And while club officials are prepared, Breakers head coach Dan Shamir can see the positives.
"There are also a lot of advantages," he says. "There's no travel and you can be solely focused on what you do."
But for the club's inspirational leader, that won't come at all costs.
"I'm sure the family thing is a big one and I know they're talking about that," Abercrombie adds. "So I hope they've got the right sort of steps in place and will take care of us."
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