MORE games, a longer season and teams in two Asian countries within the next two years are on the NBL agenda as league officials look to capitalise on the game’s growing momentum.

A sold-out Sunday afternoon at Hisense Arena last weekend for Melbourne United was another tick for the NBL, which is beginning to regain traction lost through years of competition neglect.

NBL chief executive Jeremy Loeliger said the game’s administration was wary of going too big too soon with more money still going out than coming in.

But he conceded the surge in interest, from both fans and corporate partners, in just the second season of the new-look league was validation for their initially ambitious plans.

Those plans are only getting bigger and could include teams based in Manila, in the Philippines, and Shanghai, in China sooner rather than later, with more games as a result.

“The discussions are very well advanced, and commercially and logistically I am very confident we could make it work,” Loeliger told the Herald Sun.

Melbourne United’s Casper Ware at a packed Hisense Arena. (Scott Barbour/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

“We need to jump through a certain number of procedural hoops to make sure we do it in a way that everyone is happy with ... come to a definitive view of what that team might look like, how it would be owned, where it would be based.

“And it is inevitable that once we introduce more teams ... we will have to play more games.

“There is definitely going to be more basketball on the horizon, how we piece that jigsaw together is what we are working through.”

Loeliger said the NBL’s preference was to introduce the two new teams at the same time, but that could be affected by several factors including local bureaucracy.

In the immediate term however he predicted a potential influx of Asian players in to the established NBL teams with plans being formed to “incentivise” clubs to sign them.

Both the Sydney Kings and Brisbane Bullets boast Chinese development players on their rosters but Loeliger suggested potential changes to salary cap rules could bring Asian stars to the NBL.

“I think that will happen in time for the beginning of next season,” he said.

“So I think you will see a big influx of talent from around Asia, and I mean genuine talent who will get good minutes and put up good numbers.”