Illawarra Hawks to Cut Darius Days After Opening-Round Loss

One game. That’s all it has taken for the Illawarra Hawks to move towards a major call on a key piece of their championship past.

According to ESPN’s Olgun Uluc, the Hawks are preparing to part ways with import forward Darius Days, the American who played a role in their NBL25 title run but now finds himself on the outer just a week into the Hungry Jack’s NBL27 season.

Days’ minutes told the story before the reports did. In Illawarra’s 95–81 defeat to the New Zealand Breakers on Sunday, the 24-year-old logged fewer than seven minutes on court, finishing with 3 rebounds and no offensive rhythm to speak of. For a former championship contributor, it was a stark early-season statement.

The decision was reportedly communicated to Days on Tuesday, with the Hawks now weighing up a structural shift to their roster. The priority: an import centre to bolster the front line and give starting big man Sam Froling more genuine support inside.

Illawarra’s frontcourt has long leaned heavily on Froling’s workload and versatility. An additional import presence in the paint would signal a clear tactical pivot towards size and interior protection after the Breakers picked them apart in the opener.

The timing is ruthless, but the NBL rarely waits. With the Hawks staring down a quick turnaround before their next clash, the club appears determined not to let an early imbalance linger.

Illawarra are back on court on Friday, September 25, when they face the Brisbane Bullets at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

By then, the Hawks could look very different — and so could their season.