NBL Champion, Most Improved Player Sean Macdonald joins United

Melbourne United is thrilled to announce the signing of Sean Macdonald to a three-year contract ahead of the Hungry Jack’s NBL27 season.

Macdonald will join United as the team’s Nominated Replacement Player (NRP) for the first year of the deal before entering the full roster in the second and third. The third year carries a mutual option.

Across an 86 game NBL career, Macdonald established himself as one of the league’s rising local talents, claiming the NBL24 Most Improved Player award in a season which saw him win a Championship with the Tasmania JackJumpers.

Injuries unfortunately derailed his next two campaigns, however the 26-year-old is confident Melbourne United is the perfect place to get his body in the right place to play his best basketball.

“I'm stoked to be joining United,” Macdonald said.

“It's really awesome knowing that a club's invested in me as a player long term and think highly of the player that I am and what I'll return to be.

“I think the nature of this contract is beneficial and it doesn't put any time pressure on me to be back sooner than I should be. It’s going to be really great to lock in on the process day-by-day, get more confident, and take my time getting back to full strength.

“The goal is that I'll be a better athlete when I come back than I was before these injuries. I'm just keen to put together a few good seasons of really good basketball, refine my skills and work on some new things to be more effective on the court.

“Coming home, it’s really amazing, especially because United has such a great fan base. They pile into John Cain Arena and make it loud, so I'm excited to be a part of that.”

Macdonald is currently recovering from a partial tear of his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). United High Performance Manager Steve McAdam touched on the rehab progress and his confidence Macdonald will be able to return to the court with force once fully recovered.

“Sean has had really positive medical reports and is already in a good spot with his rehabilitation,” McAdam said.

“Our High Performance team can now use the next few months to build off the foundation of work he’s already put in and progress him back to competitive basketball. 

“Long term rehab provides a great opportunity to maximise an athlete's potential, as it gives us a chance to further enhance their strengths. 

“We’re looking forward to Sean being able to return at an elite level and contribute as a United player for years to come.”

Macdonald will come into the organisation surrounded by familiar faces, such as Head Coach Jacob Chance, who guided his development across his first two seasons in Tasmania, Kyle Bowen, who he won a FIBA U17 Oceania Championship and U18 Asia Championship alongside, as well as an impressive campaign together in the NZNBL with Canterbury in 2025, and Fabijan Krslovic, with the pair claiming an NBL Championship together in NBL24.

The signing brings the guard back to his home of Melbourne, where he won junior National Championships with Vic Metro and Victoria in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

Having locked in Macdonald on this new deal, Head Coach Jacob Chance is eager to work in tandem across the next few seasons to ensure he reaches his full potential.

“To bring someone of Sean's character, the human being that both he and his fiancé Elle are, is a huge addition to our club for the long-term future,” Chance explained.

“Bringing Sean back to Melbourne was a massive focus. To have a scenario like this where he's picked us as his best environment to come in and trust our medical staff and trust our coaching staff to get him back to 100% is great. 

“There’s no pressure on him to rush his rehab. He can take all the time he needs to get back on the court in the best condition possible.

“He's going to be super hungry and motivated to try and get himself back to a level that we've all seen in the NBL. He can really compete and contribute towards Championship level teams, so this is a great outcome for the club.”

Macdonald joins a roster featuring Kyle Bowen, Chris Goulding, Shea Ili, Joe Ingles, Fabijan Krslovic, Malith Machar and Sam Waardenburg.

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