Basketball: Pero coy on job at Saints

Pero Cameron looks set to head to the Wellington Saints next season as a player-coach in the New Zealand NBL.

Cameron continues to play for the Gold Coast Blaze in the Australian league, with whom he's been since its foundation three years ago.

With three straight wins, the Blaze are currently fourth equal with the Breakers on the ANBL table, having won seven and lost six.

Cameron was coy when asked about coaching the Saints: "Nothing is said and done yet. I can't talk about it because nothing's happened and that's probably best for other parties too. I'll know within the next couple of weeks what I'm doing."

The Saints were knocked out in the NBL semifinals this year, going down 83-82 to the Nelson Giants.

Coaching Saints is seen as the perfect launching pad for the 35-year-old as he scales back on-court commitments and brings his family home.

Cameron has led a nomadic existence, with professional stints in Malaysia, England, Turkey and even Iran. It is not known whether he will work alongside incumbent Gordie McLeod or have sole charge.

The Saints will be tempted to take a punt on Cameron, not least because of his superb record in the NBL.

He has won nine titles - five with Auckland, the others with Waikato - since 1995, so prospective owners would be keen to lure him because of the elusive 'know-how-to-win' factor.

That is backed by his standing as an international, leading New Zealand to the semifinals of the world championships at Indianapolis in 2002.

He also captured extra attention being named in the 'all-tournament' team with NBA players Dirk Nowitzki and Peja Stojakovic and NBA-rookies-to-be Yao Ming and Manu Ginobili.

If Cameron does return, he wants to go with the Tall Blacks to the world championships next year in Turkey. He missed the 2009 tour to Europe and the series against Australia due to a foot and ankle injury.

But he's being cautious: "This year I couldn't get ready in time and I'm not even halfway through this [ANBL] season so anything could happen. I've just got to chill out until March, then I'll be able to assess things better."

However, he has been in regular contact with national coach Nenad Vucinic.

"We're always chatting away on Skype, you can't hide on that thing."