Next year there will be three Tall Blacks in the starting five, with Breakers' duo BJ Anthony and Leon Henry joining Mark Dickel at the franchise.
The talented pair were lured south by Dickel and have signed a one-year deal, which Nuggets coach Alf Arlidge described as a lift for the franchise.
"Two years ago, we couldn't get anyone to come here," he said.
"Now, we are slowly building every year and guys around the league are starting to see what we offer and what we are trying to build down here.""These guys are young and hungry and are trying to get to the peak of their game. They are definitely up-and-comers.
"In Leon, we get a great defender ... and BJ is a good post player and he brings a lot of aggression which we've been lacking."
Anthony (23) averaged 9.9 points and 5.3 rebounds for the Waikato Pistons last season, and Henry, who turns 26 on Friday, averaged 11.1 points and 5.8 rebounds for the Wellington Saints.
Talent like theirs, though, comes with a big price tag. In a cruel twist, the door has almost certainly closed on another Tall Black, Craig Bradshaw, who played for the Nuggets last season. He took a punt on the franchise and helped restore some pride in the team, leading the way with some strong performances, averaging 18.5 points and 8.5 rebounds.
"I think Craig was a great ambassador for us," Arlidge said.
"He came in under difficult circumstances and played really, really well for us. But as a franchise we are looking at moving in a different direction."
Basketball Otago general manager Markham Brown said the pair's arrival should give the team a shot at making the playoffs - something the Nuggets have not done since 1997.
"We don't want to be also-rans. We want to compete and we'll do everything we can to make that happen," he said.
It is a Cinderella story in many ways. Down on luck and out of money, the Nuggets dropped out of the league in 2009 and returned with an inexperienced team for a winless 2010 season.
The Nuggets snapped a three-year, 33-game losing streak with a win against the Manawatu Jets this year but have finished last in their past six seasons.
Recruiting has been a perennial problem, which makes yesterday's news all the more welcome to the long-suffering fans who have lived in hope.
