The National Basketball League board has confirmed nine teams for the 2009 competition.
Those teams are Auckland Stars, Canterbury Rams, Harbour Heat, Bay Hawks, Manawatu Jets, Nelson Giants, Taranaki Dynamos, Waikato Pistons and Wellington Saints.
The Otago Nuggets failed to reach Friday's extended entry deadline and the Basketball Otago board withdrew the team after concerns about the franchise's financial viability.
Two other teams - the Hawks and Rams - were able to put last-ditch rescue packages together to achieve the deadline and will take their places in the league.
NBL chairman Sam Rossiter-Stead was disappointed with the temporary demise of the Nuggets... he says the lack of representation from Otago is very unfortunate, especially
considering how much work has gone in to trying to save the Nuggets over the last few weeks.
Rossiter-Stead says hopefully, they will now have time to regroup and make a bid to enter a team for 2010, when they intend to re-launch the NBL.
