The Nuggets' demise was well signposted, but it still came as a shock to a small but passionate group of supporters.
About 40 members of the basketball community had gathered at the Edgar Centre in November for a special meeting called by Basketball Otago (BBO), and were defiant when the inevitable news was delivered.
There were a few resigned faces, but the majority were angry at BBO's decision not to enter a team in the NBL.
BBO cited a lack of financial support for its decision.
It had been injecting up to $100,000 each year to keep the team afloat and was no longer prepared to sustain that level of investment.
The money, it said, was better spent on development and grassroots programmes.
After 90 minutes of animated debate, it became evident there was no clear plan to get the Nuggets back into the league.
And in a remarkable turnaround, the board resolved to look at alternative options and a different model for the franchise.
In an eleventh hour attempt to keep the Nuggets in the league, a ginger group emerged and launched a campaign to save the franchise.
But despite raising $95,000 in just over a week, the move was eventually thwarted.
BBO offered the group control of the Nuggets, but spokesmen Gavin Briggs said it was not in a position to go it alone.
Six months later and BBO is pulling out all the stops to get the team back on the court, chief executive Mark Rogers said.
"The board has done its utmost to make sure the Nuggets survived and were maintained [over the last four years]," he said.
"It wasn't an easy decision not to field a team this year."
On Wednesday, Rogers asked the Dunedin City Council at its annual planning meeting for a $50,000 civic grant to help get the Nuggets back in the league.
As part of the submission, he presented a draft budget and outlined the franchise's value to the city.
According to the document, the franchise spends more than $250,000 directly with local businesses each year it operates.
Visiting teams and fans use more than 200 bed nights and the franchise employs the equivalent of four full-time staff.
"We see value there for the city and are hopeful the council see it the same way," he said earlier in the week.
A management group has also been set up with a mandate to develop an elite programme for the men this year and help aid the Nuggets' re-entry.
The group consists of board members Rob Torrence and Ricky Carr, former Nuggets coach Todd Marshall, former Nuggets manager Shane Atherton and David Smith.
However, it was hard to do much planning until the franchise knew what to expect next year, Rogers said.
"In 2010, all the franchises are up for allocation. There has been no information out from the NBL board yet around what the criteria are.
"We don't know what the league is going to look like yet. We don't know whether it is going to be eight teams, 10 teams, 12 teams.
"We don't know whether it is going to be a home and away competition or anything.
"There are various ideas being discussed and even talk about a conference-based competition.
"So it is all pretty grey."
BBO has not given up on the ideal of fielding a combined Otago-Southland team.
In an informal meeting last week, Rogers asked Southland Basketball Association chairwomen Jill Bolger if Southland would reconsider its position to pursue an NBL spot under its own steam.
Bolger agreed to present the approach to the board, but believes its funders would be more comfortable financing a Southland bid rather than a combined team.
Marshall, who coached the Nuggets for six seasons, was critical of the decision not to enter a team and vowed to do whatever it took to get his beloved side reinstated.
While his determination has not waned, he is under no illusions how tough it will be.
"I'm happy to help any way I can," Marshall said.
"It is just going to be tough to get the funding and get back on the floor. It's a big ask at the moment."
Marshall believes the best way forward for the franchise is to stick with local players and coaches.
It cuts costs and gives the local talent incentives.
"Personally, I think we should be going as local as we can, but we have to make sure we've got the players prepared to play at that level."
He believed bringing in coaches from overseas and players from outside the region had done little to improve the results.
In the past four years, the Nuggets have won just nine of their 72 games.
They managed just two wins in 2008 and there was also trouble off the court.
Two players were suspended for drugs, star player Lemar Gayle walked out after he was fined for a public outburst in which he suggested the team was content to lose, and general manager Warrick Diack quit after a dispute with BBO over money.
The strife did little for the Nuggets' image.
Nor would it have made recruiting or retaining talent easier.
The Nuggets had seemingly been stuck in a rebuilding phase and had tended to overlook homegrown talent, Marshall said.
He believed the region had plenty of talent, which would benefit from competing in the Conference Basketball League, and there were also plans to take a team to Melbourne later this year.
"We are trying to give our basketballers some real incentive to train hard so that we can improve their ability and prepare them if we get back in the national league."
As far as coaching goes, Marshall believed he had had his time but was confident the region had some quality contenders.
"We've had a group of coaches doing a very good job at A grade level for a few years now.
"Alf Arlidge and Simon Clarke are doing a really good job, and you've got Brent Matehaere, who has been putting a lot of time into coaching.
"I'd love to see some of these guys step forward.
"And there is Gavin Briggs, so there is a lot of talent around."
In the meantime, the Taranaki Mountain Airs are the new Nuggets.
After 10 games, they are 0-10 and look poised to claim the NBL wooden spoon.
