LEADERS of the Save the Taipans bid will enter discussions with liquidators today in a bid to buy the club's National Basketball League licence.

The push for community ownership of the Taipans swings into top gear this week after officials received enough foundation membership pledges to push ahead with a bid to enter next season’s "new NBL".

At least 100 memberships, at $5000 each had to be pledged by midnight Friday for Cairns Basketball officials, who have been driving the community scheme, to push on with plans to buy the Taipans’ licence.

Cairns Basketball president Denis Donaghy announced before Saturday’s match at the convention centre that 142 memberships had been sold.

Mr Donaghy yesterday thanked the individuals, businesses and syndicate members that had contributed to help raise working capital needed for entry into the "new NBL" but said the appeal was not yet over. "If people want to contribute, we’ll still welcome their contribution because it just makes the foundation of the club stronger," Mr Donaghy said.

"(But) for more than 140 people or syndicates to have made that leap of faith is an amazing event to happen in a community like this at a time like this."

Mr Donaghy said the "new Taipans" would not take that support for granted and would work to honour the commitments made.

"We have to earn the respect and support of the community, we’re not going to expect it," he said.

Offers for the sale of the Taipans close today.

Liquidators KPMG and Mr Donaghy will hold discussions regarding the price for the club’s NBL licence, trademarks, business name and website as well as ticket selling agency TicketsPlus.

Preliminary discussions have indicated liquidators could be open to a sale that is conditional upon the Taipans’ entry in the "new NBL".

"He (KPMG’s Tony Jonsson said provided there isn’t another purchaser, he wouldn’t see that that would be an issue," Mr Donaghy said.

While he remained "reasonably confident" of being able to negotiate a deal for the sale given the likelihood the licence will only be attractive to a group looking to keep the Taipans in Cairns, Mr Donaghy refused to get cocky.

"Of course some white knight that’s been in the background that no one knows about could come flashing down the outside rail and make a bid for it.

"But outside of that, I’m confident the community membership model will get up."

Negotiations are continuing for a third party to put up the $1 million bank guarantee that makes up part of the financial criteria for entry into the new competition, with officials already working on the expression of interest documents for Basketball Australia.

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