Nick Nurse has opened contract talks with his top six players as he bids to keep his Brighton Bears side together.

Bears, beaten in Sunday's play-off final by Scottish Rocks, have split up for the summer break with all but Mike Brown of their Amricans heading back to the States.

Nurse, coach and owner of the high-flying British League outfit, is making sure he talks to all of them before they leave and may offer contracts by the end of the month.

Randy Duck still has a year of his existing deal to serve but the rest are free agents.

Rico Alderson has already said he plans to come back and Ralph Blalock admits he is tempted by another season in Sussex.

Sterling Davis loves Brighton but has hinted the time may be right to move on and Wilbur Johnson has made no secret of his plans to tackle Europe if he secures a British passport this summer.

Meanwhile Brown has revealed he might give up the game and make use of accountancy qualifications.

Nurse completed a busy day of meetings by visiting Alderson and Blalock at their city centre base last night and both conversations are said to have gone very well.

He said: "I have visited my top six, I have talked to them about what I am doing and what their thoughts are.

"I spoke to Randy and he said he wasn't worried about next season.

"He said he trusted me and that it would all come together by September.

"I plan on having a very good team next year. It will be a better team than we had this season.

"I am entertaining thoughts of bringing the whole six back and making other changes."

Nurse has made no secret that he sees room for improvement on his bench.

That would head off the threat of injuries or foul trouble putting his side's chances of glory in jeopardy.

Davis, who flew out of the country today, would appear to be among the Bears players most likely to attract offers from other clubs.

He said: "I have talked with Nick but nothing really specific. My options are still open."

Brown, who has been such a key man for Bears this season either starting or off the bench, appears to have shelved plans to play in Europe.

He said: "I don't even know if I will continue playing.

"I have had seven years as a player so I am thinking about my future "I've got four months. I might go into an accountancy job or something like that. We had a pretty good run last season and it has taken a lot out of me.

"It's very uncertain at the moment."

Brown expects to remain in this country, regardless of whether he retires from the game Nurse admitted: "The two guys who will be hardest to keep are the two longest serving players (Brown and Johnson).

"I know Mike is tired but we will try and talk him out of retiring.

"He has a lot of assests as a player and has just had probably the best season I have seen him have while I have been in England.

"He had to carry a lot of the load with all our injuries but he will feel better in a couple of months.

"Wil has set his heart on Europe and we will help him find a club but we will also hang in there and make him an offer."

Bears' semi-final win over Newcastle on Saturday gave them 38 victories for the season, more than any other club in the BBL.

It is the third time Nurse has achieved that feat as a coach in the last four seasons.