Nearly just fell over, surely not!!??

I was driving when I heard this in the radio, I had to immediately pull over and see it wasn't April 1st. I think I wept a little lol

That’s enormous and I’ll take him over KD any day.

36ers just teased it on insta, this is really happening

Shocked just like everyone else, for the life of me can't understand it.

How much more $ can Adelaide offer than Perth?

Genuinely mind boggling. We are so back baby. Probably

wtf

Bryce Cotton - a 5-time NBL MVP - has agreed to a three-year deal with the Adelaide 36ers, sources told ESPN.

36ers once signed Rob Rose which is on par with this

This is huge

Shocking! All I can think is he had a massive falling out with JR during the season and this is a massive FU to him and the Wildcats.

Amazing!

But I'm also thinking "how will we screw this up?"

Gonna be some big matchups against Perth and Sydney this year though.

This is huge.like all xmas eggs have come at once. Culture posivity leadership winningness all in one package. All the soothsayers who been doubters get back on board as the cotton on train is rolling into the city of
churches.
Good times. Amazingly great growth is happening. Beleivers unitd.. dare to imagine

Massive coup by the sixers! :O

Need to find a bigger stadium

Just about the thing I expected the least. Big for Adelaide, not great for Perth fans.

Suggests more to his departure from Perth than met the eye....a falling out somewhere.

And perhaps is experience playing overseas at the moment hasn't been as good as he hoped

Genuinely need a bigger stadium.

The recruiting looks great now. This team will compete.

The hardest part hasn't hit. Watch him not count against the salary cap... not feasible for him to be in Aus any other way. Gut wrenching for Perth fans, what a fumble by the organisation. Insanity

Watch him be a complete shell of his former self!

Who's the PF people are hinting at?

Wow, while sixers must be paying more than cats it still says a lot that he didn't want to stay playing for rillie.

Sixers gotta make sure they have a roster and plan for teams bullying cotton out of the game.

Fuck me, just saw this on 7 News!

Welcome to Adelaide, Bryce :)

Lucky we've get fan boy Mark and Teflon Mills running the show!!

lol...wildcats members quiz night starts in 90 minutes time…should be very interesting lol

So the talk is, no one wants to play in adelaide....

36ers have no money..

Then we sign Bryce cotton...

Amazing off season by the 36ers.

Watch him become an instant Australian Citizen. Mali can do anything :)

You mean no one in NBL Media got to this first!?!?

Isn't this great. Off-season!

I'm crazy but I’m mixed on this. Great player but I hate the foul bating. At least it’s a direction where we looked clueless before. Imagine the coin this cost.

Welfare check on Q Anon, stat!

The hardest part hasn't hit. Watch him not count against the salary cap... not feasible for him to be in Aus any other way. Gut wrenching for Perth fans, what a fumble by the organisation. Insanity

April fools was 7 weeks ago

What!!

Didn't people say no quality player or import will over want to play for this coach or Adelaide , been a great post season so far and if the PF is correct wowsers watch out

How do we envision DJ's role changing now?

Weird backcourt imo. You absolutely do this though.

"Welfare check on Q Anon, stat!" <--- This is gold!

Once I picked my jaw up off the floor, first thing that came to mind was between Cotton and DJV, we're gonna need two basketballs!

Intriguing! Family obviously a big factor or those huge overseas contracts were few and far between. He's not exactly playing like a 5 time MVP in Peurto so it makes sense to come back to oz if a team has the moolah but Adelaide has thrown me. BC will kill wherever he goes best of luck and Patty or bust JR

Whom dares win whom scores more win. No stopping Bc or DJV. Buckets town.hoop la hoop hoop..

Bryce Cotton joining the Adelaide 36ers is a massive move for the NBL. His leadership, scoring ability, and experience as a multiple-time MVP could really elevate the team. Looking forward to seeing how this reshapes the league dynamic!

Who is the PF in the mix??

Holy fking sh*t

I think KET has nicely summed up everyones thoughts tonight

This is crazy.

Waiting for the emergency episode of Marketplace to drop!!

Fantastic move, Gleeson must be weeping, his side also just got knocked out finals as well. Cotton is such a team player that DJ must be also licking his lips. Well done sixers.

Emergency episode is up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGMKXjbno3Q

After the NBL didn't roll with the Cotton ambassador thing, part of me wonders if LK put some dosh in to bring him over to Adelaide...

Do we think 36ers still envisage a backup import big or does the likely expensive Cotton mean a pivot to a young Aussie or a cheapie undersized Aussie like H Harris?

Can't wait to the two biggest ball hogs in DJV and Cotton play side by side

When is the Real players of the 36ers reality show being released on Hayu?

Wildcats muppets will be losing their collective minds, love it

As if the wildcats and 36ets rivalry wasn't already intense enough this just takes it to another level level! I’m old enough to remember the rivalry from the early 1990’s to early 2000’s but man this will be entertaining!!

Dunkman Greg Hire on X hinted Gleeson might be joining the Sixers in some capacity soon. So no he is not weeping

I look forward to the media putting zero tough questions to Rillie, Arena or any front office staff about how they let this happen.

Rillie is now under incredible pressure. He literally drove out the greatest wildcats and probably player in the leagues history. If he has another poor coaching performance there is no way he can survive another season .

Imagine reaction out west if Damo now joined 36ers as assistant coach.

Bryce will certainly take team to new level on court and improve culture off court to a level which may have taken years to get to. Huge signing.

Matt Weston comments are still more big announcements to come and name of PF floating around is insane. Matt Weston said the PF will be the one they will spend biggest on. Could be very exciting signing given Mike Wells NBA connections.

The biggest disappointment for me is the fact that he said if he's not at the Wildcats he’s not gonna play for another NBL team. But at least it’s not Sydney

Does Perth still retire Bryce's jersey after leaving for their rival?

This is the result when SEG run the show at your club and appoint Rillie as head coach.

Even the Sixers can be made to look like a better prospect.

Why would Gleeson join the Sixers, he'd have a very high paying job in Japan.

Who's the big name PF?

Adelaide vs Perth and Adelaide vs Sydney are two games to put in your calendars!

Agree DJV and Cotton isn't a good fit. Flynn Cameron likes a shot too. Not a true point man, more of a combo guy

When is the Real players of the 36ers reality show being released on Hayu?

Mitch Creek - PF

I thought Mitch wouldn't come back to ADL under this ownership?

And i wouldn't blame him.

Nick Kay or Mooney coming to further insult the wildcats.

Well done Adelaide!

Honestly that would be awesome.

Fuck SEG and the useless new owner who naively paid $50mil for SEG to carry on.

What a day, Ange becoming European champion and now this.

As a Wildcats supporter, I wish all the best to Bryce going forward. Definitely a shock, and not where you would anticipate him to land. Despite popular opinion, I do think Bryce moving on was the right outcome for both parties. They have struggled to build a championship calibre team around him for many years. A lot of the blame goes towards the front office, but perhaps his huge salary as an import has its limitations for talent around him, when other teams are utilising multiple marquee players. I would not be surprised if the Wildcats front office pull a rabbit , or two, out of the hat for the next 2 big signings.

All they've ever pulled out of the hat are turds.

Who is the "import 4" Hooley was on about in the emergency broadcast, anyone?

Perthworld, no one is forcing you to continue supporting the wildcats. Clearly you aren't happy with the organisation, which is fine. But you can move on, should you choose to do so. I assume you are an adult, but your previous remark sounds childish. Not to mention you casually threw on an additional $10million to the sale price of the Wildcats.

The cats probably have over 2 million plus dollars to spare after the Pinder, henshall and bryce departures... they already have Doolittle and wonder locked up . So that allows them to get one marquee like patty mills and another high quality import

Jarell Brantley would be a nice announcement at the 4

i dont expect Wildcats to win shit with Rillie in charge.

glad to see Bryce stay in the league.

I've been through many ownership changes since the 80s and my support does not 'move on' but the various consortia eventually do. Just got to ride this current iteration of a freakshow out. Club does not equal ownership as the latter is temporary.

Even at $40mil young Mark will be taking a haircut on his exit unless he can put together a competent management staff post-SEG contract.

The thought of so much money at their disposal is scary since they've relied heavily and were grinding Cotton to the ground since taking over. Without him as a linchpin things could get very nasty.

So what our roster currently looks like

Cotton / Rasmussen
DJ / White / Harris
Cameron / Kenyon
Import / local
Humphries / Griscti

We need size and defence, Cameron and Kenyon (and maybe to a stretch Cotton) are currently the only above average defenders on this team.

We really need to hit on an athletic/defensive wing (what is Cleveland to?) not another scorer.

There's not enough of the ball for Cotton, DJ, Humphries, and then White and Harris plus this import.

We should really take a flyer on a college Aussie for the backup wing spot, somebody like Elias Cato from Central Arkansas, or Trace Evans from Seattle Pacific, or Caleb Van De Griend from D2 school Minot state (he was a D2 All-American averaging 20 and 13).

Happy for Adelaide though.

Could this be a big FU from LK to Mark Arena for jumping up and down and siding with Novelly?

Happy for Adelaide though.

Pretty sure Wells was an assistant at the Jazz when Bryce was there wasn't he? I wonder if this had anything to do with his decision? You'd have to think so?

"Not to mention you casually threw on an additional $10million to the sale price of the Wildcats."

$14M actually, the Wildcats were valued at $40M, Arena bought a 90% stake for $36M with Hutchy & Co. retaining a 10% ownerships stake.

Once again, Adelaide shock the league. Last year it was Harrell, this year to a greater extent it's Bryce Cotton. For a team that no one wants to play for, it obviously doesn’t mean no one will play for them. Again, Adelaide supposedly a mess but still managed to secure Cotton, Cameron and could not have done any better securing the available role players. All this and some teams don’t even have a coach. Hooley seems confident there is more to come.

How much could we speculate he is on? And three years. This is a serious achievement for a variety of reasons.

For me, pressure is now on Wells. This team is shaping up with more hype than last season now, and also the year they went after Franks, Cleveland etc.

I have no idea what’s going on in Adelaide. Casey made mention to Marvin having some influence. Either way, well done Adelaide!

Pressure is on wells, unlike last year this is the team he selected.

Puff, unless the Cotton situation has changed things, Adelaide intend to sign a third import. I think they may as well do this as imports don't have to be expensive but could still offer lots more than a local for the sake of a local.

Officially announced by the 36ers now.

Don't listen to anyone that says Cotton kicks his legs out when he shoots threes.

Tongue in cheek aside, super duper happy with the news. What’s the defensive plan here? The 4 can be a stretch player on offence, that would still be good, but the player will need to have an elite defensive presence to help Cameron fill the holes of BC and DJV whilst making sure Humphries doesn’t get into foul trouble.

The backup big will also need to be a no thrills stoic defensive piece.

No frills, I meant to say, I think.

I read he played under Wells at college? There was a method to the madness of cutting Ninnis afterall.

Bad move by Perth not cutting ties with Rillie & putting gleeson back in the chair!

@KET Isn't Griscti a fully signed player, that would be your backup big. Unless my math is wrong we only have two roster spots left unless they release one of Griscti or Rasmussen.
If @Master Chief is correct and they are wanting to sign two imports still, we need two wing players, preferably defensive

@Puff we don't have a single recognised Power Forward on the roster. All the wing spots are well covered.

Expect that we will sign a shooting, perimeter-oriented PF (A DJ Hogg type) and a bruiser who can play both PF/C (Griscti insurance)

If there's more surprises on the way... is there a third member of the Utah reunion? One with a local connection?

I'd love for them to look at Sion James from Duke. Should be a late 2nd round pick, so could be stashed here for a couple of years. 6’6, 100kg solid unit on the wing, shot over 40% from the 3, was always guarding the best players on the opposing teams, and if you watched the Duke games, handled the ball when Flagg and Procter couldn’t.

"is there a third member of the Utah reunion? One with a local connection?"

Ingles was a teammate of Cotton's at the Jazz, I remember he gave a strong recommendation of him to the Wildcats, not sure he would come back home.

I feel like Perth are now going to go through a Breakers-like phase of self-destruction.

With respect @JT, we really don't have a single true wing on this team. Kenyon and Cameron only 6’5", they are the talledtsd outside of our centres.
looking at the finals series, who on this current team is guarding Days, Lee, Buluk or Blanchfield. Or White or Tanner from United. Who has the size to go against Prather, Noi or Toohey?
Who’s guarding Doolittle this season?

They will throw Cameron, Kenyon and Harris at those players. All of whom have done such roles in the past.

Sure, it would be great to have an Antonius Cleveland out there. But that is a luxury compared to having no 4 man.

Not only that, Weston is on record saying that is where we are allocating big cap room to, with other commentary (Uluc, Hooley et al) indicating that we will get a back-up 4/5.

Just think it through a bit - if Humphries gets injured (of which he has a record), there is no way they are going to want to start Griscti or your favourite '6"6 college graduate at the 5 spot.

I. Love watching Bryce play but him and dj in the same backcourt together is a terrible pairing both very poor defensively and both need to have the ball . Bryce will put up great numbers no doubt but I can see dj struggling to get involved big time

The wings are Cameron and Kenyon, just the two import PF's left to come now.

Humphries / Griscti
Import / Import
Cameron / Kenyon
Vasiljevic / Harris
Cotton / White / Rasmussen

Prior to the Cotton signing the Sixers/NBL Media said the starting import PF will be a stretch 4 with NBA experience and the back up import PF will be a cheaper guy who can play some 5 in case Griscti still isn't up to it.

I suppose if the Ingles thing was to happen it would be in place of the starting import PF. The Sixers have also said Cotton will become naturalised during his first season here and Weston wants him to retire a Sixer.

Is this DJ's last year of his deal? Cotton naturalises, takes over the marquee spot from DJ the season after next?

That was my thinking too, LaPark. This is a way to push DJV out

2 years left on DJV's contract.

Anyone thinking this is a poor signing needs their head read. Not one NBL team passes on Bryce

Quite right - you take Cotton and then try to fit the team around him. If DJV cannot be made to fit, then I'm sure they could find a way to part company no matter what the contract says.

Poverty mindset from anyone who thinks this cannot work. I guess years of conditioning as a disappointed 36ers fans would do that to someone. Vasiljevic comfortably played the role next to ball dominant guards at the Sydney Kings. If anything, this will be a beneficial recalibration of his role.

Both LaPark and hoopie suggested the dropping of DJV after his current contract is over(2 yrs,thanks Zodiac). It's the only way this signing makes any sense, to me.

If you can, you grab the best player in the universe whenever he's available. Work it out later.

Magpie Murray summed it up!

Yes, you take Cotton on 3 year deal every time.

Assume anyone above not positive about this signing are not Adelaide supporters.

This off-season so far should result in upgrade of overall oncourt team, but more importantly a big improvement in team culture.

It's critical that non player club culture is aligned and everyone sticks to their area. If so, might be very good times ahead.

KD was also a ball-dominant guard, JT, and I don't think that DJV produced his Sydney form last season alongside KD.

I’m a bit hesitant to say he will regain that form alongside Cotton.

I’d love to see it, but ...

The play for Cotton makes everyone else who is looking for a guard look really really amateur (and there are a couple of clubs that fall into that category) ...
although I have a suspicion that the other Nick behind the scenes had a little something to do with pulling this off.

Trezz has posted this today:

" Do y'all want the Monsta back down under in Adelaide"

Trez probably still contracted by Larry to post NBL "hype"!

FWIW I think Cotton is a willing passer, he'd love not having to carry the offense himself. Gleeson always found ways to get others involved.

Bryce Cotton speaks about signing with the 36ers coming up in the sport on Ten News.

Not much on 10 News, "best decision for me and my family" about 20 seconds of Cotton actually speaking, but there's obviously a longer interview out there that got filmed.

OK, it was just a clip from this they played on the news

https://youtu.be/HzjvsIS5IL8?si=BU_2frKPrKJ81OF5

Had to take 24 hours to digest this shock, I'm ranking it up with the Luka trade. And I'd if had been posted on April 1st it would have been to unbelievable.
It is the biggest signing in NBL history, would be like Gaze in his prime coming to Adelaide or Loggins going to Sydney. I remember the Rose signing and that was huge, but the club was in great shape and an attractive landing place.
Any team in the league signs Cotton, but here are my individual pros and cons.

Pro's
Reigning MVP and had maybe his best season.
Brings veteran leadership and credibility to the team. If DJ starts chucking he'll be getting told and DJ will listen, that's what he's needed during his time in Adelaide. Might be able to give Isaac some confidence, stop his pouting. And if there's plenty of PnRs in the offence Humphries should benefit greatly.
Will get the benefit of superstar calls, close game can just give him the ball and get out of his way.
Will majorly piss off Rillie and expose how he had to nearly solely rely on BC to win.

Cons
How does the starting 5 work, have 3 point guards starting that are used to having the ball in their hands. But this should be a pro for DJs role, can go back to his college days of not being the go to scorer and feed off Cotton for shots. Cameron will benefit playing with him but not convinced he's a good fit as a starter with other 2.
Obviously hates Rillie, Wells had problems with players as well, hopefully he's learnt to chill out a bit in offseason and Cotton gets along with him.
Defensively they'll be a sieve, whilst Cameron is an up and comer, Sunday would have been a way better fit. Who's going to guard the oppositions best guard? Kenyon does help the bench, but it's still extremely bad. If IH or the import gets injured or in foul trouble is it really only Gristci as a big to come in?
Will rely on the perimeter nearly exclusively unless this new import is good.
In terms of good publicity, can't do much more than this.
And Adelaide had the second best guard to Cotton last season apparently and still had a shit season, lucky to make it into play in and lucky they faced Brian without Cooks. And would say they had way better depth and players last year.
And it's Adelaide, if anyone can screw it up or be unlucky it's them. ACL or Achilles in first couple of games?


For those crowing about how this proves Adelaide is an attractive place to sign, it really is all about the money. Cotton would have to be on a million plus to get him here, add Cameron's money on top of DJs and IH, plus this rumoured big 4 man, Adelaide would have to be the biggest payroll along with Sydney. And where is it all coming from, has to be LK trying to boost the chances of selling it for a big profit. And there's the transparency issue with the league. If Harrell returns it'll be ridiculous.
If anything is going to fire up the other owners it'll be this, clubs will be majorly pissed that Cotton has seemingly been gifted to Adelaide.
But that game in Perth will be must see tv, would imagine it'd be like Lukas return, how many fire Rillie chants will start.

"The Lying King" with a pic of Cotton's face on the front cover of the WA newspaper. They're taking it well in Perth!

F*** the West Australian, its been a rubbish newspaper for years.

Cotton owes Wildcats nothing, Perth people owe him nothing but gratitude.

Hopefully the crowd show him that when he visits.

"And Adelaide had the second best guard to Cotton last season apparently and still had a shit season"

Phantom, I think Bryce will bring a much calmer presence aswell as an elite game.

Without locker room issues and the confidence he will create on court knowing you can just throw him the ball if needed, I can see others game will elevate, particularly Isaac (I hope). I think he will make the team better by more than just the elite game he brings

https://x.com/PerthWildcats/status/1925789431081971847

good on Wildcats pouring some water on the Wests BS

Not suggesting above all locker room issues flow back to Kendrick BTW

KD might've been runner up to Cotton for MVP but in reality Cotton is a much better player than him and not a problem in the locker room either.

The absolute dumbest stunt they could pull now would be to bring back Harrell

I don't think they're bringing back Harrell, that's just him trying to use people power to put pressure on the team to bring him back. He's been to China and now Puerto Rico and then doing the Big 3, so I'm sure he's just looking to line up his next gig.

In terms of "box office" he's also not needed in Adelaide now with Cotton on the team.

Agreed I can't see the Sixers having interest in bringing Trez back. He's just trying to drum up hype for his next contract.

Fantone is on the money honey finally. BC brings culture credibiliity in buckets to make a statement sixers are rejuvenating.most exciting times and affirmation.its big positives.

https://youtu.be/89d-I3kp390?si=By7XW9BEifaC4eiK

36ers press conference.

Never a dull moment being a 36ers supporter

The sad story in this signing is poor Michael Harris. Playing limited minutes behind Cotton I always felt he never got his chance. When he signed with Adelaide I thought this might now be the chance for the him to get the minutes.

Then the news came out...

It doesn't matter who the Adelaide Dirty Tricksters recruit, they will find a way to self implode and stuff up their season. Defensive disaster of a squad so far and a whole lot of ego. And the ego starts from the front office, to the coach and down the team list. Should start a book on how they stuff it up this time. Probably starts pre season with Cotton realising coach is a f***with.

Jack McVeigh's in Adelaide atm...

Seemingly lost a bit of his mojo towards the end of his two way stint, so with Roth doing his family time thing Jack is likely headed straight to see Joey

Isn't his wife still in Adelaide?

Crackers65 you clown, Cotton has already had Wells as his coach in the NBA and was one of the reasons he signed here.

Sixers fan, Wells was an assistant coach at Utah. He did what he was told to do, not design and direct the program from a head coaches perspective. He did nothing last season to show to me that he is a head coach. The clown show won't take long to show up.

The Wells-Cotton link has definitely been overblown.

Cotton has stated consistently over the years how his wife did not want to move away from Perth which goes to show what a bottle job SEG did when re-signing an unconvincing Rillie to another three years in September.

Nick Marvin being by GK's side (plus possibly the added spice of an autistic Mark Arena spitting his dummy in front of LK recently) would have more to do with it.

I think punters are reading to much into it, Cotton has just taken a pay check for three years, probably around the same coin as he could get OS, Japan most likely, they very rarely sign multi year deals, it's normally season to season, he’s got three seasons. Imo Sixers think they can get him naturalised or just pay the tax. Great signing but they got find some defenders or it’ll be same as cats last few seasons.

Just saw a rumour on X that Pinder also signing with the 36ers!

Olgun has shut that one down very quickly!

I think punters are reading to much into it, Cotton has just taken a pay check for three years

Rillie*

Whilst Cotton is the undisputed MVP, the rest of the team is a big question mark. Would still be issues with Wells and Humphries who's mentally fragile at the best of times. At least they had Martin last year even if he was a shell of his Sydney days.
How will DJ cope, I think a lot better than with Davis hogging it.
Cameron has never been a consistent starter and now has to live up to the potential with a big payday, as well as playing outside of his preferred position. In hindsight would have been better getting a proven import 3 for the money being outplayed. Someone with the attributes of Lamb would have been good.
Don't know what their plans are with this mysterious import big, will it be a new face or someone who's been here before. And if it does transpire to be someone like Martin, then the problem of sacking them rears its head again, Martin should have been sent home if it wasn't about the money.
Then the bench is a major problem. Kenyon a great pickup, but who's the big? And Whites been bouncing around the league for a reason, Harris fell out of favour at Perth and is Rasmussen trustworthy enough to get more minutes. Even comparing it with last season of Martin, Cadee, Marshall leaving may have it as the worst bench in the league.
Then the question mark of Wells, is he up to it? Didn't show too much last year, chicken and egg of it he was to blame for player revolts, or were the players the catalyst. If they struggle does he get shown the door early on, would they do a SEM and get someone outside asap, or is there someone in house ready to step in?
Just too many questions and their track record to really inspire any confidence.

BCs interview on Devondrick Walkers podcast is looking to be the expose we are all waiting for

A short clip is out with him directly addressing the abortion of a backpage on the West yesterday using multiple expletives which is unlike cool calm BC. It should be explosive!

Cottons reaction

Bryce Cotton unleashes:

"I just find it so funny ... I broke the scoring record - the league scoring record - in December. The West Australian gifts me, you know, this big poster: King of the Jungle," he said.

“We're six months later now, they’re talking about 'The Lying King’. Like, that … it’s crazy.

“So, like, I can’t wait when I go back to Perth - I can’t wait. When I go back to Perth, I’m burning that. That little gift they gave me? That’s going straight to the fireplace.

“It’s just crazy and disrespectful.

“But at the end of the day it’s not surprising, and that’s part of why I moved the way I moved.”

https://nbl.com.au/news/crazy-and-disrespectful-cotton-slams-wa-paper

Well there we go, it's confirmed.

Thanks Hutchy, SEG, Mills, ScoMo, Rillie, Arena et al.

What a bunch of fuckwits who have taken over from a classy Bendat organisation.

The West newspaper has always been trash written by hacks with no conscience. Although not the reason he left as that article was after the fact. But you can hear in the short snippet the anger and disappointment in his voice. One can rightly assume the situation at the wildcats made it untenable to stay on. Its sad that its come to this. The goat and club legend who seems to have wanted to play his entire career in this league and should have been a one club legend. It will be interesting to find out which fuckwit it is that he has bad blood with. Or is it just a clusterfuck too much to tolerate? I had high hopes when Arena bought the license hes a passionate wildcats person with the right intentions. But Mills and old mate JR seem to be still running the show and slowly eradicating the culture from the organisation like a cancer.

SEG's systematic destruction of the wildcats culture and dominance is now complete. Hutchie can eff off and leave mark arena to pick up the pieces. Hopefully he can learn quickly on the fly and grow big enough balls to put the right people in place.

Seems Bryce is burning the fans for a newspaper Article. He seems to be celebrating Adelaide like its going to be awesome for him. Maybe it will be but perhaps it will also be his biggest mistake. Time will tell.

One thing for sure, I do not think his overseas value was really there. The team he has been playing overseas with has not been winning that much and his stats have not stood out as anything special.

Wait, what has Cotton said about Perth fans?

The only criticism I have seen has been towards the article and the club, and it seems like Perth fans are pissed at the article and the club, not at Cotton.

From the 'Tiser

"According to multiple reports, Perth officials failed to consult Cotton before extending coach John Rillie's contract for a further three seasons in 2024."

"It’s well known in NBL circles that Rillie has a strained and strictly professional relationship with the champion guard."

Also

"Cotton made it clear he wanted to put talks to the side to focus on Perth’s NBL25 campaign, saying he will deal with his contract at season’s end. . In a bid to fend off rivals, Wildcats owner Mark Arena went public last December to announce the club’s strong desire to retain its star guard."

"It’s understood Arena’s public push to re-sign Cotton didn’t go down well with the superstar guard.
These frustrations were further compounded when the Wildcats reportedly missed two deadlines during contract negotiations.
This all played a major role in Cotton deciding to leave Perth following nine successful seasons, including three championships. "

I'm not seeing much there that warants leaving IMO. His wife is from Perth, kids born there, settled it would take a lot more than that mickey mouse stuff to justify he and his family starting over in a new city. I also never believed he would play overseas next season either. He's just another undersized SG overseas with minimal clout unlike here in the NBL.

I think a combination of money, whatever the Sixers signed him for, and the almost impossible challenge of helping Adelaide win a title were likely bigger factors.

He obviously felt disrespected, or taken for granted. In any employment situation, in can be death than a thousand cuts rather than an outright conflict.

Would say the decision to leave was 99.9999% because of Rillie. Was a great guy off the court, maybe he's changed personalities there, but his coaching demeanor is an absolute monster. No surprise that Pinder left as well. Didn't always make the best decisions, but some games he'd be playing well then get glued to the bench for reasons only he and Rillie would know. And he couldn't do it with Cotton because he was nearly single handedly winning games for them.
One thing Perth couldn't really be accused of is being cheap. So it wouldn't be about the money, they'd have matched anything any other NBL club offered and then some. Still would have commanded a big pay day in Japan, has the pedigree and form to justify it, maybe the family thought it best to stay in Australia rather than going to a country that wouldn't be conducive for a young family.
And with the friction with Rillie I think Cotton has every right to be pissed off not being consulted. Looking in it looks like management really stuffed it up siding with Rillie. Very recently they were the model franchise, now they're a joke. Weird thing is Adelaide is even worse.
I'm just interested in how the deal went down, so far it's just Weston saying they started talking a week ago and it quickly fell into place. Did other teams get a chance to make their bid? Melbourne after losing their stars would have been desperate and can show they're a successful franchise and have the money to sign him outright without any assistance you'd think. So once again we have the murky rumours of LK wanting to put Adelaide in a position to succeed. Surely Cotton can see how dysfunctional they are, even talking to players. And I doubt he'd give a shit about being the Messiah that's going to lead them to the promised land.
The more this crap goes on about secret deals the more I'm siding with the "rebel" owners. It's just so unprofessional if LK has indeed bankrolled this, maybe the litigation could show this as a prime example of corrupt behaviour.
But that return game in Perth will undoubtedly be the most viewed game in NBL history. I do hope the fans are respectful and not listen to the media.

Cotton wouldn't have gotten the money you think he would overseas. No team in Europe or Asia is paying him $1.2M+ lol They can get virtually the same production elsewhere for half that price. He's not exactly tearing it up in PR, what a surprise. At Perth the whole team and system is built around him, he's not going to get that anywhere else and isn't in PR either, he's averaging 17 & 5, 4th on his team in scoring.

It's not about money but what about LK? Yeah it's always about money. Who knows if LK is tipping in but it's likely Perth got out bid. Cotton is on the cusp of being spoken about as the NBL GOAT, coming to Adelaide and leading the Sixers to their first title in a quarter of a century might well be the thing that pushes him over the edge. With his pay rise demands were Perth going to be able to put a title contender around him in future, unlikely and probably wouldn't do much more for his legacy either.

Mills won't come cheap

Would say the decision to leave was 99.9999% because of Rillie. Was a great guy off the court, maybe he's changed personalities there, but his coaching demeanor is an absolute monster.

Full BC interview live now

https://youtu.be/VesggjUN6MA?si=lXF7cRMmoFKf5Uwx

He wouldn't commit to the cats in March and wanted to test free agency so they withdrew the offer. I can understand his thinking but also looking from the club angle they paid him more than any other player probably in the history of the Wildcats and also designed the team to play around him to maximize his scoring and ability.

So I can understand the Wildcats point of view, probably thought he wasn't grateful for the commitment he had been shown by club - especially with him not being a naturalized player to avoid the luxury tax.

Reality is that he had not brought us a championship in recent years and the salary was hindering acquiring a better balanced team with more overall talent and less reliant on one player. Recent winners of the championship all had better balanced and deeper teams , something I think is a better model to aim for.

Adelaide v Perth will be an interest match to watch.

So basic rundown.

- Got an ultimatum from Perth to re-sign during the NBL Finals which Cotton didn't like since he had said he wanted to test Free Agency for the first time.
- Told Perth he couldn't make a decision in 2-3 days as he'd just started in Puerto Rico and wanted to see the options available.
- His manager then showed him an intended memo that Perth planned to release which was Perth announcing Cotton wasn't coming back for the 25-26 season.
- Cotton took that as Perth moving on since they weren't willing to wait for him to officially make a decision on coming back.
- Said just because Perth decided to part ways with him doesn't mean he had to part ways with Australia, which he loves.
- Said he had a lot of different offers (didn't say if NBL or overseas)
- Said the offer from Adelaide came out of the blue and he wasn't expecting it.
- Squashed anything about him and Rillie, said he spoke to JR after he made the decision to join Adelaide and there's no beef between them.

It is fascinating though because supposedly Adelaide had their sights set on a marquee level PF and then an import guard who would be high quality but not as exspensive.

So have they just suddenly thought "Hang on, why don't we just sign Bryce Cotton?" and then get that down within 48 hours or so. Or do we think this has been a plan well in the making? Maybe it's all been a bit of a smoke screen plan.

When you consider that Cotton could be on $1 million or so per season, how have they found the money to get both Cotton and stay the course for an exspensive PF?

So the Rillie vs Cotton thing all nonsense. Lachy Reid on X wildcats reply coming today. I wonder if this the "something big" being announced at 2pm mentioned in the free agency thread, hope not

I tend to agree Master Chief. A 3 year committment decided in 48hrs out of the blue, i dunno. Surely Bryce knew if he actually was willing to come back or not, so it would have been good to know. I dont know how all the missing deadlines by Cotton's management works in all this. Not all the puzzle pieces fit (yet).

If the 36ers were competent (I know, it's been debatable at times) they'd of had multiple plans in place. Weston sounded like he always intended on asking the question about Cotton, so probably went in with an "Expected outcome" of Cotton not being available and the likely scenario being they go to the NBA Summer League again to find a PG.

My only read on the PG spot was not so much they didn't want to pay big $ there necessarily, but they wanted that position locked down long-term. They supposedly offered Davis a multi-year deal, which he didn't want as he wants short-term and to go to the NBA, and Weston talked about guys who have the potential to get 2-way deals being out of their budget, but I'm sure that's also if you're capable of getting a 2-way, then you're capable of getting an NBA deal, or a bigger deal overseas.

Cotton was willing to sign for 3 and also wants to become Australian, so you don't have to worry about him upping and leaving after 1 year. I'm sure Davis wasn't going to re-sign cheaply, so maybe it's not a huge jump to go from Davis to Cotton either.

CatANON

It also could be that simple, don't get me wrong. But I wouldn't be surprised if Adelaide kept this very quiet to avoid other teams making a play. And then obviously it makes them look even better by saying how efficiently they got this done.

Also wouldn't be surprised if Wells was pushing this and then the money came from somewhere.

Again though, just theorising as is a very bizzare situation but it probably is as simple as they say.

The only thing that makes me think this wasn't a long term plan, and even GK mentioned it, the 36ers leak like a sieve and this didn't get out at all.

What makes me think this wasn't planned was taking on Cameron for a few years, supposedly on a lot of money.

I just can’t see the sense in having Cotton and Cameron and the various other guards unless you’re going to run a very aggressive and up-tempo game at both ends.

I read this as Perth tried to strongarm Cotton in to making a quick decision bypassing free agency, he called their bluff. Perth lose.

Mark Arena response, hopefully not a repost

https://youtu.be/blPQNCVbdH0?si=KSv1JVvkj9AhXcLS

The biggest fumble on all of this is having so many players come out of contract in the same year

Adelaide have made it clear they want an up tempo shooting side haha

I think Mark Arena gave a respectful talk on Cotton, asking the fans to treat him well when he comes and dont boo him unless he is shooting free throws. I think both club and player had their own goals which didn't align necessarily.

We wait and see what team they do assemble and whether the decision was good or not in the end.

Pretty clear that Rillie basically had nothing to do with Bryce leaving. I don't rate him as a coach but a lot of fans need to put the pitchforks away, the poor bloke wasn't even involved with this.

Meanwhile the pressure tactics employed by SEG were awful.

This is the biggest f*** up the organisation has ever made. Not a great start to mark arenas tenure imo. I was wrong about him not having big enough kahunas to make the tough decisions. Unfortunately not the brains this time to back it up. No one player is bigger than the club but if anyone deserved more time to test the market its Bryce. He is such a stand up guy i feel for how he was treated. Where is the appreciation and respect from the club for all he has done for them. It was only March for Gods sake and he finds out from a club release statement that he wont be back. I am livid.

What a crap show by the Cats, completely bottled this. Owner in his chat mentioned 3 times they wanted a quick answer due to a third of the roster being out of contract due to 3 yr deals expiring , yet the only players re signed are Okwera and two imports who were on 1 yr deals previously, have re-signed no one else at this point, i have doubts that is the real reason, they tried to bluff Bryce into re-signing, and lost the bluffing game.

It's on Mills now to build a competitive roster now, as everyone knows we should have a decent war chest with BC money available, i don't have a lot of faith in him doing this though.

Maybe they really really wanted Dech and Mayern

How many long term players say they want to test free agency ? Especially one that probably takes up half the cap. You cant plan a roster that way.

Bryce fumbled the ball, it should of been a quick execution of a contract if he wanted to come back. The wildcats don't owe anyone the time to go and test the market. If you want to test the market you are basically saying no.

So I don't think the cats fumbled the negotiations, Bryce was basically not committed to returning unless everything else fell through. That's not the way to thank a club that has made you the top paid import in the league for a number of years.

"If you want to test the market you are basically saying no."

I agree. In what industry would a boss be cool with you asking them to hold your position indefinitely - thus pausing major business plans because you are integral - while you openly seek more money from competitors at your leisure? Only if/when you can't find anything better you'd then be happy to negotiate. Though it sucks from a business perspective I can understand why they made the decision.

testing the market should be pretty common, how else are you meant to know your worth?

I remember both James Crawford and Ricky Grace doing it, its a tactic to get the best offer. Happens constantly in the NBA.

Most businesses don't have an offseason, a lot of imports are signed after the NBA draft, so there is some down time to wait.

Arenas is used to being the boss and doesn't want to be held waiting by a worker

I would have thought Perth could have re-signed & built their roster assuming the will have a high end import guard to give a player like Bryce whatever time he needs. Not publicising Bryce is leaving would probably also help recruit players and sell tickets, so that's another reason to not rush him.

Bryce isn't a mercenary, likes and is settled in Australia, so was a good chance of returning, but if he did sign overseas, they just find another guard after NBA summer camp. After listening to Bryce's podcast, giving him the time, probably would have stopped him considering any other NBL offers, so I think Perth might wish they could make that decision again.

I think Bryce is on so much money comparative to the rest of the team, you wouldn't pay any ex-NBA or G-League guard that amount of money. You would put it to try and get an Australian marquee or 2. That does require you to be in negotiations from day one to be in a shot against other NBL clubs.

If they do not find a high profile marquee then its basically overpaying another Import with no cap-relief to avoid the luxury tax.

There are guys you wait on - Bryce falls into that category. You structure the team around having him or another import guard like him then worst case you grab one at summer league.

Perth need to nail this import and/or a marquee Aussie with Cotton and Pinder gone.

Tim Gossage who is well connected said cotton just asked for a week or two to see what's out there . Return to Perth was his preferred destination but Perth decided to part ways prematurely. It is a disgraceful historical mismanagement by Perth wildcats management!

Confirmation Bryce Cotton has signed with the 36ers to the biggest deal in NBL history, so more than Xavier Cooks' $1.2 million a season with the Kings.

"The number he's (Cotton) on - I’m told this is the biggest deal in NBL history. It almost speaks for itself. It’s the largest deal we’ve ever seen in the history of this league," Uluc said on The Marketplace.

--

Olgun on the re-signing of Trez:

“Teams are looking at this team and asking the same question, which is: how much are they paying for this roster? Because if this is what they’ve already signed – and they still have one high-level, high-money import to go – they’re a real chance of hitting that $4 million mark, which I’ve yet to see in the NBL as far as cash spend goes.

https://nbl.com.au/news/the-bryce-is-right-cotton-deal-biggest-in-nbl-history

Three things could happen
Cotton get citizenship
They win the championship
They go broke

or they keep going around in the same circle.

For Adelaide ticket holders its going to a fun season at least. Gotta respect an ownership who is trying their best to build a championship team

Last roll of the dice to get a good price for the franchise? Seems like an all or nothing desperation bet.

I'd rather be a 36ers than Wildcats supporter right now - it's scary what SEG will mess up next without Cotton as the bedrock.

I never thought i would ever see the day but i will be watching more 36er games than wildcats. BC is a pleasure to watch and if he can reach near the level he was at last season and combine that with the showmanship of Trez. Its going to be an exciting combo

Is it "ownership" paying the money or is there an interested party chipping in to try and inflate the price of the team.
Getting more and more interested in this court case against the NBL and what secrets are in the closet. Would have to be mega rich to fund this and definitely lose money just to chase a title, or even respectability, and I don't think GK has that money to lose. Will they join the lightning and go begging to the government to save them?
If this doesn't work and they sit middle of the pack again it's time to admit defeat.
Wells is going to be the most under pressure coach in Australia, not just basketball.

Agreed, Perthworld. Cotton was carrying Perth last year.

Phantom

Don't disagree that Wells will be under pressure with another exspensive roster mission, but I think the people who hired him are under more pressure. Got to rememeber that Wells can probably just quietly slip back to the US and NBA. He won't be accountable if it doesn't work out here. Pressure will be on the key decision makers after firing Ninnis.

Adelaide gets sell outs every game, what benefits does the league get by helping them out?

I don't think Wells would be felling any pressure. If they struggle to make top 6 then he would feel pressure the same with any coach with strong talent.

He is a big reason why Cotton has signed. That alone justifies the clubs signing of Wells over Ninnis. That and the fact that he is simply a better coach.

Magpie,

It's been alleged LK is pumping money into the Sixers as GK has been trying to sell the team and is said to be willing to sell cheap which would devalue all the other NBL teams, which LK doesn't want to happen hence making them more attractive to potential new owners.

"That and the fact that he is simply a better coach."

No justifiable evidence of that yet. Ninnis was hardly a world-beater but we went 8-7 under him and Wells only went 14-17 with a much stronger roster. Ninnis even coached us to the playoffs in his first stint as coach, Wells hasn't yet.

With this loaded roster though I would imagine if we start slow Wells will probably get the boot, there just hasn't been any inclination yet he knows how to coach. His relationship with KD and Ice was poor too.

I want it to work out with Wells, last thing the club needs is another coaching change next season but the reality is he's been a career assistant for a reason.

The decision makers never have any pressure on them. And they've delivered the best players money can buy, worst case scenario is they agree Wells wasn't to it if they fail again.
Wells may very well skulk back to America and find another assistant job, but his dream of being a head coach in a decent league would be over.
And everyone will be pointing the finger at him for failing again, this time having the reigning MVP. Plus if there's a player revolt again, even more reason.