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'Finding the right fit': Wildcats in no rush to sign third import

16 Jul
2 mins read

Written By

Jordan McArdle

Perth Wildcats general manager of basketball operations Danny Mills says the club was focused on "finding the right fit" for their third and final NBL25 import spot.

The majority of last season's roster, which finished second on the home-and-away ladder on the way to a semi-final berth, have already committed to next season, including four-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton and fellow import Kristian Doolittle.

Every local spot is already locked in, with Australian-born US college star Elijah Pepper taking up the last position.

Pepper is one of just two new faces at this stage, alongside Spanish Next Star Izan Almansa who replaces No.2 NBA draft pick Alex Sarr.

Speaking at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Mills revealed the Wildcats weren't set on a specific position for their third import.

"We've got a lot of guys returning off a team that we really liked and had success with last year, so for us it's about finding the right fit," Mills explained.

"We had some success last year with some line-ups we feel very confident about going into the season with, so it's about looking at multiple different positions and finding a guy that fits in with Bryce, Keanu (Pinder), Kristian, Tai (Webster), Izan and Hyrum Harris and these guys who we know are going to play big minutes for us this year."

Mills said there was no rush completing the import puzzle with plenty of international talent on the market.

"We're open, you have to be in the NBL," he said.

"We're a transient league in terms of guys coming there and maybe using it as a stepping stone to get to the next level, whether that's the Euroleague or getting drafted to the NBA.

"We've got a lot of open communication with a lot of agents right now and players, and we're excited about the market.

"We think there's definitely some players that would be very good fits for our roster and we'll take as long as we need to get it done, but we're excited about where it could head."

Mills is one of several Wildcats staff in the US for Summer League including head coach John Rillie, who's part of New Orleans' coaching department, and assistant coach Keegan Crawford (Utah Jazz).

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