Wildcats confirm Bryce Cotton departure

The five-time NBL MVP, three-time NBL champion, eight-time NBL Scoring Champion and seven-time Gordon Ellis Medal winner has been unable to commit to the Club.

Perth Wildcats Owner, Mark Arena says while the Club is saddened to lose Cotton’s remarkable talent, there is an understanding of the global reach of basketball and the lucrative opportunities that present themselves to athletes at the pinnacle of their career.

“We cannot thank Bryce enough for what he’s done for our club across the past nine seasons.

"His achievements at the Wildcats have been nothing short of historic and he will go down as one of the greatest players in our proud history.

“While we’re obviously disappointed that Bryce isn’t going to continue his career at the Wildcats – and we know our fans will feel the same – we wish him the best for the future and have the utmost respect for what he’s achieved with our team.

"We will always welcome Bryce, his wife Rachel and daughter with open arms whenever they are back in Perth, and they will always be a part of the Wildcats family.”

Arena says the Club’s management and coaching staff is also incredibly confident of the depth of skill within its squad and motivated by the additional resources now available to foster high calibre talent.

“Star players carry an incredible amount of mystique around them, but basketball is a team sport.

"We’ve locked in some high-quality re-signings with Kristian Doolittle on a three-year deal, skipper Jesse Wagstaff staying with us for a remarkable 17th season and we’re looking forward to building out our roster over the coming weeks.”

Cotton first joined the Wildcats at the back end of the 2016-17 season and led the club to a remarkable championship win that season, where he also collected the first of two Grand Final MVP awards. He’s won three titles as a Wildcat, having played a total of 258 games, and averaging 23.1 points across his decorated NBL career.

The club will continue to focus on completing its roster with the opening of the free agency period on Friday 4 April.