Latest news with #PerthWildcats
Perth Now
11-06-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
‘No regrets': Wildcats owner at peace with Cotton call
Perth Wildcats owner Mark Arena has declared he has no regrets about the decision to part ways with five-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton but admits the club could have communicated the move better at the time. Cotton has signed a three-year deal with Adelaide after making a shock call to return to the NBL. The superstar recently revealed the Wildcats had given him a deadline to accept their contract offer shortly after the club's NBL campaign ended and he wasn't prepared to rush into signing any deal. Arena said the club did what it felt was right. 'No regrets,' he said at the launch of the club's new logo. 'We did what we thought is, and what we still believe is, right for the Wildcats. That's long term success both on and off the court. We felt we did that and totally back the decision we made collectively.' 'We had given him more than enough time. It was well over six months. A lot was reported. Was it three days? No. It was six months and three days.' Cotton's departure has robbed the Wildcats of the best player in the NBL and arguably the best player to ever play in the competition. But Arena pointed to recent championship winners Tasmania and Illawarra as examples of teams that took a vastly different approach to winning the title. 'We need to build a roster that can win a championship and that is more than one person,' he said. 'If you look at the last two seasons, they've been won by teams with great, well-rounded rosters. That's what we're looking to put together for this upcoming season. 'I'm confident we will put on the court a really, really solid roster that can challenge for a championship.' Mark Arena talking on Wednesday. Credit: Ian Munro / The West Australian The Wildcats ae still chasing a third import to work alongside Kristian Doolittle and Dylan Windler, plus an elite Australian. But Arena warned it would take more time to recruit the remaining players. The Wildcats signed both Doolittle and Windler extremely close to the start of the season and the club could follow a similar timeline this year. 'We are in a global market place for top talent on the basketball side,' Arena said. 'Europe's league are just finishing. It runs a lot longer than the NBL. Japan's just recently finished as well. We have a lot more time. 'You don't win the championship by signing people faster than others. You do it by having the best roster come round one. That's certainly our goal. 'Top Aussies, top Americans and top Europeans are in super high demand and have a multitude of options. We can't have a timeline when our next signing will be.'
West Australian
11-06-2025
- Business
- West Australian
‘No regrets': Perth Wildcats owner Mark Arena at peace with how Bryce Cotton negotiations played out
Perth Wildcats owner Mark Arena has declared he has no regrets about the decision to part ways with five-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton but admits the club could have communicated the move better at the time. Cotton has signed a three-year deal with Adelaide after making a shock call to return to the NBL. The superstar recently revealed the Wildcats had given him a deadline to accept their contract offer shortly after the club's NBL campaign ended and he wasn't prepared to rush into signing any deal. Arena said the club did what it felt was right. 'No regrets,' he said at the launch of the club's new logo. 'We did what we thought is, and what we still believe is, right for the Wildcats. That's long term success both on and off the court. WE felt we did that and totally back the decision we made collectively.' 'We had given him more than enough time. It was well over six months. A lot was reported. Was it three days? No. It was six months and three days.' Cotton's departure has robbed the Wildcats of the best player in the NBL and arguably the best player to ever play in the competition. But Arena pointed to recent championship winners Tasmania and Illawarra as examples of teams that took a vastly different approach to winning the title. 'We need to build a roster that can win a championship and that is more than one person,' he said. 'If you look at the last two seasons, they've been won by teams with great, well-rounded rosters. That's what we're looking to put together for this upcoming season. 'I'm confident we will put on the court a really, really solid roster that can challenge for a championship.' The Wildcats ae still chasing a third import to work alongside Kristian Doolittle and Dylan Windler, plus an elite Australian. But Arena warned it would take more time to recruit the remaining players. The Wildcats signed both Doolittle and Windler extremely close to the start of the season and the club could follow a similar timeline this year. 'We are in a global market place for top talent on the basketball side,' Arena said. 'Europe's league are just finishing. It runs a lot longer than the NBL. Japan's just recently finished as well. We have a lot more time. 'You don't win the championship by signing people faster than others. You do it by having the best roster come round one. That's certainly our goal. 'Top Aussies, top Americans and top Europeans are in super high demand and have a multitude of options. We can't have a timeline when our next signing will be.'
West Australian
29-05-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Perth Wildcats owner Mark Arena responds to Bryce Cotton bombshell that NBL club parted ways with him
Bryce Cotton dropped a bombshell when he claimed the Perth Wildcats parted ways with him. Now, the club's owner Mark Arena has responded. Cotton revealed the Wildcats ultimately made the call after he refused to make a quick decision about his contract offer at the end of the season. The Five-time NBL MVP has since signed with the Adelaide 36s in a move that shocked the sport. 'As much as people say why did I leave the Wildcats, I didn't technically leave,' Cotton said on The EasyDay Show podcast. 'The Wildcats parted ways with me because I wasn't willing to give an answer back in March.' Cotton said he had told the club he wanted to explore his free agency options when the Wildcats sent his manager a rough draft of an announcement that he was leaving. Instead, he took matters into his own hands. 'When I saw that, I'm like 'No. I'm not going to let you put the word out to the fans. I'll let them hear it from me first because if that's what you decided to do, everything I've given to this city, everything I've given to the club, I'll tell you first I'm not going to be here. 'But they made the business decision to part ways because they didn't want to wait, which is fine. But I don't want to hear all this bitching and complaining when I'm doing what I feel is best for me as a result.' After the bombshell revelations, Arena told the NBL XXXX
Perth Now
29-05-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Wildcats respond to Bryce's NBL bombshell
Bryce Cotton dropped a bombshell when he claimed the Perth Wildcats parted ways with him. Now, the club's owner Mark Arena has responded. Cotton revealed the Wildcats ultimately made the call after he refused to make a quick decision about his contract offer at the end of the season. The Five-time NBL MVP has since signed with the Adelaide 36s in a move that shocked the sport. 'As much as people say why did I leave the Wildcats, I didn't technically leave,' Cotton said on The EasyDay Show podcast. 'The Wildcats parted ways with me because I wasn't willing to give an answer back in March.' Cotton said he had told the club he wanted to explore his free agency options when the Wildcats sent his manager a rough draft of an announcement that he was leaving. Instead, he took matters into his own hands. 'When I saw that, I'm like 'No. I'm not going to let you put the word out to the fans. I'll let them hear it from me first because if that's what you decided to do, everything I've given to this city, everything I've given to the club, I'll tell you first I'm not going to be here. 'But they made the business decision to part ways because they didn't want to wait, which is fine. But I don't want to hear all this bitching and complaining when I'm doing what I feel is best for me as a result.' After the bombshell revelations, Arena told the NBL XXXX
West Australian
21-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Alex Sarr: Former Perth Wildcat named to NBA's All-Rookie team
Alex Sarr has been recognised among the NBA's top first-year players, with the Perth Wildcats graduate named to the league's All-Rookie team. Sarr averaged 13 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in 67 appearances for the lowly Wizards after being taken with Pick 2 at last year's draft. But it was the defensive side of the game that shone brightest for the French product, with his 1.5 blocks per game ranking seventh among all NBA players across the regular season. It's the first time a former NBL player has earned an All-Rookie nod since 2020-21, when LaMelo Ball (Charlotte, ex-Illawarra) and Jae-Sean Tate (Houston, ex-Sydney) both achieved selection. Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, from San Antonio, was the sole consensus pick in the All-Rookie side. He and Sarr were joined by Atlanta's Zaccharie Risacher and Memphis duo Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells. Sarr, who finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting, is also Washington's first All-Rookie player since Bradley Beal 12 years ago.
