Adelaide 36ers receive another huge boost to add to the signing of Bryce Cotton

Adelaide’s stunning off-season just gets better with news the NBL’s biggest drawcard will return to the 36ers to team up with Bryce Cotton.

The Monsta is back in Adelaide, with the NBL’s biggest drawcard Montrezl Harrell to return alongside the league’s best player Bryce Cotton.

Less than a week after the 36ers pulled off the biggest free agency signing coup in league history, CODE Sports can reveal the club has inked the firebrand big man on a one-year extension, which sources said just needs league sign-off to be official.

The Sixers, on Wednesday afternoon, confirmed CODE Sports’ earlier report.

The former NBA Sixth Man of the Year took the NBL by storm in his debut season in the City of Churches, providing elite production and a roller coaster of excitement and controversy in his maiden campaign down under.

Montrezl Harrell will return to the Adelaide 36ers in NBL26. Picture: Getty Images

Fourth in the NBL in scoring at 20.7 per game and third in rebounding at 9.2, the All-NBL second-teamer’s return leaves the Sixers one player away from completing a banner off-season roster build that has put all eyes — and championship expectations — on Adelaide.

The 31-year-old Harrell was a box office Hollywood star last season, setting the courts alight with his raw emotion and talent and making the Sixers must-watch basketball.

A veteran of 515 NBA games with six NBA teams, larger than life Harrell fired up the Sixers crowd in front of 14 straight sellouts at Adelaide Entertainment Centre — and had plenty of blow ups with fans at away games.

Montrezl Harrell produced a ‘Monsta’ NBL25 campaign. Picture: Getty Images

Most notable was, of course, the infamous Affray at JCA, where he mixed it up with Melbourne United players before coming face-to-face with front row crowd members, resulting in suspensions for both he and former import guard Kendric Davis.

Davis, of course, snubbed the Sixers for Sydney this off-season — a blessing in disguise that opened the door for the incredible Cotton swoop.

The inflammatory Davis’ departure also paved the way for Harrell’s return. Multiple sources told Code Sports the American pair’s relationship grew so toxic throughout the season that there were several occasions where training was forced to be abandoned early.

Kendric Davis’ departure paved the way for a Montrezl Harrell return to Adelaide. Picture: Getty Images

It was felt internally both could not have coexisted moving forward but, with Davis now a King, Harrell will rejoin a team featuring the league’s best player in Cotton, one of its most lethal shooters in Dejan Vasiljevic, Isaac Humphries who, on his day, is among the finest local big men in Australia, several emerging stars, led by Kiwi Flynn Cameron, and a number of respected role players.

Harrell, last week, teased a return, first on Twitter when Cotton was signed — “Bryce cotton to @Adelaide36ers oh man statement made!!!!” — then with “Do y’all want the Monsta back down under in Adelaide?”.

Bryce cotton to @Adelaide36ers oh man statement made!!!!

— ÙŽ (@monstatrezz) May 22, 2025

Do y’all want the Monsta back down under in Adelaide

— ÙŽ (@monstatrezz) May 23, 2025

Man it’s a blessing to be back down under wit a great club that actually values what I bring to table! Thank you Adelaide!!!! Let’s have some fun this year man because it will be a lot fun for me!!!!

— ÙŽ (@monstatrezz) May 28, 2025

He and Vasiljevic also had some fun on Instagram, the Aussie posting an image of the pair to his story, tagging Harrell with a simple ‘Monstaaaaaa’, which the American shared.

Dejan Vasiljevic posted this to his Instagram story, tagging Montrezl Harrell. Picture: Instagram

“Montrezl is a unique piece in the NBL with his size, power and overall skillset,” Sixers basketball boss Matt Weston said.

“There’s nobody like him in this competition and we saw it first-hand last season, he’s hard to stop.”

Adelaide 36ers’ coach Mike Wells added to those sentiments.

“We’ve really reworked our roster but Trez fits because of his unique skillset,” Wells said.

“His basketball IQ will allow us to play different ways.

“The player combinations with him involved will be difficult for teams to handle.

“Trez loved being part of the NBL and we’re excited to see what he can do and what we can achieve in NBL26.”

Wells said the player combinations with Montrezl Harrell involved will be difficult for teams to handle. Picture: Josh Chadwick/Getty Images

The Harrell-Cotton connection in the two-man game should be a devastating one. The Monsta is among the best pick and roll big men in the league and, given the gravity Cotton attracts and his ability to make pinpoint passes out of pressure, Harrell should feast on easy dunks.

The former LA Clipper has spent the off-season with a stint in Xinjiang in China and now Gigantes de Carolina in Puerto Rico, where he is averaging 14 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1 block.

After tasting postseason action for the first time in seven years last campaign, the 36ers are going all in on a title this season, team owner Grant Kelley opening the chequebook to secure some of the most talented players ever to pull on a Sixers jersey.

Expectations are now through the roof and it will now be up to coach Mike Wells to find the perfect balance in a squad loaded with ability — and big personalities.

Originally published as Adelaide 36ers receive another huge boost to add to the signing of Bryce Cotton