‘Wildcats parted ways with me’: NBL star Bryce Cotton’s bombshell claim amid shock move to the Adelaide 36ers

Bryce Cotton’s departure from Perth has shocked the basketball world, as the five-time NBL MVP prepares to suit up for their rival, the 36ers. The generational star reveals, in his words, why he and the Wildcats are no more.

Five-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton claims it was the Perth Wildcats who parted ways with him, revealing how the club didn’t want to wait for a call on his future.

In his first interview since shocking the NBL world and signing a three-year deal with the Adelaide 36ers, Cotton revealed the Wildcats made the decision to release him at the start of free agency.

The generational talent told Perth officials he wanted to test the open market, but the club grew impatient and demanded an answer on his plans.

The Wildcats had given the star guard a deadline to commit to NBL26, which was just after the completion of the NBL season in late March.

Cotton wanted more time to test free agency and the deadline passed.

READ MORE: Coffee, chaos and Seinfeld: 36ers pull off biggest signing in NBL history

Bryce Cotton will leave the Wildcats for Adelaide 36ers. Picture: Getty Images

Further complicating matters, the NBL sensation stated his agent sent him a screenshot showing a club press release from the Wildcats saying: “Cotton won’t be part of our NBL26 plans”.

“So, I didn’t technically leave,” Cotton said on the Easy Day Show podcast.

“The Wildcats parted ways with me because I wasn’t willing to give an answer (on my future) back in March.

“Three or four days after arriving (to play the off-season) in Puerto Rico, they (Perth) sent me an email saying we need an answer in the next two or three days whether you are going to sign this extension or not.

“I was like, you all know I’ve been saying all year that I want to test free agency.

“It’s not being cocky or arrogant, but I’d just had one of the greatest seasons in NBL history and I’m a free agent for the first time in forever. It couldn’t have been better timing.

“That is not to say, ‘I’m out of here’, but I’d be a fool not to see what else is out there.

“But they (Perth) were like, ‘oh well, we need an answer now because you are an integral part of our roster and we build it around you.

“So, if you are not going to be here then we need to know.”

READ MORE: The politics behind Cotton’s Perth exit

Bryce Cotton won five NBL MVP awards during his time at the Wildcats. Picture: Getty Images

Cotton understood Perth needed to make a business decision, but after dedicating nine seasons to the club he thought they’d give him more time.

He told his agent he wanted to test the open market to see what he could attract.

Just a week later Cotton says he felt blindsided after seeing a copy of a club letter addressed to Perth fans declaring the champion guard wouldn’t be part of the Wildcats plans moving forward.

Bryce Cotton is a modern day great of the NBL. Picture: Getty Images

“I’m like, so you are all deciding to move on and do what is best for you,” he said.

“For me, it’s like no harm, no foul. I’m doing what I felt was best for me by just trying to see what was out there.

“Not to say I was leaving, but I wanted to see, and you are doing what is best for you as a business.

“You guys are parting ways and moving on because you guys don’t want to wait.

“(The Wildcats) made the business decision to part ways because they didn’t wanna wait, which is fine… but I don’t wanna hear all this bitchin’ and complaining when I’m doing what’s best for me as well as a result.”

Perth owner Mark Arena said the Wildcats had over two-thirds of its roster off-contract and they needed an answer from the team’s marquee man to start planning for NBL26.

“We felt we gave Bryce as much time as we could and we probably would have been able to give him more time if we didn’t have so many players out of contract,” Arena said on the NBL Now podcast.

“Ultimately, our role is to build a team to win a championship.

“It was a horrible decision we had to make. He (Bryce) has made a decision to go over and play for Adelaide and we’ve all got to respect that.”

The Perth Wildcats only have themselves to blame amid claims the club botched the chance to secure champion guard, Bryce Cotton. 🏀

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Cotton stressed he has no issues with his former Wildcats teammates and coaches, including head coach John Rillie.

It’s been widely reported that the American-born guard has a strictly professional relationship with Rillie, but he made it clear his Wildcats exit had nothing to do with his former coach.

“JR also played in this league, so he knows basketball is a business,” he said.

“I’m happy that there is no beef between JR and myself. It’s all love and we spoke after the decision with Adelaide was made and everything is all good.”

Cotton said the 36ers offer, which was sealed in just two days last week, was a complete surprise.

“It came out of the blue, but god doesn’t make no mistakes,” he said.

“I wasn’t expecting this at all, but god just threw me a lob. I know how much you love Australia and how much you’ve been stressing.

“I know what your heart wants and if got you, you are staying in this country.”

Originally published as ‘Wildcats parted ways with me’: NBL star Bryce Cotton’s bombshell claim amid shock move to the Adelaide 36ers