11
Aug
Team Profile
Adelaide 36ers: Five things you need to know
Will NBL’s biggest signing pay off as the Adelaide 36ers aim to reach new heights
- The Adelaide 36ers have four NBL titles in their 40-year history
- Adelaide is coming of a heartbreaking loss in overtime of game five of the 2025-26 NBL Grand Final Series
- Adelaide is one of the favourites to take the crown in NBL27
Adelaide represents South Australia’s only NBL franchise, and their fans remain some of the most passionate in the league, packing the Adelaide Entertainment Centre with energy and noise. While their most dominant era came during the late 1980s and early 2000s, the 36ers are now looking to build a true contender once again. With the six time (and reigning) MVP Bryce Cotton on their side and a deep roster around him, the 36ers are looking to get revenge for last season and take the title.
2025-26 Season Summary
- Record (23-10)
- Finish 2nd (Eliminated in Finals)
- All NBL Selections: Bryce Cotton (First team, MVP), Zylan Cheatham (second team)
The 36ers began the offseason by replacing their head coach, hiring Trevor Gleeson who was Bryce Cotton’s coach during his five championships for the Wildcats, reuniting one of the best player/coach combos in NBL history.
The roster, for the most part, has stayed intact. Bryce Cotton, Zylan Cheatham, Flynn Cameron, Ben Griscti, Isaac Humphries, Matt Kenyon and Isaac White are all still contracted, giving Gleeson a core that already knows what it takes to go deep into the finals.
The 36ers have made a couple of notable additions to fill the gaps. Bul Kuol - who was a key depth piece during Sydney’s title run - arrives, while there's also a development opportunity for Deonte Williams, who moves up from Bankstown Bruins in NBL1 East.
Losing Dejan Vasiljevic is a decent loss for the 36ers as they lose one of their leaders and best floor spacing threats.
Head coach: Trevor Gleeson
Contracted: Bryce Cotton, Zylan Cheatham, Flynn Cameron, Ben Griscti, Isaac Humphries, John Jenkins III, Matt Kenyon, Nick Rakocevic, Keanu Rasmussen, Isaac White
Incoming: Trevor Gleeson (Head Coach), Bul Kuol (Sydney Kings), Deonte Williams (Bankstown Bruins - NBL1 East)
Departed: Che Brogan (University of Ohio - NCAA), Michael Harris, Mike Wells (Head Coach), Dejan Vasiljevic (New Zealand)
Free Agents: Blake Jones, Deng Manyang, Magok Manyang
Potential depth chart:
PG: Cotton / White / Rasmussen
SG: Cameron / Jenkins III (IP) / Williams (DP)
SF: Kuol* / Kenyon
PF: Cheatham (IP) / Rakocevic (IP)
C: Humphries / Griscti
Team History
The Adelaide 36ers trace their roots to 1982, when they entered the NBL as the Adelaide City Eagles after they were formed by the basketball association of South Australia. They rebranded after the 1982 season to the Adelaide 36ers and in 1984 merged with South Australia’s other NBL team; the West Adelaide Bearcats.
This merging of two teams created an instant powerhouse as the 36ers made the final in 1985 where they lost to the Bullets. However, the team came back fighting and got their revenge the next year against Brisbane winning their first championship. During these early years, rebounding monster Mark Davis was the franchise player of the team and was a 36er for 16 years from 1985-2001. Davis won the 1987 NBL MVP.
Adelaide’s golden era was under the reigns of legendary coach Phil Smyth, who took over and led Adelaide to back‑to‑back titles in 1998 and 1999, then again in 2002, making them one of the few clubs to win three championships within five seasons. This era featured a cast of stars such as Darryl Pearce, Brett Maher, and Kevin Brooks who helped define Adelaide’s identity as a hard-nosed and deeply respected franchise.
Since the early 2000s, Adelaide has had a healthy amount of playoff appearances and reached the Grand Final in 2014 and 2018, though they fell just short of reclaiming the championship including tough finals losses to Perth and Melbourne United.
In 2020, the 36ers signed Josh Giddey as an NBL Next Star. Giddey went on to be drafted 6th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder and is now a promising young player in the NBA, showcasing Adelaide’s developmental ability.
The addition of Bryce Cotton set up a new phase of Adelaide basketball in motion and it didn’t take long to come to fruition as they made the NBL finals in his first year with the team, coming just moments away from winning it all.
Five Fast Facts
- The 36ers beat the NBA’s Phoenix Suns in 2022 marking the first time an NBL team has beat an NBA team
- The 36ers name is derived from the year 1836, which is when the city of Adelaide was founded.
- Adelaide legend Brett Maher played more 500 games for the club and the 36ers home stadium is now named Brett Maher court in his honour
- Rick Brunson (the father of Jalen Brunson) once played for the 36ers and was team MVP
- NBA players who played for Adelaide include Josh Giddey
Club Timeline
- 1982: Formed as the Adelaide City Eagles by the Basketball Association of South Australia.
- 1983: Rebranded to the Adelaide 36ers.
- 1984: Merged with the West Adelaide Bearcats, consolidating South Australia’s NBL presence.
- 1985: Reached their first NBL Grand Final, losing to the Brisbane Bullets.
- 1986: Claimed revenge over Brisbane to win their first NBL Championship.
- 1998–2002: Phil Smyth era leads to a golden age including 3 titles
- 2014 & 2018: Reached the NBL Grand Final but lost to Perth and Melbourne United.
- 2020: Signed rising star Josh Giddey, who was later drafted 6th overall in the NBA by the Oklahoma City Thunder
- 2025: Sign Bryce Cotton and made NBL26 Grand Final
With Cotton and Gleeson reunited and the core of a 23-win, second-place team still intact, the 36ers have arguably the clearest path of any club to finally break through in NBL27.
The pieces are all there for revenge, now it's on Adelaide to turn near-misses into a championship under its new (old) coaching partnership.
