13
Jan
Brisbane Bullets
Hunter gathering Bullets fans amid season of doom
Hunter Maldonado of the Bullets is seen ahead of the round 16 NBL match between Cairns Taipans and Brisbane Bullets at Cairns Convention Centre on January 12, 2026 in Cairns. Photo: Emily Barker/Getty Images
Highlights
Hunter Maldonado’s expanded role is unlocking production as Brisbane searches for momentum.
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American import Hunter Maldonado was somewhat maligned at South East Melbourne Phoenix, struggling to crack a line-up behind the NBL26 star power of Nathan Sobey, John Brown III, on-fire Angus Glover and rising star Owen Foxwell.
The 1.98m Maldonado, 26, was released just before Christmas. There was no way he was taking minutes from Sobey or Glover.
But he was quickly snapped by one of the league's greatest point guards and Brisbane Bullets interim head coach Darryl McDonald. The Bullets were in desperate need for a point guard but Maldonado wasn't a desperate signing.
He had to wait for the Australian Government to grant his playing visa, a challenge during the Christmas / New Year period but he finally suited up against the 36ers on January 4, making an immediate impact.
His breakout came against the Cairns Taipans in Cairns in the last game of Round 16 on Monday, January 12, 2026, pouring in 31 points in 32 minutes, grabbing six boards and handing out five assists two go with two steals, a block and just two turnovers.
"A lot of stop and go," Maldonado said of his past month.
"Coming off the concussion, played like three games, then had a little break before I came here. Then once I got here, stopping and waiting three games to play.
"Then having this game delayed — a lot of stop and go, a lot of travel. But at the end of the day I gotta come in, give energy to the guys, find a way to help them get better, help myself get better."
Maldonado had to sit out from November 9 to December 3, 2025 with concussion and played his last game for the championship contending Phoenix on December 20. He had 18 points in 20 minutes.
"So far it’s been pretty fun," he added.
"It’s because of the guys I’m around, them trusting me, coach trusting me. Being able to go out there and help them out and continue to get better.
Maldonado said he already had a connection with D-Mac.
"It helps a lot," he said.
"Like I said earlier this week, that’s a big reason why I came here — his IQ and pedigree. There’s a lot of similarities, so he sees what I’m seeing and can help me on the sidelines.
"The relationship is just getting built and it’ll keep building. We’ll keep getting better."
Despite dropping a NBL career-high in just his second game for the Bullets, Maldonado instead focused on the result.
"At the end of the day we still lost," he said.
"I was just trying to do whatever I could to go out there and get a win. Like he said, me and TT (Terry Taylor) were getting downhill pretty well, so I just kept trying to do that.
"But you gotta go out and find a way to win, for sure.
"Like I’ve said since I first got here, every day we gotta find a way to continue to get better. We’re playing hard — today was a good night of that, competing.
"We just gotta keep taking steps, doing the right things, and the chips will fall eventually."
Former Brisbane Bullets star and league MVP Derek Rucker declared the Bullets should sign Maldonado for NBL27 — during the game against the Taipans.
Rucker said he had already seen enough that Maldonado could run the show in Brisbane.
At Phoenix, Maldonado was:
- A system piece, not a scorer averaging 19 minutes per game.
- Valued for ball security, spacing, and reads
- Playing within a structure that did not prioritise his shot creation
- A low-usage, high-utility role.
At Brisbane, Maldonado is:
- Primary guard who's averaged 30 minutes per game in two games
- Offense runs through him
- Comfortable carrying scoring + creation load
- Production scales with responsibility
This is not improvement — it’s shows an unlocking. It's not a criticism of the Phoenix, it's the fit and role change at Brisbane.
Maldonado spent six years at the University of Wyoming. He averaged 13.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and four assists in 155 games. He made the Mountain West All-First Team in 2022 and won the G League championship with the Oklahoma City Blue in 2024. He went undrafted in 2023 before playing for Ludwigsburg in Germany in 2024-25.
He might just be the silver lining for the Bullets and their fans in a season to forget.
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