Harrell declares 'I Got You' to Brisbane Bullets

• ‍EXCLUSIVE: Montrezl Harrell reveals hurt over 36ers exit‍
• 'How does this happen': Jason Cadee shocked at Montrezl Harrell release‍
• Montrezl Harrell: 'I will be back' in the NBL

Former NBA Sixth Man of the Year and Adelaide 36ers power forward Montrezl Harrell has told the beleaguered Brisbane Bullets "I got you! Believe that!" after they were mathematically eliminated from the NBL26 playoffs.

Harrell replied to a NBL post on X: "Brisbane yall need a shock change for the culture I got you! Believe that!"

Harrell, who was an NBL25 All-NBL Second Team member after averaging 20.5 points and 9.3 rebounds for the 36ers, told basketball.com.au's Jason Cadee in an exclusive interview he still loved the NBL, even watching it more than the NBA, and hoped to return as soon as next season.

In November, after his shock release by the 36ers after a confusing drug ban by the Chinese Basketball Association, declared he would be back in the NBL.

Harrell revealed his “chest starts to get real tight” by the way his contract was terminated by the Adelaide 36ers before the start of the NBL26 season.

He explained how the 36ers and its fans rekindled his love of the game after coming back from an ACL injury in NBL25 only for his second season to end in controversy and confusion of a marijuana suspension by the Chinese Basketball Association.

"I give it to Matt (Weston), bro. He was definitely adamant throughout the whole thing, trying to help the situation and trying to figure out what actually was going down," Harrell told former 36ers teammate Cadee on Australia's No1 basketball podcast Cut to the Jase.

"If anybody who was trying to figure it out, it was him... He definitely did the work of trying to get it handled or at least figure out what actually is going to transpire in it. But when it started to come down to the situation and to the point where he started to see that the people that he actually knew really couldn't do nothing with the situation... they kick me.

"This is the thing that rubbed me wrong with it.

“You send my agent a termination letter and give me a time period on that same day telling me I have to sign it, and if I don't sign it, you just going to terminate my contract.

“We didn't come to no agreement on parting ways, bro. They terminated my (contract) and signed somebody that same day, bro.

"So, that's where my animosity rubs. That's where my chest starts to get real tight now. I start to, you feel me, get real aggressive because you was with me, I stuck up for the club and took a suspension for three days for somebody pushing you, Matt. I took that suspension for you.

"Y'all telling me we family, we this and that and that's what rubs me wrong, bro... because I gave y'all all of me. Every time I laced up my shoes on that court, Adelaide got everything I had.

"Y'all got everything I had and y'all taught me and made me feel a love for the game of basketball again, bro, when I was in a real dark place, that will never change. But as I was done on the way out, that's f****d up, bro."

Brisbane's season has been a disaster. First-year head coach Stu Lash stepped down after guiding the Bullets to a 5-13 record. They are 6-22 and in a dog fight to not "win" the wooden spoon.

The Bullets lost star Casey Prather to a season-ending knee injury, big man Tyrell Harrison to a concussion, Javon Freeman-Liberty left after three games but later returned only to suffer a season-ending hamstring injury, Lamar Patterson to a season-ending hamstring injury as well and parted ways former NBL MVP Jaylen Adams mid-season.

Import Hunter Maldonado signed with the club after leaving South East Melbourne Phoenix, making way for NBL veteran Ian Clark. Maldonado has brought some stability to the Bullets back court with Mitch Norton but the blow-outs have kept piling up, the last against the Illawarra Hawks 113-75 in Round 18 of NBL26 on Monday, January 26, 2026 in Brisbane.

Brisbane Bullets

Interim Head Coach: Darryl McDonald (Replaces Stu Lash)

• ‍PG: Javon Freeman-Liberty (IP) | Mitch Norton‍
• SG: Hunter Maldonado (IP & IRP) | Taine Murray | Tristan Devers (DP) | Dakota Mathias‍
• SF: Terry Taylor | Alex Ducas | Sam McDaniel | Jack Purchase | Lamar Patterson (IRP)‍
• PF: Casey Prather (IP) | Lachlan Anderson (IRP) | Jacob Holt | Jensen Bradtke (DP) | Tohi Smith-Milner‍
• C: Tyrell Harrison | Callum Dalton (IRP)

Status: Maldonado is waiting for his visa.

Injuries

• Dakota Mathias: Fractured scapula (shoulder).
• Casey Prather: Knee injury. Out the rest of the season.
• Lamar Patterson: Hamstring. Out of the rest of the season
• Tyrell Harrison: Concussion. No timetable
• Javon Freeman Liberty: Hamstring. Not timetable

Incoming Players

• Import Player: Hunter Maldonado (South East Melbourne Phoenix)
• Import player: Javon Freeman-Liberty (back from the US)
• Import player: Terry Taylor (Sacramento Kings / Stockton Kings)
• Lachlan Anderson (injury replacement player from Brisbane. Brought in on November 14, 2025.
• Callum Dalton (Injury replacement player)
• Jaylen Adams (from Sydney Kings – Import)‍
• Alex Ducas (from Oklahoma City Thunder – NBA)‍
• Jack Purchase (from Melbourne Tigers - NBL1)‍
• Taine Murray (from University of Virginia – NCAA)‍
• Jacob Holt (from Sacramento State University – NCAA)‍
• Jensen Bradtke (from University of Montana – NCAA)‍
• Tad Dufelmeier (From Cairns Taipans and Knox Raiders)

Departed Players

• Jaylen Adams: Released.
• Isaac White (to Adelaide 36ers)‍
• James Batemon (to Hiopos Lleida – Spain)‍
• Josh Bannan (to Tasmania JackJumpers)‍
• Keandre Cook (to CB Breogán – Spain)‍
• Kye Savage
• Rocco Zikarsky (to Minnesota Timberwolves – NBA)