Gleeson was 'waiting for Adelaide' to make NBL return

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Adelaide 36ers coach Mike Wells was already under extreme pressure to deliver the franchise a drought-breaking NBL championship but that spotlight is about to get even more intense after it's believed last season's runners-up passed on the opportunity to bring in five-time championship coach Trevor Gleeson.

Gleeson, currently coaching the Chiba Jets in Japan, has reportedly been interested in a return to the NBL and the 36ers made the most sense given their star-studded roster, led by six-time MVP Bryce Cotton who won three titles at the Perth Wildcats under Gleeson.

But after speculation grew about Wells' future following Adelaide's game five loss to the Sydney Kings, the 36ers are believed to be holding firm with the longtime NBA assistant who is set to return to the sidelines next season.

The departure of star guard DJ Vasiljevic is a telltale sign of this given he and Wells' rocky relationship.

Speaking on the latest episode of the Cut to the Jase podcast with Jason Cadee, ESPN's Olgun Uluc said he heard Gleeson was waiting for the 36ers.

"Look, Trevor Gleason is with Chiba... I've heard that he was waiting for Adelaide, that's what I was told that he was waiting for that position which makes sense," Uluc said on the basketball.com.au podcast.

"The opportunity to coach Bryce again, he wants to be back in the NBL or he would like to be back in the NBL, and so of course waiting for a job where you know they have an owner in Grant Kelly who's willing to spend a lot of money, they just went to a championship series, they didn't win it, so there's no pressure of having the extra pressure of having to repeat, which is probably a good thing if you're a new coach coming into that franchise.

"And they're a team that has obviously had had success this past season.

"So, you're going into like a ready-made product. I was told that he was waiting for that. I hadn't told I wasn't told about another team reaching out to Trev, I know for sure he was waiting, but unfortunately if he is waiting, he's going to have to wait a bit longer because I don't envision Mike Wells going anywhere."

Uluc also responded to rumours Cut to the Jase co-host Brayden Heslehurst had heard that the Illawarra Hawks were interested in Gleeson's services had Justin Tatum moved on to the NBA.

"Look after every season there are discussions, especially a place like Adelaide there's a lot of noise, you have the discussions, you do exit meetings, they did a player survey at the end and they determined that Mike Wells should fulfill the remainder of his contracts," he said.

"He's got one more year left and again, like this isn't the decision that any team can make flippantly. Bryce Cotton's about to turn 34, you can't just mess around with a franchise like that and keep a guy for for wrong reasons, you keep a guy because you believe that he could potentially do it.

"Yes he was a rebound away, a layup away, a whatever away from winning a championship. So that's what I've heard on the the coaching front. There was always there was always the question about Dean Vickerman and everyone knew that there was mutual Japan interest out there.

"Again, the sense I get as of today is that he's returning. They're preparing for him to return.

"Every coach that's locked in right now, every decision, every franchise, every ownership is preparing for that coach to return, and that includes Adam Forde in Cairns who has the ability to lead if he wants to, but it the sense is that he will more than likely stay."