Adelaide 36ers: Five things you need to know

• The Adelaide 36ers have four NBL titles in their 40-year history
• Five-time Bryce Cotton signed with the 36ers in a controversial move
• Adelaide has undergone a significant roster overhaul this season

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. Because in NBL26, all eyes are shifting south as Adelaide landed Bryce Cotton, the five-time league MVP and Perth Wildcats legend, in what’s being called the biggest signing in NBL history.

2024-25 Season Summary 

• Record (13-16)
• Finish 6th (Eliminated in play-in)
• All NBL Selections: Kendric Davis (First team), Montrezl Harrell (second team)

2025 Off-Season Additions:

• Bryce Cotton
• Deng Manyang
• Flynn Cameron
• Isaac White
• Matt Kenyon
• Michael Harris
• Zylan Cheatham

Any off-season in which you can grab a top 2 player in league history is a pretty good one. The Adelaide 36ers had perhaps the most dramatic revamp of any roster in the NBL. Their best player last season Kendric Davis left to go play for Sydney and key players Sunday Dech and Nick Marshall also departed the club.

The prying of Cotton away from the Wildcats is obviously the biggest move for the 36ers and instantly makes them at least a contender for the title. But they also surrounded their new superstar with a roster built to complement his skill set headlined by Zylan Cheatham, an athletic, high energy forward with NBA and international experience, and Flynn Cameron, a strong, defensive minded guard who played rotation minutes on a stacked Melbourne United squad. 

Adelaide also shored up its depth with smart additions like Matt Kenyon, a proven perimeter defender, and Isaac White, a sparkplug scorer who can stretch the floor. Young talents Deng Manyang and Michael Harris offer upside and developmental value, providing a blend of future promise and immediate impact potential off the bench. Resigning Montrezl Harrell was also a huge moment for Adelaide’s off-season as they got back their dominant centre.

Potential Line-up

1. ‍PG: Bryce Cotton (IP) | Isaac White | Keanu Rasmussen‍
2. SG: DJ Vasiljevic | Michael Harris‍
3. SF: Flynn Cameron | Matt Kenyon | Deng Manyang (DP)‍
4. PF: Montrezl Harrell (IP) | Zylan Cheatham (IP)
5. C: Isaac Humphries | Ben 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 occurred 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 had the privilege of signing Josh Giddey who 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 36ers have faced a rough patch recently as they have not made the playoffs for 7 seasons. This last season ended in a particularly sour way for Adelaide fans as they blew a huge half time lead to the SE Melbourne Phoenix in the play-in. 

The addition of Bryce Cotton sets a new phase of Adelaide basketball in motion and gives them hope of returning to their glory days of the late 90s.

Five Fast Facts

1. The 36ers beat the NBA’s Phoenix Suns in 2022 marking the first time an NBL team has beat an NBA team
2. The 36ers name is derived from the year 1836, which is when the city of Adelaide was founded.
3. 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
4. The 36ers centre Montrezl Harrell won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2020
5. 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, a top-2 all-time NBL player

Armed with the league shaking arrival of Bryce Cotton, the Adelaide 36ers are out for blood. With a new core to surround Bryce, DJ and Montrezl, the expectations for the 36ers are higher than they have been in a long long time. Can Bryce Cotton add to his incredible legacy, or will his Adelaide stint be forgotten to history.