Adelaide 36ers coach Mike Wells has shrugged off suggestions Bryce Cotton's bombshell arrival has rocketed the long-time NBL underachievers into championship favouritism.
But he concedes the surprise signing "changes everything" for the Sixers, whose owner has likened Cotton's influence to that of American sporting legends Tom Brady and Michael Jordan.
Widely regarded among the league's greatest-ever players, Cotton appeared lost to the NBL when he rejected Perth's rich contract extension and declared he would unlikely sign for a rival.
Cotton had been linked with a move to Japan but on Friday morning, the Sixers confirmed they'd signed the American combo guard on a three-year deal.
Five-time NBL MVP Cotton is the perfect replacement for outgoing guard Kendric Davis and helps the Sixers continue a regeneration that yielded their first finals appearance in seven seasons last year.
"You don't get the opportunity to add this kind of talent to your mix very often," said second-year coach Mike Wells.
"I can talk about reshaping the 36ers' culture and the locker room and what we want to do on the court and all these things.
"But instantly when you put Bryce Cotton on your roster, it changes everything. It just changes everything, the moment he walks in."
Cotton is expected to partner local shooting guard Dejan Vasiljevic in the Sixers' starting back-court and joins Flynn Cameron, Matt Kenyon, Isaac White and Michael Harris as new additions this season.
Wells would not be drawn to comment on whether signing three-time NBL champion Cotton made the club the team to beat in the 2025/26 season.
"I don't know. That's for you guys to debate," he told reporters.
Cotton appeared in the All-NBL First Team every year from 2018 until 2025 and became the gold standard for import signings across nine seasons with the Wildcats.
Last season was arguably the greatest of his NBL career, with the 32-year-old posting putting up a record-breaking 59 points in a clash with the New Zealand Breakers in December.
Cotton averaged a league-best 28.1 points per game last season and now reunites with Wells - an assistant coach at the Utah Jazz during his brief NBA stint.
"It genuinely is a gamechanger," Sixers owner Grant Kelley said of Cotton's arrival.
"Every now and then you get a generational player in sports.
"If you look at the NFL it's probably Tom Brady, (Wayne) Gretsky in hockey and of course Michael Jordan in basketball.
"If you look at the NBL in the last 10 years, Bryce Cotton is the player, maybe there's one or two others, but he's the players who can consistently exert his influence on a team sport."
Cotton, who is currently playing for Puerto Rican side Mets de Guaynabo, will join the Sixers for pre-season training in coming months.
