Culture set. Foundations strong. Brisbane’s time is now

The Brisbane Bullets enter the new season with belief, stability - and eyes firmly on the Finals.

With a state-of-the-art high performance centre in the heart of the city and a return to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, the off-court vision is clear.

That vision also includes major investment in the club’s coaching, medical and strength and conditioning teams, laying the groundwork for sustained success.

Now it’s about converting that into wins on the court. Something Brisbane finally looks ready to do.

Jaylen Adams’ arrival is being hailed as a “game changer”, and suddenly the Bullets are commanding serious respect.

“(It’s) a huge, pivotal moment in Bullets history moving forward,” club owner Jason Levien told Peter Hooley on NBL Now.

“Jaylen Adams is a proven bucket getter, a proven MVP in the league. I think he's going to make a massive difference for us.

“It’s something we really needed. You add that to some of the other pieces we're collecting and putting together, and I think Stu Lash is in for a very exciting year.”

Lash has taken the reins of a refreshed roster built around Tyrell Harrison, Casey Prather and Mitch Norton. Alex Ducas, reportedly joining from Oklahoma City, brings youth and versatility.

Jacob Holt and Taine Murray add further upside to the squad, while the return of Sam McDaniel provides a defensive boost. Widely regarded as one of the league’s top defensive stoppers, McDaniel will be looking to make his mark after two injury-interrupted seasons.

Levien believes it’s the off-court foundations that are now positioning the Bullets for long-term success.

“I want to give my hats off to Mal here, because his vision over the last two years to build the infrastructure and foundation of the club moving forward, around the performance centre, around moving back to Boondall in a bigger arena, he's put a lot of the pieces in place that have allowed decisions and opportunities like the Jaylen Adams decision,” Levien said of club CEO Malcolm Watts.

“I think Adams coming to the facility we have now and the organisational strength we now have was a big factor for him. I think it’s going to lead to great success.”

“We had to put in the foundation pieces for us to be attractive as a destination club,” Watts continued.

“We love Brisbane, we love our city. Our fans feel the same way. I feel like the club's been very close and at that tipping point to probably shed some of that perception from prior years.

“Why I'm so excited about the Jaylen signing is I think it does exactly that, to be able to attract a player of that calibre. What was attractive for Jaylen too is the environment we've set. We've spent some time with Jaylen talking that through, what we stand by and our standards now at the Brisbane Bullets. I think we’ll be presenting him with an environment that’s going to make him better, on and off the court. It doesn’t happen overnight.”

Watts made it clear the job is far from finished.

“We were very deliberate in this free agency. It was probably frustrating for some of our members and fans, but we wanted to make sure we hit our mark,” he added.

“The last piece was really getting our roster right. Our front office is firing. We’ve moved back to the Entertainment Centre, we're making that home again. We’ve got a high-performance centre in the heart of the city and our brand presence is increasing day by day. All the pieces are coming together.

“There are a couple more moves to make. I think the fans and our members will get the sentiment that the time’s right and we’re making the big decisions and landing some key talent.”

“A lot of hard work from our team has gone into this,” Levien said.

“I think the pieces are coming together. Players with championship and MVP calibre pedigrees make a big difference.

“We want to get back there (to Finals). That’s our main focus, to stay healthy, stay focused, and as we build our winning culture, having those kinds of players with that experience will make all the difference.”

Watts encouraged Brisbane fans to rally behind the team as they enter a promising new era.

“I think we’re in a position now to ask for their support,” he said.

“Jump on, grab memberships, back the club. We’ve filled Brisbane Entertainment Centre before, and I think we’ve got good pieces in place now to stand proud and really go after it this year.”

The 2025 NBA Summer League starts from July 11, Australian time, with exclusive interviews and insights available on the NBL App and NBL.com.au.