Davis slams 36ers, club responds

The Adelaide 36ers have strongly refuted claims they “ghosted” Kendric Davis during contract negotiations.

The recently signed Sydney King said he was “hurt” by the 36ers, who were upset when he delayed signing a new contract, citing needing time with his family after nine months away from home.

The MVP runner-up says the club took a new deal off the table after he took too long to commit for NBL26.

“We came to an agreement and they disappeared. They just ghosted me in February during the season,” Davis said on NBL Now.

“And I was calling, ‘Hey, what’s going on? I want to be a 36er, what’s going on?’ … I love the community, and they ghosted me.”

The club denies those claims, providing a timeline of events in Davis’ negotiations.

“It was a day before I had to leave for China, and they (the 36ers) tried to put a contract in my face and forced me to sign it after ghosting me for three months. And I was like, ‘no, now I’m gone, let me talk to my family, let me see my family before I sign anything’,” Davis said.

“And they came to see me in China and were like, ‘Oh, you’re going to sign? Are you going to sign?’ I said, ‘Yeah, but it’s not going to be on your time now, because when you had the chance to sign, you let me get out the door. I’m in China now. Let me focus on the team that I’m with in China’. So shortly after, they got mad because I said, ‘You know, when I get home, me and my family will look over it and we’ll sign when I get home. I haven’t seen my family in nine months’.

“‘We were trying to get a contract done when I was in season with you. You ghosted me.’ Everybody was on different pages – ownership, GM, everybody. And they were saying, ‘We’re going to get it done next week’. Next week turned to next week. Next thing, they stopped answering calls. Then after that, they changed the number on the contract to a lower number … and I was like, ‘You know what? With all due respect, I’ll just wait till I get home so we can come to the same page of what’s going on’.

“I got a call in, I want to say, a week before I left for China, and they said, ‘You took too long to sign the contract. It’s no longer on the table’.”

In a strongly worded statement, the 36ers pointed to a period of just over a month of negotiations with Davis, ultimately making the decision to part ways with the star guard in mid-March.

“The Adelaide 36ers wish to correct some factual inaccuracies in an NBL podcast interview given by former player Kendrick Davis,” the statement read.

“Among the untruths in the interview are that Davis was “ghosted” in contract negotiations for three months and that he was offered a secondary, lesser contract before the offer was taken off the table. Both of these claims are plainly false.”

The 36ers said they began talking to Davis’ representation on February 11, five days before being knocked out of the Finals and 10 days before Davis “spoke glowingly of his experience in Adelaide” at the club’s MVP Awards.

The club says it continued to express their desire to sign him for NBL26 in the weeks to follow, with an initial contract offer on February 26, before submitting an improved contract offer just a week later on March 2.

General Manager of Basketball Operations Matt Weston then flew to China to meet with Davis on March 9, before making a call to withdraw their offer on March 19.

“After correspondence between the parties, the Adelaide 36ers withdrew the offer to Davis, with the club electing to focus on other recruitment priorities,” the statement said.

“The Adelaide 36ers at all times acted in good faith with Davis and his representatives, initiating contract discussions and remaining in constant communication with an intention to have him re-sign with the club.”

Davis eventually signed with the Sydney Kings on April 21.

He’s set to form a lethal combination at the Kings, while the 36ers have moved on with the signing of Cotton, alongside Montrezl Harrell, among two of the most star-studded rosters in recent years.

The 26-year-old averaged 25.6 points and 7.8 assists a game across NBL25.

Read the 36ers’ full statement below.

The Adelaide 36ers wish to correct some factual inaccuracies in an NBL podcast interview given by former player Kendric Davis.

Among the untruths in the interview are that Davis was “ghosted” in contract negotiations for three months and that he was offered a secondary, lesser contract before the offer was taken off the table. Both of these claims are plainly false.

A timeline of events is as follows:
11 February 2025 – The Adelaide 36ers reached out to Davis’ management seeking a meeting to formally commence discussions regarding a contract extension.
14 February 2025 – A phone meeting was held between Adelaide 36ers management and Davis’ representative.
16 February 2025 – The Adelaide 36ers were eliminated from the NBL finals.
17 February 2025 – The Adelaide 36ers commenced exit interviews with players and coaches following the conclusion of the club’s participation in the NBL25 season.
21 February 2025 – The Adelaide 36ers hosted the club’s annual MVP awards night, at which Davis spoke glowingly of his experience in Adelaide and of the staff, management, supporters and his teammates.
24 February 2025 – The Adelaide 36ers sent Davis’ management its initial proposed terms of a new contract with the club.
26 February 2025 – The Adelaide 36ers followed up the initial offer with a note to Davis’ management expressing the club’s desire to retain him.
2 March 2025 – The Adelaide 36ers finalised an improved contract offer for Davis.
9 March 2025 –Adelaide 36ers General Manager of Basketball Operations, Matt Weston travelled to China to meet with Davis regarding the improved contract offer.
19 March 2025 – After correspondence between the parties, the Adelaide 36ers withdrew the offer to Davis with the club electing to focus on other recruitment priorities.

The Adelaide 36ers at all times acted in good faith with Davis and his representatives, initiating contract discussions and remaining in constant communication with an intention to have him re-sign with the club.

The club is comfortable with the outcome and is now focussed on finalising its roster for NBL26.