Gleeson eyes defensive overhaul in Adelaide

He may have only been appointed less than a week ago, but new Adelaide 36ers Head Coach Trevor Gleeson is already making plans about how he is going to improve his roster for next season.

The 36ers have retained a large number of their core players that went to the Hungry Jack’s NBL26 Championship Series, including Bryce Cotton, Zylan Cheatham, Flynn Cameron, Isaac Humphries, Nick Rakocevic, Isaac White, and Ben Griscti.

They have also added NBL26 champion Bul Kuol to their squad from rival the Sydney Kings.

Five-time NBL championship-winning coach Gleeson knows his team need to improve on the defensive end to take the next step.

“The defence has been a little lax, and you’ve got to have a strong defence to get you through some adversity - injuries or bad patches,” Gleeson said to 36ers Media.

“That’s an area we’ll need to tick the box [in Free Agency].

“I think Bul Kuol will help with that, but he’s not going to be there until Christmas [because of his knee injury], so there are three months in the season he’s not going to be there, so that’s going to be a big focal point.

“We need to get some role players who are happy to play their role and contribute to the team.

“You’ve got some fundamental sound pieces to build from.

“We just need to add some other pieces to complement each other.”

Gleeson, who explained he used to support the 36ers during the 1980s, is excited about where the club is situated, both on and off the court.

“Adelaide has built itself up to one of the premier basketball destinations in the NBL. It’s a credit to everyone involved,” he said.

“They’ve built this team. It went close last year, but there’s no guarantee that we’ll go close next year.

“We’ve got to build something new and strive for excellence to get that championship trophy lifted up.”

Two-time NBL Coach of the Year Gleeson is expected to arrive in Adelaide ahead of the fast-approaching 2026–27 season.