Making moves: Wildcats lure another 36er west
Perth have pulled off a recruiting raid of NBL rivals Adelaide, securing versatile two-way player Lat Mayen a day after announcing the signature of fellow 36er Sunday Dech.
Mayen, a 206cm South Sudanese-Australian, is set to add flexibility to the Wildcats as they continue to build their roster for the post-Bryce Cotton era.
The 26-year-old said he was 'super excited' to be heading west for what will be his third stop in three seasons, having begun his NBL journey at Cairns.
'With four of my oldest brothers living in Perth, it's going to make it a smooth transition,' Mayen said.
'I'm very excited to play for 'JR' (John Rillie) and in front of the Red Army instead of up against them.
'Perth will bring new challenges that I'm ready to take on.' Lat Mayen going up against the Wildcats in 2023. Credit: Paul Kane / Getty Images
Mayen and Dech join import duo Kristian Doolittle and Dylan Windler as well as veteran Jesse Wagstaff and reserve guard Elijah Pepper as the beginning of the Wildcats' core ahead of next season.
Perth general manager Danny Mills said he was thrilled to bring in Mayen, who averaged 5.4 points and almost four rebounds per game at Adelaide last campaign.
'Lat is a gifted athlete who has great positional size which continues to add to the versatility we are building our NBL26 roster with,' Mills said.
'Over his three seasons in the NBL he has shown flashes of the two-way impact he can have on the court which is something that really excites us.
'We're confident that in our player-development focused environment here he will take the next step in his game and be a consistent contributor.'
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