Superstar Bryce Cotton leaves Perth Wildcats

Five-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton has left the Perth Wildcats.

"Perth will always be home, but it’s time to say goodbye and see what else God has planned for me and my family," Cotton said.

"There’s not enough pictures to showcase the memories and experiences I’ve had in Perth the past 9 seasons, so this pic and caption will have to do.

"Man.. to the Red Army y’all have welcomed me with open arms from the time I first stepped onto Aussie soil till I scored my last basket of the season a few weeks back.

"I came at the backend of the season my first year only expecting to be here six weeks, and it turned into accomplishing things that no other player has achieved in their first 9 seasons in the history of the league. All glory to God

"Despite that, I had my slumps along the way on the court but you guys never turned your back on me and always showed genuine support. I can never thank you enough for that.

"I can only hope you had half as much joy watching me play as I had playing in front of y’all year after year. Win lose or draw, I gave you, my teammates, and coaches everything I had.. and thank you once again for accepting, the good games, the bad and everything in between."

After the Wildcats were eliminated from the NBL25 post season, Cotton joined Mets de Guaynabo in Puerto Rico. He is yet to reveal his next destination.

Teammate Tai Webster wrote: "Been a pleasure going to war with you my dawg. Know what it is with me killa. Keep ya shades on out there 😎✊🏽"

The announcement has left Wildcats fans stunned.

"Oh my God I just fell to my knees no way man 🥺🥺🥺 THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING Bryce I started watching NBL cause of you man you the GOAT my boy 🐐🐐🤞🏾" wrote skinnybets on Instagram.

In the annals of Australian basketball history, few names shine as brightly as Cotton's. The Perth Wildcats superstar has etched his name into the record books again this year, clinching his fifth Andrew Gaze Trophy as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2024-25 season. This remarkable achievement places Cotton in rarefied air, second only to the legendary Andrew Gaze himself in the number of MVP awards won.

His MVP wins in 2018, 2020, 2021, 2024, and now 2025 showcase a level of consistency and dominance rarely seen in professional sports. What makes this feat even more impressive is that it marks the second time in Cotton's illustrious career that he has won consecutive MVP awards, a distinction shared only with Gaze.

The 2024/25 season saw Cotton elevate his game to unprecedented heights. Averaging a career-high 28.6 points per game. Perhaps most impressively, Cotton achieved something not seen since Gaze in 1993 — scoring 40 or more points six times throughout the campaign.

In the final tally, Cotton amassed an impressive 119 votes, comfortably outpacing his nearest competitors, Adelaide's Kendric Davis (82 votes) and South East Melbourne's Matt Hurt (65 votes). This wide margin of victory underscores the sheer dominance Cotton displayed throughout the season.