"However long it takes": Wildcats not rushing key piece

The Red Army have been patiently waiting for the Wildcats to find their missing piece ahead of the season, and General Manager of Basketball Operations, Danny Mills, outlined exactly what that needs to be.

“Clearly we need a playmaker, a guy that can be a table setter and kind of really get us into offense,” he said during his time in Las Vegas at NBA Summer League.

“But also that’s an important spot as well. You need someone that can do both, can score and kind of play off our other guys as well as make them better.”

The Wildcats look set to be one of the few teams in the league that is returning with four or more of their starting five from the previous season, with Tasmania also on that list, although Bryce Hamilton will miss half the season as he works back from an ACL injury.  

“We feel like we’ve got our strength in the front court,” Mills added.

“Clearly returning Dylan Windler for his third year, Kristian Doolittle for his fourth year… having Jo Lual-Acuil already locked in.

“We really love our other pieces that are coming back. Re-signing Elijah Pepper and we really feel Jaron really is going to take a big step this year.”

The Wildcats are looking to add another championship banner to their incredibly successful history, and Mills understands that pressure to succeed is real.

“You have to (feel it), you can’t not,” he said.

“That’s why I took the job. That’s why I wanted to go back. It is home but it’s also a big time club and we feel like we’ve got it on the world stage right now.”

The vacant point guard position has been the biggest watch for the Wildcats since the beginning of last season, as they looked to find the perfect piece to finish their puzzle and Mills is adamant that patience is key.

“We’re super excited about who we’re bringing back, but it’s about finding this last piece and however long that takes, it’ll take,” he said.

“The market is the market, we just got to play with what we got.”