NICKNAME/S: Jase

BIO: Cadee was born and raised in the Sydney suburb of Greenacre. He attended Westfields Sports High School in the nearby suburb of Fairfield West, where he earned Hall of Fame status for basketball.

He grew up playing for the Bankstown Bruins junior program. Cadee received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 2009. He spent two years year there and played for the program’s state league team (2009, 2010).

FAMILY: Jason Cadee is the son of Robbie Cadee who played 100 games in the NBL.

Jason’s mother Debbie (formerly Debbie Lee) represented the Opals at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Jason Cadee made his NBL debut with the Gold Coast Blaze at 19 years of age. He scored 11 points in his first game.

Cadee averaged 3.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists as rookie while the Blaze finished with a record of 13-15 and in sixth place during the regular season.

2011/12
In 2011/12, Cadee numbers improved to 5.2 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists per game as the Blaze finished with a record of 17-11 and in third place during the regular season.

ADELAIDE 36ERS
2012/13
The Adelaide 36ers approached the 2012/13 season with a renewed focus on building around a foundation of local Australian talent. Capitalising on the Gold Coast Blaze’s exit from the league, the club acquired Adam Gibson, Anthony Petrie, and Jason Cadee on multi-year deals, while also bringing back Luke Schenscher for a second stint in Adelaide. Key returning players included Daniel Johnson, Mitch Creek, Stephen Weigh, and Nathan Crosswell, forming a balanced group of young prospects and seasoned contributors. In a deliberate shift away from dependence on imports, Adelaide signed only one—local state league scorer CJ Massingale. Departing the team were Adam Ballinger (to Melbourne), Everard Bartlett (to Perth), and former imports Chris Warren and Diamon Simpson, while Darren Ng, Nathan Herbert, and Wade Helliwell retired.

Adelaide began the season with early promise, defeating Melbourne 84–61 in the season opener. By Round 7, the team had improved to 4–3, including a hard-earned 69–65 win in Perth, and sat third on the ladder. However, momentum evaporated as the 36ers dropped 17 of their remaining 21 games, including an eight-game losing streak, finishing in last place for a second straight season with an 8–20 record.

The season was disrupted by the loss of Mitch Creek (5.8 points and 2.6 rebounds), who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in December against Townsville. Creek’s injury limited Adelaide’s athleticism on the wing and placed greater responsibility on the backcourt, including Cadee, to initiate offence.

Import CJ Massingale (4.1 points) was released midway through the campaign after failing to adapt to NBL standards. His replacement, American guard Scott Christopherson (2.9 points and 1.9 rebounds), joined from Belarus but encountered delays due to visa and FIBA clearance issues. Once eligible, Christopherson struggled to earn playing time and was heavily criticised, with basketball writer Boti Nagy later calling him the worst import in club history.

Jason Cadee (7.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists) had a steady campaign in his first year with the 36ers, operating primarily as a secondary ball-handler alongside Gibson. Cadee’s ability to play both guard positions made him a valuable rotation piece, especially as the team navigated injuries and a changing lineup throughout the year.

The team closed the season with four straight losses and an unchanged 8–20 record from the previous year. Head coach Marty Clarke was not retained, with Adelaide appointing championship-winning coach Joey Wright to lead the team into a new era. Despite the season’s results, Cadee gained valuable experience and was part of a core group expected to benefit from a fresh start under Wright.

While Cadee continued to grow in his role, teammates Daniel Johnson (16.2 points and 8.1 rebounds) and Adam Gibson (11.6 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.6 rebounds) were recognised with All-NBL Second and Third Team honours respectively. Other key contributors for the season were Petrie (11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds), Weigh (10.6 points and 5.9 rebounds), and Schenscher (9 points and 6.1 rebounds). Adelaide missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season, but with key young talent in place, hopes were high that Wright could unlock the group’s full potential.

2013/14
In 2013, the 36ers brought in NBL championship-winning coach Joey Wright, who transformed the team from back-to-back wooden spooners into Grand Final contenders against the Perth Wildcats. The 36ers retained their core Aussie talent, including Daniel Johnson (19.2 points and 6.8 rebounds), who again led the team in scoring and rebounding, as well as Adam Gibson, Anthony Petrie, and Jason Cadee.

The 36ers also welcomed the return of Mitchell Creek and Luke Schenscher, both of whom had their previous seasons cut short by injury. Creek returned from a near career-ending Achilles injury, and Schenscher overcame elbow surgery. The club added BJ Anthony (via New Zealand) and 2011 NBL MVP Gary Ervin (via Townsville) to team up with new import Jarrid Frye in the backcourt.

After Round 7, the 36ers, led by Ervin and Johnson, were sitting in second place on the NBL ladder with a 7-2 record, including a 5-0 run. This stretch featured both of their wins over the Breakers in Auckland, marking their first victories against the triple defending champions since 2009. Adelaide also handed the previously undefeated Perth Wildcats (91-86) their first loss of the season in front of 6,585 fans at Adelaide Arena, the largest crowd since Brett Maher’s last home game in 2009.

By December, Adelaide (9-4) had already surpassed last season’s total of eight wins.

In February, the 36ers released Jarrid Frye (8.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists) due to underwhelming performances and an ankle injury. With second-placed Adelaide targeting a Grand Final berth, local guard Rhys Carter, who had been playing as an import in Sweden, was signed as Frye’s replacement.

The 36ers finished the regular season in second place (18-10), with Jason Cadee averaging 6.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists.

In the semifinals, Adelaide faced Melbourne, winning Game 1 convincingly behind Gary Ervin’s 27 points and 7 assists (101-85). In Game 2, Tigers guard Chris Goulding erupted for 37 points, leading Melbourne to a 98-87 win and tying the series (1-1). Adelaide responded in Game 3 with a dominant 102-63 victory, holding Melbourne to just 27 first-half points and winning every quarter by at least 7 points.

In the Grand Final, Adelaide faced top-seeded Perth. In Game 1, Wildcats star James Ennis (30 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists) led Perth to a 92-85 victory, giving them a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2 saw 8,127 36ers fans (the largest home crowd of the season) rally their team to an 89-84 win. Big performances from Gary Ervin (23 points) and Adam Gibson (18 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists) evened the series (1-1).

In Game 3, 13,498 Perth fans watched the Wildcats clinch their sixth NBL title. With James Ennis hindered by foul trouble, Perth relied on veteran duo Shawn Redhage and Damian Martin to step up. Redhage scored 10 of his 16 points in the first quarter to help settle his team, while Martin delivered a superb defensive effort, limiting Gary Ervin to just 4 points while adding 14 points and 6 rebounds himself. Key contributions from Greg Hire (9 rebounds, 5 assists) and Jermaine Beal (15 points) helped Perth erase the disappointment of losing the Grand Final in the previous two seasons.

Anthony Petrie (20 points) was relentless for the 36ers, but lacked support from Adam Gibson (8 points) and Daniel Johnson (9 points), both of whom had been instrumental in the first two games of the series.

SYDNEY KINGS
2014/15
During the 2014/15 season, Cadee averaged 8.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists and was a part of the Kings squad which finished in a seventh place with a record of 9-19.

2015/16
Since rejoining the NBL in 2010, the Sydney Kings had yet to finish with a winning record. They came close last season, but a season-ending injury to star Josh Childress derailed their hopes.

Determined to turn things around, Sydney loaded up on talent to support Childress and their emerging young core of Jason Cadee, Tom Garlepp, and reigning Rookie of the Year Angus Brandt. The team also added veterans Julian Khazzouh, Steven Markovic, and Rhys Carter, while NBA draftee Marcus Thornton was brought in as the second import.

Childress missed the first four games of the season (1-3) with a foot injury but returned against Adelaide (Oct 23) at home, where he scored 23 points despite suffering a broken right hand during the game. This setback sidelined him for an additional four to six games with a boxer’s fracture.

Childress returned to action in late November but fractured his left hand just two games later, ruling him out for another three weeks. He rejoined the team on December 29 and finished out the remainder of the season. Overall, Childress averaged 21.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.7 blocks, but he played in only 13 games.

Starting center Julian Khazzouh (13.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.8 blocks) also put up solid numbers before suffering a serious right quadriceps injury in mid-December, which kept him out for a third of the season. Markovic (3.0 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists) was limited to just three games due to illness and recovery. At one point, the team was so depleted that assistant coach Ben Knight had to suit up for four games.

In January 2016, Craig Moller and Jordan Vandenberg were brought in to help cover the losses of Khazzouh and backup forward Jeromie Hill (4.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.4 assists).

During Childress’ absence, the Kings signed former NBA players Damion James (7.0 points, 7.8 rebounds) for five games and Al Harrington (17.7 points, 6.8 rebounds) for six games. While James struggled, Harrington became a fan favorite, but neither could turn around the team’s fortunes. Coach Damian Cotter was released mid-season.

Joe Connelly, a former Washington Wizards assistant, took over as head coach and helped young players like Jason Cadee (14.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists), Tom Garlepp (14.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists), and Angus Brandt (8.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks) continue their development, with Brandt even earning a national team call-up at the end of the year. However, the under-manned Kings couldn’t avoid finishing in last place with a 6-22 record.

This season saw Cadee elevated to the starting lineup, where he posted career-highs in assists and 3-point attempts per game. He connected on 35.6% of his threes, marking his best shooting percentage in four years.

2016/17
Kevin Lisch turned down a contract extension with the Illawarra Hawks to sign a lucrative three-year deal with the Sydney Kings. This was the second major signing for the Kings, following the appointment of Australian basketball icon Andrew Gaze as head coach. The combination of Lisch and Gaze attracted more free agents to a team that had struggled since re-entering the NBL in 2010, including a 6–22 record in the 2015/16 season. A key bonus for the Kings was that Lisch had become an Australian citizen in March 2016, allowing the team to use its three import slots on other players. In the lead-up to the 2016/17 season, Lisch was named team captain.

When it became clear that Julian Khazzouh would miss the season due to a quadriceps injury, the Kings used their spare import spot to sign two-time NBA champion Josh Powell as his replacement.

Lisch made his debut for the Kings on October 8, 2016, scoring a game-high 20 points in a 77–73 loss to the Brisbane Bullets. In the Kings’ second game, Powell debuted with 14 points and six rebounds, leading Sydney to an 88–84 win over the Illawarra Hawks. The team’s celebrations after this victory became a viral sensation.

By mid-November, Lisch had guided the Kings to the top of the NBL ladder, with the team holding a 5-1 record and being title favourites. Lisch was averaging 18 points per game, and his strong performances led coach Andrew Gaze and teammate Steve Blake to comment that Lisch was good enough to play in the NBA.

However, things began to unravel. The Kings’ home-heavy early schedule caught up to them, and Blake unexpectedly returned to the U.S. due to personal issues. Lisch appeared to burn out, and while Powell had a few standout performances, he ended the season coming off the bench, averaging 9 points and 5 rebounds.

By Round 11, the Kings had slipped from the top of the ladder, and by Round 14, they were out of the top four. Sydney missed the playoffs, losing nine of their last twelve games to finish seventh on the ladder with a 13–15 record. Jason Cadee averaged 13 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists for the season.

BRISBANE BULLETS
2018/19
After finishing at the bottom of the ladder in 2018, Brisbane underwent significant changes, parting ways with Adam Gibson (to South East Melbourne), Shaun Bruce (to Sydney), and Anthony Petrie (retired). The Bullets embarked on a recruiting drive that brought in Boomers sharpshooter Cameron Gliddon (via Cairns), Jason Cadee (via Sydney), Matt Hodgson (via Adelaide), Tom Jervis (via Perth), and Mika Vukona (via New Zealand). They also welcomed back Rio Olympian and former Chicago Bull Cam Bairstow, returning from knee reconstruction. Additionally, Makoto Hiejima became the first Japanese player to sign with an NBL team under the league’s Asian Player rule, and NBA veteran Alonzo Gee (via Puerto Rico) was added as an import.

These key signings aimed to strengthen Brisbane’s roster for what was expected to be a tough start to the season, with 12 of their first 15 games against the previous season’s top-four teams.

However, four games into the season, Alonzo Gee (7.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) was released after requesting to return to the U.S. for personal reasons. A month later, import Stephen Holt (7.1 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists) left the team due to concerns over playing time, signing with a European club instead. Brisbane replaced Gee with Lamar Patterson (via China) in October and signed Jeremy Kendle (6.0 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists) to fill Holt’s spot.

By January, Brisbane had fallen to a 9-9 record following a 29-point blowout loss to Cairns, placing them mid-table. Nnanna Egwu (0 points, 2.3 rebounds) briefly joined as an injury replacement, while Kendle’s contract was extended for the rest of the season. Makoto Hiejima was replaced by import AJ Davis (4.1 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.3 assists), son of NBA legend Antonio Davis, in an effort to further improve the squad.

Despite these roster changes, Jason Cadee (8.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.1 steals) provided a consistent presence for the Bullets, mainly starting games. His standout performances included 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists against the New Zealand Breakers (16 Feb 2019), 18 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists in a win over the Cairns Taipans (19 Jan 2019), and 16 points against Melbourne United (10 Dec 2018).

Lamar Patterson (17.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 steals) led the team in scoring, while Cameron Gliddon (13.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists) and Cam Bairstow (11.6 points, 5.8 rebounds) were also key contributors.

Brisbane finished the regular season tied with Adelaide at 14-14 but secured the fourth playoff spot due to a superior points percentage.

In the semifinals, Brisbane faced Perth. In Game 1 (89–59), Terrico White (24 points, 3 rebounds) and Bryce Cotton (19 points, 10 assists) dominated, while Cam Gliddon led Brisbane with 18 points. Jason Cadee added 9 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal.

In Game 2 (84–79), Terrico White (24 points) and Bryce Cotton (19 points, 10 assists) once again outplayed Brisbane. Despite strong performances from Lamar Patterson (19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) and Matt Hodgson (15 points), the Bullets couldn’t stop Perth from advancing to the Grand Final. Jason Cadee contributed 10 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists, and 2 steals in Brisbane’s final game of the season.

2019/20
In 2019/20 Cadee averaged 11.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists as the Bullets finished with a record of 15-13 and in fifth place during the regular season. He was also selected as the league’s Best Sixth Man.

2020/21
Brisbane continued to struggle to establish a solid foundation in their fourth year since re-entering the NBL. The team parted ways with key players, including Cam Gliddon (to South East Melbourne), Lamar Patterson (to New Zealand), and Will Magnay, who signed with the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans.

In their place, Brisbane brought in rookie Tanner Krebs (St. Mary’s – NCAA), Anthony Drmic, and Harry Froling (both via Adelaide), alongside import signings Vic Law and Orlando Johnson.

The Bullets assembled a high-scoring squad, with Law (18.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 blocks) shooting 47% from the field, and team captain Nathan Sobey (21.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.8 assists) shooting 46%. Both players ranked among the league’s top five scorers. Brisbane also boasted a strong local frontcourt, with Matthew Hodgson (10.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks), Harry Froling (8.0 points, 4.9 rebounds), and Tyrell Harrison (5.2 points, 5.8 rebounds), making them one of the top rebounding teams in the league, finishing third in offensive rebounds and second in defensive rebounds.

The Bullets showed their potential in a win over Illawarra (97-91), where Law (29 points and 9 rebounds) and Sobey (18 points and 7 assists) led the scoring while Froling and Hodgson combined for 13 rebounds.

Other standout games included a victory over top-of-the-table Melbourne (96-88), where Law grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds to go along with 10 points, while Hodgson had a season-best 24 points in 27 minutes. Another notable win came against Perth (95-92), with Law (23 points and 5 rebounds) and Sobey (31 points and 4 assists) combining for 54 points.

Despite their strong rebounding and scoring, Brisbane struggled to maintain consistency, sitting at 8-8 midway through the season. Orlando Johnson (6.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) was released in mid-March after a lackluster showing across 15 games. Coincidentally, around the same time, New Zealand released Lamar Patterson due to knee issues and a slow start to his season. Patterson returned to Brisbane, averaging 14.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.5 steals, and looked set to help the team make a playoff push. However, in the next game, Law suffered a knee injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

Brisbane (10-8) had been floating around the top four, but Law’s injury proved costly. Sobey tried to fill the void, but the Bullets lost five of their next seven games, allowing an average of 90 points while scoring only 80 themselves. This prompted the mid-season signing of BJ Johnson (10.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.9 assists), who helped steady the ship somewhat. Still, Brisbane ended the season with an 8-10 record from their last 18 games.

Their worst performance came in Round 19 against South East Melbourne, where they put up a season-low 66 points in a 95-66 loss. With Sobey sidelined, Anthony Drmic (20 points) and Patterson (11 points) were the only players to score more than six points.

Despite flashes of potential, Brisbane finished the season in sixth place with an 18-18 record and missed the playoffs.

Jason Cadee played in all 36 games for the Bullets, averaging 9.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.

2021/22
Following a sixth-place finish in the previous season, it was announced that Andrej Lemanis would step down as head coach after five years with the Bullets. Although assistant coach and former Bullets player CJ Bruton was considered for the role, the team ultimately appointed former Sydney Kings assistant James Duncan as the new head coach.

Brisbane underwent significant roster changes, with import Lamar Patterson returning, but losing key players like Vic Law (to Perth) and BJ Johnson, who signed an NBA deal with Orlando. Local bigs Matt Hodgson (to Perth), Harry Froling (to Illawarra), and development player Callum Dalton (to Melbourne) also departed in search of better opportunities.

The Bullets re-signed Tyrell Harrison and Jason Cadee on two-year deals and added several international players to fill the remaining roster spots, including Chuanxing Liu (China), Jack Salt (New Zealand), Deng Deng (South Sudan), Next Star Tom Digbeu (France), and import Robert Franks (USA).

Brisbane opened the season with an overtime loss to the Tasmania JackJumpers (74-83), setting a tone for the season where the Bullets frequently found themselves on the losing side of close games against top teams.

By the halfway point of the season, Brisbane held a 5-9 record. Injuries to key players Tyrell Harrison (elbow) and star guard Nathan Sobey (knee) further disrupted the team’s rhythm, with Harrison missing 11 games and Sobey 16 games.

Robert Franks (18.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) was the team’s top scorer in 13 games and led the vote count for the Leroy Loggins MVP Award (Club MVP). Franks shot 50% from the field, 76% from the free-throw line, and finished fifth in the league in points per game.

Other key contributors included Patterson (16.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists), Sobey (16.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists), and Jason Cadee (10.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists). Cadee also set career highs in assists per game (4.9) and single-game assists, recording 11 against New Zealand in Round 17, finishing fifth in the league for assists.

Despite some flashes of potential under new head coach Duncan, the Bullets missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year, finishing in eighth place with a 10-18 record.

2022/23
After finishing second last in the previous season, Brisbane made significant moves by signing Boomers big man Aron Baynes and veteran guard Tyler Johnson, who had previously been teammates in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns. Devondrick Walker (via NBL1) was brought in as a second import, while local talents Harry Froling (via Illawarra), Gorjok Gak (via Europe), and DJ Mitchell (via NBL1), the son of former Bullets import Mike Mitchell, were added to complement the returning core of Jason Cadee, Tyrell Harrison, Tanner Krebs, and captain Nathan Sobey.

With these off-season acquisitions, many in the media predicted Brisbane to be a top-four contender. However, doubts lingered over the health of Sobey, who was returning from a knee injury that kept him out for half of the NBL22 season, and Baynes, who was making his comeback after a neck injury at the Olympics that nearly left him paralyzed.

Six games into the season, the Bullets were still winless. Baynes (11.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assists) struggled to regain his former NBA form, and Sobey (15.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists) posted his lowest points and rebounds numbers in five years.

Brisbane finally secured back-to-back wins against Illawarra. The first (82-56) came on the back of a 17-point, 14-rebound performance from Baynes, and the second (86-61) was led by Sobey, who scored 14 points in the first quarter and 22 in the first half, both career highs. It marked the first time Brisbane had won consecutive games by at least 25 points since February 2007.

A two-point victory over Tasmania (74-72) extended Brisbane’s streak to three games, but the positive momentum was short-lived. The team decided to release underperforming import Walker (9.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists) and parted ways with head coach James Duncan.

Walker was replaced by Andrew White (7.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.7 assists), and Duncan was succeeded by General Manager Sam Mackinnon as interim coach. Mackinnon’s tenure lasted just three games before assistant coach and former Townsville Crocodile Greg Vanderjagt took over for the rest of the season. However, Brisbane’s best basketball was already behind them.

Reports surfaced of a strained relationship between Bullets CEO Peter McLennan and Mackinnon, and during this turbulent period, Brisbane suffered two devastating losses: a 37-point loss to New Zealand and a record-setting 49-point defeat to Sydney, the largest loss in NBL history. Brisbane finished second-last again (8-20), with three of their eight wins coming against Illawarra, who recorded their worst season ever.

Despite Tyler Johnson’s strong showing (15.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 steals), which earned him a nomination for the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award (won by Barry Brown Jr.), the season was a massive disappointment for both the team and its players, leading to a mass exodus at the end of the year.

In November, Cadee celebrated his 350th NBL game and went on to play 24 games during the season, averaging 11.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.

ADELAIDE 36ERS
2023/24
After a second underwhelming season under coach CJ Bruton, Adelaide made several roster changes. Despite having Robert Franks and Antonius Cleveland under contract for a second season, both imports were allowed to leave and pursue opportunities overseas.

Other departures included Anthony Drmic (to Tasmania), Ian Clark (to Melbourne), and Kai Sotto (to Japan), but the most notable loss for many 36ers fans was the decision not to re-sign longtime big man Daniel Johnson after 13 years with the club.

Returning to Adelaide were former Sixers Jason Cadee (via Brisbane), Isaac Humphries (via Melbourne), and import Jacob Wiley, who were brought in to provide leadership. New additions to the squad included Next Star prospect Trentyn Flowers, AFL convert Alex Starling, and imports Trey Kell (via South East Melbourne) and Jamaal Franklin.

Franklin’s tenure was short-lived, as he was released during the NBL Blitz. Adelaide, like last season, started slow with a 1-4 record before signing DJ Vasiljevic, who had parted ways with Sydney and briefly signed with Washington in the NBA before being released just ahead of the NBL season.

Vasiljevic (19.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists) provided an immediate scoring boost, but a disastrous loss to Tasmania, where Adelaide shot just 29% from the field and 2-11 from beyond the arc, matching their lowest score in the 40-minute era (59-94), led to Bruton’s dismissal. With the team sitting at the bottom of the ladder (4-9), Bruton was replaced by assistant coach Scott Ninnis, who had previously coached the team from 2008-2010. Ninnis managed to turn things around, and a strong January (5-1) put Adelaide back in playoff contention.

Adelaide finished the season as the second-best rebounding team in the league, averaging 43.5 rebounds per game, but struggled mightily from three-point range, shooting just 29.9%—the worst in the competition.

Trey Kell (17.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.1 steals) and Isaac Humphries (15.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks) both enjoyed career-best seasons, while Wiley (10.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists) led the team in rebounding.

Despite a revitalised second half of the season, Adelaide finished just outside of the Play-In Tournament, one win and percentage shy (12 wins, 16 losses). Jason Cadee averaged 5.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists across 26 games.

2024/25
A major off-season overhaul saw Adelaide part ways with multiple core contributors. Former captain Mitch McCarron (to New Zealand), rising star Trentyn Flowers (drafted into the NBA), import Jacob Wiley (to Spain), and rotation bigs Tohi Smith-Milner (to Brisbane), Kyrin Galloway (to Cairns), Trey Kell III (to Illawarra), and Akech Aliir (to Melbourne) all departed ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

In response, the 36ers swiftly locked in key returnees. Dejan Vasiljevic re-signed on a three-year deal and was elevated to team captain, while Isaac Humphries also committed to a fresh three-year contract. Developmental locals Fiston Ipassou and Keanu Rasmussen were retained on one-year deals, and South Australian swingman Jacob Rigoni extended his stay on a two-year contract with a club option.

To replenish the roster, Adelaide recruited heavily. Import guard Kendric Davis was signed to a one-year deal following a standout G League stint and was installed as the team’s lead playmaker. Joining him were forward Lat Mayen (via Cairns), 21-year-old Ben Griscti (from UC Riverside), and NBL1 standout Patrick D’Arcy. Former Sydney Kings big man Jarell Martin joined via Turkey, but an early injury sidelined him for the opening stretch. To cover Martin’s absence, the club pulled off one of the biggest signings in league history by securing former NBA Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell. Veteran guard Jason Cadee and replacement wing Tom Kubank rounded out the rotation.

Jason Cadee (3.8 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists across 29 games) brought leadership and steady guard play in his return to Adelaide. While his minutes were limited in a deep backcourt led by Kendric Davis, Cadee consistently contributed as a floor general and calming presence. He posted season-highs of 15 points (6-10 FG, 3-4 3PT), 7 rebounds, and 3 assists in a February 2 game against South East Melbourne. Other standout efforts included a 13-point, 3-assist outing against his former Brisbane team on December 6, and a 9-point, 4-assist performance in the early-season clash with Cairns on September 28. His ability to step in with poise during key moments was particularly valued during the team’s injury-hit and suspension-riddled mid-season stretch.

Throughout a volatile season, Cadee’s veteran insight helped guide the locker room, especially when tensions arose between players and coaching staff. His mentorship of younger teammates, including Keanu Rasmussen and Patrick D’Arcy, earned praise from within the organisation. His off-court leadership and professional approach were formally recognised at the club’s awards night, where he was presented with the Coaches’ Award.

The 36ers finished the regular season with a 13–15 record, claiming 6th place via tiebreaker and qualifying for the postseason. Adelaide stunned defending champions Sydney in the play-in opener but fell to South East Melbourne in the final qualifier. Cadee would announce his retirement from NBL basketball at the end of the season.

Jason Cadee played fifteen seasons across four NBL teams. This included the Gold Coast Blaze, Sydney Kings, Brisbane Bullets and Adelaide 36ers. He averaged 8.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 417 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 44th in total games played.
– 32nd in total assists

HIGHLIGHTS:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jason Cadee (@jasoncadee5)