It is a familiar feeling for Perth Wildcats fans. We’re deep into the final stretch of the off-season and the club is yet to sign its pivotal import piece, a point guard capable of guiding this team towards championship glory.
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But there could finally be some light at the end of the tunnel, with the Wildcats considering a familiar NBL face to fill their final import spot.
Fans could be forgiven for feeling a sense of deja vu after Perth also left its final import signing late last year, eventually bringing in Mason Jones just days out from the beginning of the 2025-26 NBL season.
That move didn’t work out as planned, with Jones lasting just five games before being released by the club.
Despite an up-and-down season, the Wildcats still managed to finish fourth with a 21-12 record, including an impressive 11-5 mark away from home.
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With an already stacked roster entering the new season, that leaves Perth searching for what could be the final piece of the puzzle to elevate them into genuine championship contention.
Sources told Fox Sports Australia that discussions are underway with former South East Melbourne Phoenix import Gary Browne, who played 40 games in the NBL between 2022 and 2024.
Browne, now 33, will be familiar to NBL fans as a 6’1 guard with slick handles and the ability to create both for himself and his teammates, something the Wildcats would welcome in their back-court.
While nothing has been confirmed, Browne’s name is firmly in the mix as Perth weighs up its options ahead of Round 1, when the Wildcats will, ironically, host his former club South East Melbourne at RAC Arena on Saturday, September 19.
The Puerto Rican local has been playing back home since leaving the NBL two years ago, winning back-to-back championships in the BSN with Vaqueros de Bayamón.
Most recently, Browne averaged 10.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game while shooting 45.8% from the field.
There would be little concern surrounding Browne’s familiarity with the NBL after spending two seasons with the Phoenix alongside the likes of Mitch Creek, Alan Williams and Trey Kell III.
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That familiarity extends to several current NBL players through his time in Puerto Rico.
During the 2026 BSN season, Browne played alongside Jaylin Galloway (Cairns Taipans) and Xavier Cooks (Sydney Kings), while also going up against potential new Wildcats teammate Kristian Doolittle.
Across his 40 NBL appearances with the Phoenix, Browne averaged 12.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 39.9% from the field.
His best scoring performance came against the Brisbane Bullets during the 2023-24 season, when he dropped a career-high 25 points.
Before beginning his professional career, Browne attended West Virginia between 2011 and 2015, where he played alongside future NBA guard Jevon Carter during his final collegiate season.
Browne played 119 games for West Virginia, averaging 7.0 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 22.0 minutes per game during his senior season before going undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft.
For the Wildcats, the potential signing is an interesting one.
Browne provides both scoring and playmaking, and while his shooting from deep wasn’t a strength during his previous NBL stint, where he connected on just 50-of-189 attempts from three at 26.5%, he brings something equally valuable this late in the off-season: experience.
He knows the league, understands the style of basketball and wouldn’t be arriving completely blind to what awaits him in Australia.
With only weeks remaining before the season begins, that could prove particularly valuable compared to bringing in an import with no previous NBL experience and giving them minimal time to adjust to a new team, competition and country.
Fox Sports Australia understands Browne is interested in a potential return to the NBL, with the ball now in the Wildcats’ court as they decide who will fill the final piece of their roster ahead of the new season.