Andrew Gaze backs Adelaide 36ers core as Mike Wells future comes under scrutiny

andrew gaze sits at the center of a familiar offseason question: whether a team that came close should stay intact or start over. After the final siren in Game 5 of the Hungry Jack’s NBL26 Championship Series, the Adelaide 36ers found themselves facing exactly that choice, with their coach and core players now under the spotlight.

As it stands, six-time MVP Bryce Cotton, Zylan Cheatham, Cameron, Isaac Humphries, Dejan Vasiljevic, Isaac White, Ben Griscti and Michael Harris, who has a club option, are all contracted for the NBL27 campaign, as is coach Mike Wells. But the conversation has shifted quickly toward whether the club’s next step will be continuity or change.

Why are the 36ers suddenly under pressure?

The pressure began almost as soon as the championship series ended. There has been plenty of talk about what the Adelaide 36ers will look like next season, and much of that attention has centered on Wells. SEN’s Kymbo Dillon said everything he was hearing was that Wells would be released from his position either this week or next, while later commentary raised concerns about the American mentor’s temperament and man management.

Wells responded by committing himself to the club for NBL27. “We’re super proud of that (making the Championship Series), but the foundation has been laid for future success. We’ll now move forward and keep trying to build for winning a championship as long as I’m the head coach, ” Wells said on SEN.

That message was echoed inside the club. Matt Weston, the 36ers’ GM of Basketball Operations, called the rumours surrounding Wells’ future “comical, ” saying there was “no foundation” in them. He added that the club had received no direct contact asking whether a change was coming and said planning meetings for next year were already underway with Wells involved because he is contracted.

What does andrew gaze say about keeping the group together?

For andrew gaze, the bigger issue is not change for its own sake, but whether a team this close to the finish line would be wise to split up. He said it “would be crazy if they didn’t [keep this core together], ” reflecting a view that the 36ers have already laid important groundwork.

That sentiment matters because the club was one rebound away from winning it. Weston pointed to that margin when defending Wells and the current direction, saying it would be pretty tough on the coach given how close the group came. The message from the club side is clear: the work is not being viewed as finished, but as a base to build from.

The same narrow margin also explains why the debate feels so intense. Adelaide did not simply have a decent season; it pushed deep into the Championship Series and left with both optimism and unfinished business. In that setting, a coaching change would not just be administrative. It would reshape the identity of a team that had started to find its rhythm.

What do the numbers and results suggest about the wider picture?

The context around the series shows why this debate carries weight. The championship battle was remembered as one of the best in league history, and the standout performances on both sides underlined how fine the margins were. Kendric Davis delivered a historic Finals MVP run, while Bryce Cotton fought to the end and came close to strengthening his case as one of the league’s greats.

Cotton’s series highlighted what Adelaide already has in place: a player capable of shifting games, a side with enough talent to threaten the title, and a coach who has already guided them to the Championship Series. That combination is part of why the discussion has moved from celebration to strategy so quickly.

There is also a practical layer to the story. Weston said the club is already in exit interviews and planning meetings for next year. That means the decisions now are not theoretical. They will shape who stays, who leads, and whether the club tries to preserve its current balance or chase a new direction.

What happens next for Adelaide?

For now, the clearest response is stability. Wells has publicly committed to the club, Weston has defended him, and Andrew Gaze has called for the core to remain together. Casey Prather, a three-time NBL champion, also echoed that view.

The unresolved question is whether that alignment holds once the offseason decisions move from conversation to action. Adelaide has already shown it can make a run with this group. The next test is whether it believes the same group, with Mike Wells still at the center and andrew gaze among its defenders, can go one step further.

On a quiet night after the siren, that final rebound still hangs over the story. It was close enough to change everything, and close enough to make staying the path feel less like caution than conviction.