Perth Wildcats in talks with Chiba Jets to play pre-season games against former coach Trevor Gleeson

Perth Wildcats are on the verge of organising a dream match up against former coach Trevor Gleeson with the club in discussions to play pre-season games against his new team in Japan. Gleeson signed to be Head Coach at Chiba Jets last month after completing three seasons as a NBA assistant coach with Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks. He led the Wildcats to five championships during a stellar career and The West Australian understands the Jets are among a group of Japanese teams in discussions with Perth about playing a pre-season series. The Wildcats travelled to the US last season for matches against G-League Ignite. Flying to play matches in Japan would allow coach John Rillie to prepare against more international opponents. The Jets have had strong links to the Wildcats in recent seasons with ex-imports John Mooney and Vic Law being recruited by the club. But the prospect of playing against Gleeson during his early months in charge of the Jets would be tantalising for Wildcats fans. Those matches would most likely be in the the last week of August. Perth have just scheduled two practice matches against a NBL1 West representative team on August 23 and 25. That move follows the same schedule they used last season when they played the NBL1 West group at Rockingham and Warwick. This season’s games will be played at Morley Recreation Centre on August 23 and then at Lakeside Recreation Centre on August 25. Perth will also play in Queensland as part of the NBL Blitz on September 8, 10 and 12 against New Zealand, Illawarra and Cairns, then open their regular season against South East Melbourne Phoenix at RAC Arena on September 20. Wildcats General Manager of Basketball Operations Danny Mills has previously spoken about his desire to bring teams from Europe and Asia to Perth for a pre-season extravaganza. Last season’s pre-season games against G-League Ignite attracted worldwide attention due to Wildcats Next Star Alex Sarr dominating against members of his draft class. The Wildcats have signed Spanish star Izan Almansa as a Next Star for this season and he will again be heavily watched by NBA recruiters. Giving him the opportunity to play against another international team will provide him with added chances to shine. The Wildcats have retained the core of last season’s semifinal team which has given them a head start on recent campaigns. They are still searching for their third import and all eyes on are who the club identifies to work.