The Perth Wildcats have signed seven-year NBA veteran Miles Plumlee to its roster for the remainder of the 2019/20 NBL season.
Fellow American Dario Hunt was released from his contract on Wednesday morning, allowing the reigning champions to make the change.
Standing at 211cm and weighing 113kg, Plumlee is a powerful post player with exceptional athleticism.
He was selected in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers, and went on to play 347 NBA games with the Pacers, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks.
The 31-year-old is excited to be in Perth.
“I’m happy to be here. I know this club is in top-standing with their championships and culture. It’s really enticing to come to a great team, and winning makes everything more fun, so I want to come here and win,” said Plumlee.
“I’m going to be high energy, I’m going to play hard, bring athleticism and do whatever I can to win – defensive presence, especially inside, rebounding, blocking shots and finishing.
“I think I’m a good fit for this team.”
Miles Plumlee played college basketball at Duke University, where he won a National Championship in 2010 as a sophomore.
Following his rookie season with the Indiana Pacers, he was traded to Phoenix and in 2013/14 played 80 games at a career-high 24 minutes per game, averaging 8.1 points and 7.8 rebounds.
He was sent to Milwaukee in 2015 and the following year the Bucks would sign him to a four-year deal.
Last season, Plumlee played 18 games for the Atlanta Hawks, averaging 4.4 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.
Most recently, the Indianan spent a month in China with the Zhejiang Lions, averaging 11.3 points and 7.9 rebounds in seven games.
Trevor Gleeson said while it’s always a difficult decision to make a personnel change during the season, he’s confident the move improves his side’s championship credentials.
“Dario is a great guy, he’s very popular among the team and is one of hardest workers. Sometimes you have to make a difficult decision in the best interest of the team,” he said.
“Miles has a wealth of experience, he’s an athletic six-eleven, he’s got a big motor, he’s a rim protector who can finish above the rim. That’s something we need, and it was timely that he was ready to come here on short notice.
“When Miles became available, it was a tough decision, but one we felt we needed to make. Our rebounding and our defence is our DNA and something we have to improve on if we’re going to challenge for a championship.”
Plumlee comes from athletic stock and his brother, Mason, has played for the Denver Nuggets since 2017.
Miles Plumlee arrived in Perth on Tuesday and will play in Friday night’s game against the Illawarra Hawks.
The Perth Wildcats would like to thank Dario Hunt for his contribution to the organisation, both on and off the court, this season.
Hunt played 21 games, averaging 8.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest.