Perth Wildcats have made another addition ahead of the upcoming NBL season, signing Blake Nielsen — the son of Australian basketball legend Matt — to a two-year contract. On Tuesday, the club announced the 200cm forward would be a development player for the 2026-27 campaign before being promoted to the main roster the following season, subject to his contract being approved by the league. Nielsen graduated from St Edward’s University in Texas, where he moved after his father joined the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs as a coach in 2019, earlier this year. He put together an impressive five-year collegiate career with the NCAA Division II school, producing per-game averages of 11.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists. The 23-year-old also has plenty of familiarity with both Perth and the Wildcats, where Matt served as an assistant coach between 2015 and 2019. Nielsen said he was delighted to start his professional career with a club he held in high regard. “It makes you feel a little bit more comfortable when you know the people a little bit better, and you just know that it has always been such a strong organisation and strong club,” Nielsen said. “I’m just excited to be a professional basketball player, learn as much as I can. It’s just about developing and absorbing as much as I can, and being a part of a great team like the Perth Wildcats,” Nielsen added. The Perth Wildcats are looking forward to having Nielsen on board and are confident that he will make a positive impact on the team.