Perth Wildcats host Mali teenager and NBA hopeful Ladji Coulibaly as he decides upon on basketball pathway

Perth Wildcats are setting themselves to become a destination club for NBA hopefuls after bringing another internationally renowned player to WA to experience their program. Mali teenager Ladji Coulibaly has been travelling the world since he was 14, spending time in Spain, America and Australia as part of his dream to play in the NBA. Currently based in Canberra at the NBA Global Academy, the 209cm Coulibaly arrived in Perth in the build up to Christmas for a three week stint with the Wildcats as he decides upon his future pathway. The move follows Dash Daniels, the brother of Australian NBA star Dyson Daniels, training with the club earlier this year and Frenchman Nolan Traore flying to WA during 2023. Daniels has signed as a Next Star with Melbourne United while Traore remained in France and is tipped to be a top-10 NBA draft pick during 2025. The Wildcats helped Alex Sarr become the second pick in the 2024 NBA draft while Spaniard Izan Almansa is a Next Star this season. Wildcats General Manager of Basketball Operations Danny Mills said fans could expect plenty of big name youngsters in Perth across future seasons before they make decisions about where to play next. “That’s the way the world works now. It’s always been that way with colleges in the US. They go on recruiting visits, get to meet the staff and see the program first hand and be involved in it,” Mills told The West Australian. “We had Nolan Traore here for a month and for him it was an amazing experience. Ultimately he stayed in France to play this year and he’s going to be a lottery pick. We had Alex and Izan as Next Stars and now we’ve got Ladji here to get some first hand experience and for us to get to know him. “I feel like outside of the NBA we have one of the best environments if you’re a young prospect and want to come down and prove you can be drafted. “He’s six foot 10, long, athletic and still developing. Defensively there’s real potential there with his athleticism and his tools. Then it’s about him refining his offensive skill set. He’s still only 18 and raw. But if you look at his body and how it will fill out, you can see a world where if he hits his ceiling, he could play at the highest level.” The Wildcats will play Adelaide 36ers in South Australia on Saturday as they attempt to make up for last weekend’s thumping loss to Illawarra. Adelaide will be significantly stronger from the last meeting between the teams with star pair Montrezl Harrell and Dejan Vasiljevic both available, but guard Sunday Dech remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.