Devondrick Walker signs on the dotted line in Vegas for the Wildcats.
Camera IconDevondrick Walker signs on the dotted line in Vegas for the Wildcats. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

NBL: Wildcats sign US import Devondrick Walker

Staff WriterMidland Kalamunda Reporter

THE chance to play again with star import and NBL grand final MVP Bryce Cotton was a big factor in the Wildcats’ latest American import signing with Perth.

Sharp-shooting Devondrick Walker teamed up at the Austin Spurs in the NBA Development League in 2015.

“We use to talk about how we wanted to win a championship together so bad,” Walker said.

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“I watch Bryce play and grow, and even before this opportunity came to me, I thought, man it looks like fun, what Bryce is doing.”

In the end, going to the Wildcats was a simple decision for Devondrick.

“It was NBA, or Perth. There was no other place for me.”

At 196cm, Walker is an athletic wing with an impressive 99cm vertical leap, but his outstanding perimeter shooting is what caught the eye of Wildcats scouts.

“He can handle the ball, he can get to the basket, he has the ability to push the ball in transition, but the fact that he can knock down that three-point shot is the big tick for us,” Wildcats assistant coach Adam Forde said.

“In terms of fit, he will free up Bryce and the rest of the team to create and give us another weapon on the perimeter.”

Walker represented the Utah Jazz at the NBA Summer League competitions in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.

In Las Vegas, he averaged 9.8 points per game in just 20 minutes of court time, putting him in the top 21 per cent of players in the tournament.

The 25-year-old earned his Summer League opportunity after being named the Most Improved Player of the NBA Development League for 2017.

At January’s D-League Showcase, Walker put on the greatest shooting display the event has ever seen, going 12-for-12 from downtown – hitting 15 of 18 shots in 49 minutes, over two games.

He spent his most recent season playing for the Delaware 87ers in the NBA D-League, averaging 12.5 points and shooting at over 40 per cent from beyond the arc and 45.5 per cent overall.

He also picked up 2.9 rebounds per game.

Previously, Walker spent time with the Westchester Knicks and the Austin Spurs.

Walker is from Garland in Texas and attended college at Texas A&M University-Commerce.

He arrives in Perth next month.

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