Troy Brown Jr. has parted with the Adelaide 36ers due to personal reasons. The import forward wished to go home to the United States and the 36ers agreed to a mutual termination of his contract. Brown averaged 4.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game in his 13 appearances. The 36ers were 11–2 during his tenure and are on top of the ladder.

Brown came in as what was to be the perfect fit. The 36ers hesitated to sign their third import (after the naturalisation of Bryce Cotton granted them an extra position) and it was apparent that the 36ers’ greatest lack was in their forward position. They were forced to run with a three-guard starting line-up to start the season and had Matt Kenyon, their 6’5″ reserve guard, spending time at forward. The hole was glaring and Brown was the one brought in to fill it. The signing looked great; Brown is a do-it-all forward who has a breadth of NBA experience despite only being 26-years-old. He was a starter for the Los Angeles Lakers only three seasons ago.

What people misunderstood about Brown was that he was not being brought here to score or lead the team. Since his college career at Oregon and throughout his six years in the NBA, Brown was a complementary piece with proficiencies in all aspects. Players of his calibre who come to the NBL are often expected to be high scorers but Brown has never been someone with that expectation at any point in his career. Instead, Brown bought in as the consummate teammate and did whatever else was needed of him. He was a strong rebounder with enough ball handling abilities to still contribute on offence. Unfortunately, even though Brown had no expectations of being the team’s leading scorer, his shooting percentages were lacking. He averaged under 30% with both field goal and three-point and only 63% with free throws. Brown did have his flashes though. He recorded 9 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in his debut against the Cairns Taipans. He scored his league-high 10 points along with 5 rebounds and 5 assists against the Sydney Kings a month later; that was to be the only time that he scored in double figures.

It is becoming an odd post-NBA voyage for Brown. He was previously released by Italian team Manisa Basket after only three games when he played for them in 2024. He played another three games for Cangrejeros de Santurce in Puerto Rico in 2025. Now, his next chapter has also found a premature end as he works out what his career looks like only two years removed from being a rotation player in the NBA.

For the 36ers, they have another opportunity to find that final piece to ensure their championship desires. It will undoubtedly be another player with high credentials – the 36ers have shown no restraint in making that happen with their other premier signings this season — so it will be interesting to see in which direction they choose. Best wishes to Brown with his personal matters and future endeavours.