Ben Henshall Returns to NBL on a Deal With the Perth Wildcats

The Perth Wildcats may have lost star guard Bryce Cotton this offseason, but in good news for the Wildcats, his backcourt teammate Ben Henshall will be returning. Henshall finished last season averaging 9.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game on 39/33/86 shooting splits across all competitions. His solid play set him up to potentially have a big summer.

Henshall participated and did well in the 2205 NBA Draft combine, but ultimately chose to withdraw as it seemed unlikely he would go higher than a late second-round pick. He then tested the collegiate waters for an NIL deal and had very strong interest from Texas Tech, per Olgun Uluc, but could not gain eligibility. The summer of opportunity has turned into a circle for Henshall with his return to the Wildcats. It's a two-year deal with NBA outs.

What does this move mean for Henshall for the 2025-26 season?

While there is probably some disappointment for Henshall being unable to find a new home, it's not all bad. He is, of course, familiar with the Wildcats, having made the semifinals with them last season while playing alongside MVP Bryce Cotton. He'll find comfort in playing in his home country and a very familiar environment, and with Cotton leaving the Wildcats for the Adelaide 36ers, a lot of on-ball opportunities have opened up. Henshall is poised to take a lot of those.

That's why this could turn out to be a great move for Henshall. His 2024-25 season was great for his draft stock. He went into the season not even featuring on some top-100 lists and eventually worked his way into second-round conversations. That's a testament to the breakout he had for the Wildcats.

However, Henshall struggled in the playoffs and forced the Wildcats to become even more dependent on Cotton's offensive prowess. He left a lot to be desired in terms of efficiency as well, shooting less than 40 percent from the field and only 33 percent from three. His 2.6 to 1.7 assist-to-turnover ratio and .53 true shooting were nothing to write home about either.

With Cotton gone, Henshall will have ample opportunity to prove he can be efficient with more shots and more repetitions, and also do more to create for his teammates. He may very well be the Wildcats' primary ballhandler, and if he can rise to that challenge, he'll set himself up well for the 2026 NBA Draft.

Should we expect to see Henshall in the 2026 NBA Draft?

Henshall will probably enter the 2026 NBA Draft; he'll turn 22 in the summer of 2026, and has a good chance of being selected in the second round. He'll be on the older side for a prospect, but improving in key areas could lead to an NBA team seeing him as a second-round pick that might be servicable in their rotation as a sophomore or potentially even as a rookie. That is probably the best outcome for Henshall after the other options available to him in the summer weren't able to fully materialize.

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