Nick Rakocevic has agreed to a one-year extension with the Adelaide 36ers on the eve of the NBL Championship Series, his agent Charles Misuraca of SLASH told ESPN.
The Serbian-American big-man is expected to officially put pen to paper overnight, with the deal set to keep him in Adelaide through the 2026-27 NBL season.
The deal comes ahead of Game 1 of the 2026 NBL Championship Series, with the 36ers taking on the Sydney Kings in the series opener on Saturday.
Rakocevic has been extremely impressive for the 36ers over the postseason, posting a double-double in each of his team's semifinals series games against the South East Melbourne Phoenix. The 28-year-old averaged 15.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game in the semifinals series, playing a primary role in guiding the 36ers to their first Championship Series since 2018.
Over the entire season, Rakocevic has averaged 8.3 points and 6.2 rebounds a game, expertly backing up Isaac Humphries at the centre position, while often still playing starter's minutes. The native of Chicago has been the best offensive rebounder in the NBL over the 2025-26 NBL season, with a 17.2 OREB%.
The impending signing means that two of the 36ers' three import spots ahead of the 2026-27 season will be filled, with the team inking an extension with American forward Zylan Cheatham in December.
Rakocevic joins Cheatham, Bryce Cotton, Isaac Humphries, Flynn Cameron, Dejan Vasiljevic, Isaac White, Ben Griscti, and Michael Harris (mutual option) as players contracted to the 36ers ahead of the 2026-27 season.