NBA, D-League, China, and Turkey (2014–2016) After going undrafted in the
2014 NBA draft, Cotton signed with the
San Antonio Spurs on July 7, 2014. He subsequently joined San Antonio's
NBA Development League affiliate team, the
Austin Spurs. He appeared in 34 games (all starts) for Austin in the
2014–15 season, averaging 22.4 points (third in the D-League), 4.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals in 40.5 minutes (first in the D-League) per contest. He scored in double figures on 31 occasions and recorded 20-plus points in 20 games. He also registered 40-or-more points twice, including a season-high 43 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and two steals against the
Reno Bighorns on February 19, 2015. He was named D-League Performer of the Week on February 23 after averaging 30.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals for the week. and earned
All-NBA D-League Second Team and NBA D-League All-Rookie First Team honors. On February 24, 2015, Cotton signed a 10-day contract with the
Utah Jazz. He signed a second 10-day contract with the Jazz on March 6, and a multi-year deal on March 16. Over the final four games of the season, he averaged 14.3 points per game, scoring in double figures all four times, including a season-high 21 points against the
Dallas Mavericks on April 13. In 15 games for the Jazz to finish the
2014–15 season, he averaged 5.3 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 10.6 minutes per game. Cotton re-joined the Austin Spurs for the
2015–16 NBA Development League season. After averaging 22.0 points in four D-League games, he signed with the
Phoenix Suns on November 25, 2015. He also had three steals and two assists in just over 21 minutes off the bench. Cotton appeared in the Suns' next two games before being waived on January 7, 2016. He subsequently returned to the Austin Spurs, where he played two more D-League games. In late January 2016, Cotton signed with the
Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the
Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). In nine games to finish the
2015–16 CBA season, including the
2016 CBA Playoffs, he averaged 21.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. On April 11, he signed with the Grizzlies for the remainder of the 2015–16 regular season. He appeared in five games for the Grizzlies before parting ways with the team prior to the start of the playoffs. After playing for the
Atlanta Hawks during the
2016 NBA Summer League, Cotton signed with Turkish club
Anadolu Efes on August 27, 2016. A mutual termination of his contract took place on December 12, 2016, with Cotton citing that the country's safety concerns were a major factor in him leaving. He averaged 8.0 points in 10
EuroLeague games and 10.4 points in seven
Turkish League games.
Perth Wildcats (2017–2025) 2016–17 season: Championship and grand final MVP By late December 2016, reports surfaced that Cotton was moving to Australia. On January 3, 2017, Cotton signed with the
Perth Wildcats of the
National Basketball League (NBL) for the rest of the
2016–17 NBL season. In his debut on January 7, Cotton scored 26 points in an 80–74 win over the
Sydney Kings, setting a Wildcats debut scoring record. In his fifth game for the Wildcats on January 20, Cotton scored a season-high 27 points in an 84–78 overtime win over the
Cairns Taipans. In late January, Cotton committed to remaining with the Wildcats for the rest of the season after rejecting a 10-day contract from the Atlanta Hawks. On February 3, he scored a game-high 25 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including five 3-pointers, in a 94–63 win over the
Brisbane Bullets. In the Wildcats' regular-season finale on February 12, Cotton scored 19 points in a 96–94 win over
Melbourne United. The win propelled the Wildcats into the finals as they finished the regular season in third place with a 15–13 record. His 22.1 points per game during 11 regular season games saw him win the
NBL's scoring title as the league's leading scorer. In game one of the Wildcats' best-of-three semi-final series against the second-seeded Taipans in Cairns on February 17, Cotton had a 34-point effort to lead his team to a 91–69 win. His 34 points were the most scored by a Wildcat in a post-season game since
Shawn Redhage had 35 in 2008. He also had a team-high five assists and three steals. Cotton scored nine points in game two in Perth three days later, as the Wildcats defeated the Taipans 74–66 to sweep the series and move on to the NBL Grand Final. The Wildcats went on to sweep the best-of-five grand final series, defeating the
Illawarra Hawks 3–0 behind a
grand final MVP performance from Cotton. Over the three games, Cotton averaged 27.7 points, which included a 45-point effort in a 95–86 title-clinching win in game three. He shot 12-of-17 from the field, 7-of-12 from 3-point range, and 14-of-15 from the free throw line in game three, with his 45 points setting the new all-time NBL Grand Final scoring record. In 16 games for the Wildcats, he averaged 23.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Cotton made the decision to return to Perth, re-signing with the Wildcats for
2017–18 NBL season on July 14, 2017. Cotton was considered a long-shot to re-join the Wildcats and reportedly turned down an offer from Spanish club
Unicaja Málaga. In the Wildcats' season opener on October 7, Cotton scored a game-high 24 points in a 96–86 win over the
Brisbane Bullets. On December 10, he scored a season-high 36 points in a 99–91 win over the
Illawarra Hawks. In the Wildcats' regular-season finale on February 18, Cotton scored a game-high 24 points with six 3-pointers and six assists in an 89–61 win over the
Cairns Taipans. The Wildcats finished the regular season in third place with a 16–12 record, while Cotton finished as the NBL's leader in 3-pointers made with 84. The mark came from 187 attempts, giving him a 3-point shooting percentage of 44.9 – the best in the league for any player taking an average of at least one attempt per game. His 84 3-pointers was also third-most in Wildcats history for a regular season, behind
Jermaine Beal (87, 2014) and
James Harvey (85, 2006). Cotton also led the league in total points scored with 544, averaging 19.4 points per game. He was subsequently named the
NBL Most Valuable Player for the 2017–18 season. He became just the third Wildcat to win the award, joining
Paul Rogers (2000) and
Kevin Lisch (2012). He was also named to the
All-NBL First Team. In game one of their semi-final series against the second-seeded
Adelaide 36ers, the Wildcats were defeated 109–74 despite Cotton's 22-point effort. The Wildcats went on to lose game two 89–88, with Cotton scoring 19 of his game-high 31 points in the first quarter, to bow out of the finals at the hands of a 2–0 sweep. His 19 first-quarter points set a record for any Wildcat in one quarter during a final. Cotton appeared in all 30 games for the Wildcats in 2017–18, averaging 19.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game. On April 3, 2018, Cotton signed with
Brescia Leonessa of the Italian
Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He appeared in four regular-season games and seven playoff games to finish the
2017–18 LBA season, averaging 12.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He had a season-high 23 points in his third game.
2018–19 season: Second championship On June 5, 2018, Cotton signed a three-year deal to return to the Wildcats, with the contract including an NBA out-clause. At the NBL Pre-Season Blitz, Cotton won the Ray Borner Medal as tournament's most valuable player. In the Wildcats' season opener on October 11, Cotton scored 22 points in a 99–91 win over the
Adelaide 36ers. On October 27, he scored a game-high 31 points in a 101–96 double-overtime win over
Melbourne United. On November 9, he scored a season-high 37 points and hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left on the clock to lift the Wildcats to a 90–87 win over the
Brisbane Bullets. On November 23, he scored a game-high 24 points in a 98–93 overtime win over the
New Zealand Breakers. However, he checked out with two minutes remaining in overtime clutching his right thumb after his hand was pinned on the backboard on a fast break layup. He subsequently missed the Wildcats' following game two days later, a game the Wildcats won to move to 10–1 on the season. He missed a second game on December 6 against the
Sydney Kings, before returning to action on December 9, scoring a game-high 21 points in a 94–72 win over the
Cairns Taipans. Cotton later missed the Wildcats' New Year's Eve game against the Taipans in Cairns due to hamstring tightness. The Wildcats fell to 12–9 by early January, leading to increasing external pressure for roster changes. Instead, the playing group was backed by the club to return to form and enjoy success in the latter part of the season. On February 15, he scored 24 of his 29 points in the second half of the Wildcats' 93–85 win over the 36ers, helping the Wildcats secure the minor premiership with a sixth straight win. A loss to Melbourne in overtime in the regular-season finale two days later saw the Wildcats finish with an 18–10 record. Overlooked for NBL MVP, Cotton was named
All-NBL First Team and
Fans MVP, and was crowned the
league's scoring champion for the second time in three years. In game two, he had 19 points and a career-high 10 assists in an 84–79 win, as they swept the series and moved onto the NBL Grand Final. In game one of the grand final series against Melbourne United, despite going 4-of-16 from the field and 0-of-9 from three, Cotton had eight assists and seven rebounds to go with his 10 points in an 81–71 win. The Wildcats went on to lose game two 92–74 despite Cotton's 19 points and five 3-pointers. In game three, Cotton recorded 16 points and nine assists to help the Wildcats take a 2–1 lead in the series with a 96–67 win. In game four in Melbourne, Cotton scored a game-high 28 points in a 97–84 win, as Cotton claimed his second NBL championship in three years. In 31 games, he averaged 21.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
2019–20 season: NBL MVP, grand final MVP and championship Cotton returned to the Wildcats for the
2019–20 season having had a quiet off-season rehabbing a nagging thumb injury that he withstood throughout the 2018–19 season. In the Wildcats' season opener on October 5, Cotton scored 21 points in a 94–93 win over
Melbourne United. On October 20, he scored 27 points and made the game-winning two-pointer to lift the Wildcats to a 95–93 win over United. On November 10, he scored a then season-high 36 points with six 3-pointers in a 104–85 loss to the
Sydney Kings. On November 17, he scored 34 points with six 3-pointers in an 88–77 win over the
New Zealand Breakers. The Wildcats fell to an 8–5 record after losses to Cairns and Adelaide. Cotton responded with 100 points over the next four games to help the Wildcats win four straight. By the end of that four-game stretch, Cotton had reached 2,000 career points, becoming the 15th Wildcat to do so and the fastest Wildcat to reach the milestone. He did so in 94 games and 3,165 minutes, beating former teammate Shawn Redhage's previous record of 95 games and 3,400 minutes. On February 1, he recorded 30 points and five steals in a 110–100 win over the Kings. He sat out the final regular season game, as the Wildcats earned the second seed for the finals with a 19–9 record. He finished the regular season as the
NBL's scoring leader, averaging 22.6 points per game. Along with his 1.7 steals per game, he became the first player in NBL history to lead the league in both scoring and steals. At the NBL's end-of-season awards night, Cotton was named in the
All-NBL First Team for the third straight year and claimed the
NBL Most Valuable Player Award for the second time in three years. In doing so, he became the seventh player in NBL history to win the league's MVP award more than once. In game one of their semi-final series against the
Cairns Taipans, Cotton scored 42 points with a career-high 10 3-pointers in a 108–107 overtime win. He became the first player to make 10 3-pointers in an NBL semi-final. The Wildcats went on to lose game two with Cotton scoring 11 points, before going on to win game three despite Cotton only scoring five points. In game one of the NBL Grand Final series against the Kings in Sydney, Cotton scored 32 points in an 88–86 win. After scoring a game-high 27 points in a game two loss at home, Cotton had 31 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in a 111–96 win in Sydney in game three. Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, the Kings refused to complete the five-game series. As a result, the NBL announced the Wildcats as the 2020 champions with Cotton named the
grand final MVP. He became the first player in Wildcats history to be named league MVP, grand final MVP and win a championship all in the same season.
2020–21 season: Third NBL MVP On April 30, 2020, Cotton opted out of the final year of his contract due to the salary cuts that were implemented by the NBL to protect the league during the COVID-19 pandemic. After exploring playing opportunities overseas, Cotton re-signed with the Wildcats on a three-year deal reportedly worth $2 million on May 26, 2020. The
2020–21 NBL season began in January 2021. In the Wildcats' season opener on January 24, Cotton recorded 27 points, seven assists and five steals in an 88–76 win over the
South East Melbourne Phoenix. He recorded 32 points and six assists five days later in a 90–89 loss to the Phoenix. On February 23, he recorded 30 points and nine assists in a 113–106 win over the
Sydney Kings. On March 14, he recorded a season-high 34 points, seven assists and three steals in a 97–88 win over the
Adelaide 36ers. He scored 20 second-half points in leading a 26-point comeback. With seven wins in eight
NBL Cup games, the Wildcats were crowned winners of the
inaugural NBL Cup. On March 22, he set a new season high with 36 points in a 92–82 win over the 36ers. On April 13, he scored 34 points in an 85–79 overtime win over the
New Zealand Breakers. He hit the game-tying buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime. On May 9, he recorded 32 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in a 98–84 win over the Breakers, becoming the first Wildcat since
Shawn Redhage in 2006 to have 30 points and 10 assists in a game. On May 24, he was ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a
hematoma to his left quadriceps. He averaged career highs in points (23.5) and assists (5.7), earning his fourth
NBL scoring title. He was subsequently named
NBL MVP for the third time, becoming the first player to win back-to-back MVPs since
Andrew Gaze in 1998 and joined Gaze and
Leroy Loggins as the only three-time winners. He was also voted
Fans MVP and named to the
All-NBL First Team for the fourth consecutive season. Without Cotton, the Wildcats reached the grand final series but lost in a 3–0 sweep to
Melbourne United.
2021–22 season: Fifth scoring title and All-NBL First Team Cotton entered the
2021–22 season fully recovered from the hematoma and surgery. In the second game of the season on December 5, he scored 31 points in a 90–67 win over the
Cairns Taipans. On December 31, he scored 19 of his 29 points in the second quarter of the Wildcats' 84–78 win over the Taipans. On January 22, 2022, against the
Illawarra Hawks, Cotton played his 150th game for the Wildcats. Five days later, also against the Hawks, he helped the Wildcats move to a 7–2 record with a 94–80 win. He scored 20 of his game-high 28 points in the first half. On February 12, he scored 31 points in a 93–87 loss to
Melbourne United. On February 19, he scored a game-high 33 points with eight 3-pointers in a 98–95 loss to the
Sydney Kings. On March 14, he recorded 32 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in a 104–102 overtime win over the
New Zealand Breakers. He made a 3-pointer and was fouled with 1.4 seconds to play, missing the free throw and seeing Perth to the win. In the season finale on April 24, Cotton scored a game-high 28 points in a 102–100 overtime loss to the
South East Melbourne Phoenix. The Wildcats finished in fifth place with a 16–12 record. They subsequently missed the finals which ended the club's 35-year finals appearance streak. For the fourth straight season and the fifth time in six years, Cotton was named
NBL scoring champion with 22.7 points per game. He played all 28 games and totalled 635 points, the most points scored by Cotton in a 28-game regular season. He also hit 88 3-pointers, the most ever by a Wildcat in a regular season. He was subsequently named to the
All-NBL First Team for the fifth straight year and was named Wildcats Club MVP for the fourth time.
2022–23 season: Sixth scoring title and All-NBL First Team On May 4, 2022, Cotton re-signed with the Wildcats on a new three-year deal. In the
2022–23 season opener on October 2, he recorded 23 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and six steals in an 87–73 win over the
Brisbane Bullets. With two 3-pointers against the Bullets, he reached 500 career 3-pointers. On January 27, he scored 40 points with seven 3-pointers in a 106–86 win over the
Illawarra Hawks. It was his first NBL regular-season game with 40 points and the third 40-point game of his NBL career. Two days later, despite Cotton's 1-of-19 from the field, the Wildcats defeated the Kings 96–84 in the final regular season game to qualify for the post-season. For the fifth straight season and the sixth time in seven years, Cotton was named
NBL scoring champion with 23.5 points per game. He was also named to the
All-NBL First Team for the sixth straight year. In the play-in qualifier, Cotton scored 20 of his game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter of the Wildcats' 106–99 win over the
South East Melbourne Phoenix. In the play-in game three days later, the Wildcats bowed out of the finals with a 91–78 loss to the Taipans, with Cotton recording 19 points and 10 assists. He was named Wildcats Club MVP for the fifth time.
2023–24 season: Fourth NBL MVP After scoring 21 points in a
season-opening win over the
Tasmania JackJumpers, a form slump from Cotton saw the Wildcats win just two of their first six games. He averaged 15.2 points on 32 per cent from the field over the first four rounds, where he had two matches scoring 11 points and one where he was restricted to seven points. The Wildcats fell to 2–5 after a loss to the
Brisbane Bullets, where Cotton scored 10 points at 16 per cent from the field. On November 4, he scored 29 points in a 99–88 win over the
Adelaide 36ers, helping the Wildcats snap a four-game losing streak. Two days later, he scored 24 points in a 102–95 overtime win over
Melbourne United. On November 10, he scored 37 points in a 94–76 win over the
New Zealand Breakers. On December 1, he scored a season-high 41 points in a 114–105 win over the
Sydney Kings, marking a sixth straight victory. The Wildcats' six-game win streak was ended on December 8 with a loss to the
Illawarra Hawks, where Cotton scored seven points. On December 23, he scored 36 points with six 3-pointers in a 109–103 overtime loss to Melbourne. The Wildcats went on to win six straight games, with Cotton reaching 5000 NBL career points on January 21 against the Kings. He became the third player in the NBL's 40-minute era to score 5000 points, joining
Chris Goulding and
Daniel Johnson. Cotton averaged 26.6 points on 43 per cent shooting during a 13–2 run between rounds six and sixteen that set up the Wildcats for a top-two finish on the ladder. He missed the regular-season finale with a knee injury as the Wildcats finished in second place with a 17–11 record. He led the league in minutes played with a career-high 37:31 per game. For the sixth straight season and the seventh time in eight years, Cotton was named
NBL scoring champion with a league-high 23.1 points per game. He was named
NBL MVP for the fourth time, becoming the second player after
Andrew Gaze to win four MVPs. He was also voted
Fans MVP and named to the
All-NBL First Team for the seventh consecutive season. He was subsequently touted as Australian sport's most dominant athlete of the last decade. He went on to set a record-equalling sixth Wildcats Club MVP, joining Ricky Grace and Shawn Redhage as six-time winners. In the semi-finals series against the JackJumpers, the Wildcats won game one 89–81 with Cotton scoring 15 points before going on to lose game two 102–94 despite Cotton's game-high 26 points. In game three, the Wildcats bowed out of the finals with a 100–84 loss at home, with Cotton scoring a team-high 21 points. He was limited to nine shots and seven free throws in game three, with Tasmania consistently denying him the ball. Cotton led the league for average time on court for the sixth year in a row. His 38 minutes per game in 2023–24 was five minutes longer than any other player. Teams attempted to wear him down all season by sending multiple opponents to defend him, which resulted in him being the most fouled player in the NBL.
2024–25 season: Fifth NBL MVP Cotton entered the
2024–25 NBL season in the best physical shape of his career after spending the winter bulking up in America. The Wildcats went on to lose their next three games with Cotton averaging a career-low 18.8 points per game. On October 10, he scored a game-high 35 points with seven 3-pointers in a 90–87 win over the
Cairns Taipans. On October 19, Cotton took a knock to his ribs in the opening 40 seconds against the
New Zealand Breakers in Auckland. He remained in the game for another two minutes before leaving the court in pain and was later rushed to hospital with an expected fractured rib. He was cleared to fly home from Auckland with the team the next day and was later ruled out for roughly a month. He missed five games and returned to action on November 15, scoring a game-high 33 points in a 97–84 win over the Phoenix. On December 1, Cotton scored 59 points in a 123–112 win over the Breakers, finishing with 18-of-28 from the field, 7-of-15 from 3-point range and 16-of-17 from the free throw line. He had 20 points in the opening quarter, 11 in the second, 17 in the third and 11 in the fourth. He set the most points scored by any player since the league reverted to 40-minute games in
2009–10 and he surpassed
James Crawford's all-time Wildcats scoring record of 57 in 1987. It was the most points in any NBL game since
Shane Heal's 61 for the Brisbane Bullets in 1994 and he threatened the all-time 40-minute mark of 63 points set by
Reg Biddings for the
Forestville Eagles in 1981. On December 6, he scored 40 points in a 121–111 loss to the
Illawarra Hawks, recording successive 40-point games for the first time in his career. Two days later, he scored 49 points in a 115–105 win over the
Adelaide 36ers, becoming the first NBL player since
Andrew Gaze in 1991 to have three consecutive 40-point games. On December 14, he scored 44 points in a 128–92 win over the Taipans, once again becoming the first since Gaze in 1991 and the third ever after Gaze and
Al Green to have four consecutive 40-point games. On December 28, he had 21 points and a career-high 12 assists in a 116–92 win over the 36ers. On January 5, he scored 41 points in a 96–86 win over the Breakers. He helped the team go 6–1 over seven consecutive games on the road between mid December and mid January. On January 25, Cotton scored 38 points on 12-of-37 shooting in a 125–116 double-overtime loss to the Taipans. On February 7, in the regular-season finale, he scored 49 points with nine 3-pointers in a 112–104 win over the 36ers. It marked his sixth 40-plus point haul of the season, the first player to do so since Gaze in 1993. He finished the regular season with a career-high 28.6 points per game to become an eight-time
scoring champion, as the Wildcats finished the regular season in third place with an 18–11 record. He was subsequently named
NBL MVP for the fifth time, alongside
All-NBL First Team for the eighth consecutive season, as well as
Fans MVP. He went on to win his seventh Wildcats Club MVP, setting a club record. In the NBL Seeding Qualifier, Cotton scored 27 points in a 122–105 win over the Phoenix, helping the Wildcats advance to the semi-finals. In the semi-finals series against United, Cotton scored 22 points in a game one loss, 18 points in a game two win, and 33 points in a season-ending game three loss. Cotton was offered the largest contract in NBL history by the Wildcats, about $1 million per season, but he wanted to test free agency. On March 25, 2025, the Wildcats announced that Cotton had been unable to commit to the club. In nine seasons for the Wildcats, he played a total of 258 games and averaged 23.1 points per game.
Mets de Guaynabo (2025) On March 6, 2025, Cotton signed with
Mets de Guaynabo of the
Baloncesto Superior Nacional for the
2025 season. On May 18, he scored a season-high 29 points in a 111–99 loss to
Criollos de Caguas. His final game for the team came on May 23. reportedly worth over $1 million a season. There had been a widespread expectation that Cotton would accept a lucrative deal to move overseas but the 36ers were constantly in contact with his agent and soon learnt that he was interested in returning to the NBL. He was lured to Adelaide to play for head coach
Mike Wells, who was an assistant at the Utah Jazz when Cotton played for the franchise in 2015. Prior to the start of the season, Cotton was named co-captain of the 36ers alongside
Isaac Humphries and
Dejan Vasiljevic. In his debut for the 36ers on September 28, 2025, Cotton scored 39 points with six 3-pointers and six assists in an 87–80 win over the
Brisbane Bullets, marking the highest-scoring debut in team history. On October 18, he scored 53 points in a 91–86 win over the
Cairns Taipans, breaking the previous franchise record of 48 points scored by
Darryl Pearce in 1988. On November 9, in his first game against the Perth Wildcats, Cotton scored a game-high 23 points with seven 3-pointers in a 94–87 loss in Adelaide. On November 16, he scored 41 points in a 105–101 overtime win over the Taipans. Three days later, he recorded 31 points and a career-high 13 assists in a 97–85 win over the
Illawarra Hawks. On December 7, in his first appearance in Perth as a 36er, Cotton recorded 21 points and 12 assists in a 95–94 win. On December 12, he had 33 points, 13 assists, seven rebounds and four steals in a 114–105 overtime win over
Melbourne United. On December 28, he scored 36 points in a 95–84 win over the Wildcats. On January 23, 2026, he scored a game-high 33 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer, in a 112–110 overtime win over the
New Zealand Breakers. On February 14, he scored 42 points in a 92–89 win over the Breakers, playing every second of the game and finishing with seven 3-pointers. He missed the 36ers' final regular season game on February 20 against the Wildcats with back soreness, but returned two days later for the
NBL Ignite Cup Final. In the Ignite Cup Final, Cotton had game highs with 34 points and nine assists in a 111–107 loss to the Breakers. For the season, Cotton helped the 36ers finish second on the ladder with a 23–10 record. In 32 regular season games, he averaged a league-leading 25.7 points (ninth
scoring title), 7.6 assists (league-leader and career-high), 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals (career-high). He was subsequently named
NBL Most Valuable Player for the sixth time, coming within one of
Andrew Gaze's all-time best seven league MVPs. He also joined Gaze as the only men to have been named MVP for three consecutive seasons. He was also named
All-NBL First Team for the ninth consecutive season, as well as
Fans MVP for the third consecutive season and fifth overall. In game one of the semi-final playoff series against the
South East Melbourne Phoenix, Cotton scored 42 points with six 3-pointers in a 104–97 win. In game two, he scored a team-high 29 points in a 101–92 loss. In game three, he had 38 points, six rebounds and seven assists in a 108–96 victory to win the series 2–1 over the Phoenix, helping advance the 36ers through to the NBL Championship Series. He became the first player since Andrew Gaze in 1993 to record 38 points, six rebounds and seven assists in a Finals game. In game one of the Championship Series against the
Sydney Kings, Cotton was held to 10 points as the 36ers lost 112–68. In game two of the series against the Kings, Cotton scored a game-high 28 points and made the game-winning buzzer-beating layup to lift the 36ers to a 91–89 win. In game three, he recorded 15 points and 12 assists in a 106–93 loss. In game four, he recorded 19 points and 12 assists in a 92–91 win. In game five, he scored an equal game-high 35 points to go with nine assists in a 113–101 overtime loss, with the 36ers losing the series 3–2 to finish as runners-up. ==Career statistics==