🔗 Share this article

This year's NBA season starts now, signaling the first time in a ten years that Australia's two most prominent basketball stars – Ben Simmons and Patty Mills – are unsigned.

This change signals a changing of the guard, as Australian backcourt duo Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels step up as essential players for contending teams, with recently signed huge contracts establishing them as some of the country's highest sporting income generators.

But they are not alone. Fourteen Australians are set to compete for minutes around the league, including veteran centres Jock Landale and Duop Reath, up-and-coming forwards in Johnny Furphy and Josh Green, to promising draftees like Tyrese Proctor and Rocco Zikarsky.

Josh Giddey Out to Prove Himself

After protracted negotiations with the Bulls, Giddey ultimately signed his new deal worth US$100 million (A$153 million) over four seasons recently. It’s a huge contract for the Melbourne native, but in league standards it is affordable for his role and profile as a lead playmaker. Hesitation for the Bulls management to offer a max deal means the 23-year-old enters this season with a point to make.

Having been traded by Oklahoma City at the beginning of last season, he watched as his former squad charged to the NBA championship without him. As the Bulls look to make the playoffs in the weaker East, he will have to demonstrate his scoring and defensive skills are elite-level or else he may slide towards the league's outskirts.

Dyson Daniels Targets Further Growth

The guard agreed to the same deal as his counterpart recently, and after his most-improved player award last year, the Atlanta player's career has taken off in Atlanta following his exit from the Pelicans. He is now praised as one of the league’s best defensive specialists, and led the league in takeaways with 3.0 spg – more than one whole steal per game higher than the total of the runner-up.

Playing next to flamboyant Trae Young in the Hawks, the youngster can be effective this campaign as a secondary ballhandler and elite defender as long as the Hawks advance to the postseason. But if he can improve his long-range game, which was below league average last year, and continue to develop his distribution and driving, Daniels could become one of the league’s most versatile players.

Johnny Furphy A Dunking Sensation

Indiana wing Furphy has burst onto the scene as a fan favourite in Indiana following a succession of spectacular slam dunks in pre-season. His athletic displays led NBA personality Pat Beverley to describe him as the “best white dunker we’ve seen in a while”, and an invite to the All-Star slam dunk competition could be a possibility.

Following logging just eight minutes per game over 50 appearances in his rookie campaign, the former Maribyrnong College student is in the running for a Indiana lineup that might lean towards young players following injury to star playmaker Tyrese Haliburton.

Tyrese Proctor An Outside Shot

Guard the Sydney native dropped in the NBA Draft down to the 49th pick, where playoff hopefuls Cleveland picked him. The Cavaliers are front-runners to make the NBA finals from the East, so it would be unusual for a rookie taken in the late picks to see much court time. But the Sydney product has seen minutes in exhibition play, and his pro-level shooting gives him a chance to make an impact.

Minutes Crunch Ahead for Veteran Quintet

Veteran big man Jock Landale has a opportunity to secure the starting centre position in Memphis given highly-touted Zach Edey will miss the opening of the campaign after a surgical procedure.

In Portland, Duop Reath is the experienced reserve to youthful big men Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen, but could play consistent action if the Blazers find themselves in the hunt. His teammate Matisse Thybulle is likely to be deployed as a defensive spark in a reserve role.

In Charlotte, Josh Green's off-season shoulder surgery has left him with no return date to return. The 24-year-old still has a deal for the upcoming year, but will not want to allow his teammates at the developing Hornets an excessive head start. And injury has already slowed Dante Exum, who has a knee complaint and has missed important exhibition opportunities in the Mavericks.

Aussie Hoopers On the Fringe

Additionally, there are those who are not expected to see much, if any, game action this season. Thirty-eight-year-old Joe Ingles is back in Minnesota, but seems to be primarily a mentor ensuring Anthony Edwards focused.

Rookie Rocco Zikarsky is expected to be nurtured by the Wolves through their G-League team. Fellow rookies Lachlan Olbrich in Chicago and Alex Toohey for the Warriors are also in the development pipeline, while the experienced Luke Travers will be hoping to win minutes alongside Proctor for the Cavs.

Ben Simmons and Patty Mills Seeking Contracts

Should anyone question Patty Mills was planning to end his career, he addressed it with a training clip posted on his accounts over the weekend, showing the 37-year-old is still sharp and focused on landing another league deal.

Simmons' intentions is anyone’s guess after an off-season in his homeland, going fishing and using with a Sherrin. Although he posted on social media last month to deny suggestions he was retired, the former All-Star – an elite player as recently as 2021 – has yet to surface.