This year's National Basketball Association season tips off now, signaling the first time in a ten years that Australia's two biggest basketball names – Ben Simmons and Patty Mills – are unsigned.
Their absence indicates a transition period, as Australian backcourt duo Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels step up as essential players for playoff aspirants, with recently signed nine-figure contracts making them some of Australia’s top sporting income generators.
They aren't the only ones. A group of 14 Aussies are expected to play 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.
Following lengthy negotiations with the Bulls, Giddey ultimately inked his rookie extension worth $100m (A$153 million) over four seasons recently. It's a major deal for the Melbourne native, but in league standards it is affordable for his role and reputation as a lead playmaker. The reluctance for the Bulls management to pay top dollar means the young star enters this season with a point to make.
Having been traded by Oklahoma City at the start of last season, Giddey watched as his former squad stormed to the NBA championship without him. As the Bulls aim to make the playoffs in the less competitive Eastern Conference, he will need to demonstrate his shooting and defence are elite-level or else he may slide towards the NBA’s fringe.
The guard agreed to the identical contract as his counterpart this week, and after his most-improved player award last year, the Atlanta player's career has taken off in the city following his exit from the New Orleans. He is now praised as one of the NBA's best perimeter defenders, and topped the league in steals with 3.0 spg – over one whole steal per game higher than the tally of the runner-up.
Performing next to dynamic Trae Young in the Hawks, the 22-year-old can be successful this campaign as a secondary ballhandler and elite defender as long as the team advance to the postseason. But if he can elevate his three-point shooting, which was below league average last year, and keep enhance his distribution and attacking, he could become one of the league’s most well-rounded talents.
Pacers forward Furphy has burst onto the scene as a crowd favorite in Indiana following a succession of highlight-reel dunks in pre-season. His athletic displays prompted NBA personality Pat Beverley to describe him as the “best white dunker we’ve seen in a long time”, and an invite to the mid-season dunk contest could be a possibility.
After playing just eight minutes per contest over 50 appearances in his rookie campaign, the former college student is in contention for a Pacers rotation that might lean towards young players following setback to star playmaker Tyrese Haliburton.
Playmaker the Sydney native fell in the NBA Draft down to the second round, where playoff hopefuls Cleveland picked him. The Cavaliers are front-runners to reach the Finals from the Eastern Conference, so it would be unusual for a first-year player taken in the late picks to see significant court time. But the Australian has earned time in exhibition play, and his pro-level shooting offers him a opportunity to contribute.
Seasoned centre Jock Landale has a opportunity to claim the starting five spot in Memphis given top prospect Zach Edey will miss the start of the season after a surgical procedure.
In the Trail Blazers, Duop Reath is the experienced reserve to youthful big men Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen, but could see consistent minutes if the team become in the hunt. His teammate Matisse Thybulle is likely to be used as a defensive specialist off the bench.
In Charlotte, Josh Green’s off-season shoulder procedure has left him with no return date to return. The player still has a contract for the upcoming year, but won’t want to give his colleagues at the rebuilding Hornets too much head start. And injury has already hindered Dante Exum, who has a knee problem and has missed key pre-season opportunities in the Mavericks.
Then there are those who are unlikely to see a lot of, if any, court time this year. Thirty-eight-year-old Joe Ingles is back in the Timberwolves, but seems to be primarily a mentor keeping Anthony Edwards in check.
Rocco Zikarsky is likely to be developed by Minnesota Timberwolves through their G-League team. Fellow first-year players Lachlan Olbrich in the Bulls and Alex Toohey for the Warriors are also in the development pipeline, while the experienced Luke Travers will be hoping to earn minutes alongside his compatriot for the Cavs.
Should anyone question Patty Mills was set to retire, he addressed it with a workout video shared on his social media over the weekend, showing the 37-year-old remains sharp and focused on landing one more NBA contract.
What Simmons is thinking is uncertain after an off-season in his homeland, going fishing and playing with a Sherrin. Although he posted on Instagram last month to deny rumors he was retired, the 29-year-old – an elite player as recently as 2021 – has not yet return to the league.
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