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Multiple high-level NBA executives will be in Wollongong for the Illawarra Hawks' matchup with the Perth Wildcats on Thursday, sources told ESPN. Representatives from six NBA teams - the Memphis Grizzlies, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers, and Utah Jazz - are expected to be at the WIN Entertainment Centre for the game, sources said. Among those in town include two General Managers - the Grizzlies' Zach Kleiman and the Trail Blazers' Joe Cronin - as well as two Assistant General Managers: the Celtics' Austin Ainge and Trail Blazers' Mike Schmitz. The game's headliner - from an NBA perspective - is the Wildcats' Next Star, Alex Sarr, who's currently No. 2 on ESPN's Top-100 ranking of the best available players going into the 2024 NBA Draft. Sarr is a mobile, 7'1 big-man out of France, who's currently averaging 9.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. The Hawks have ESPN's 56th ranked player, AJ Johnson, a 6'5 guard who's averaging 2.9 points per game, as well as Australian big-man Lachlan Olbrich, who NBA teams have shown interest in over the course of the NBL season. NBA teams have flocked to NBL games over the course of the 2023-24 season to get eyes on the young talent around the league, but particularly Sarr, who's been a projected top-five pick for the majority of this draft cycle. Thursday's game marks the beginning of the final round of the NBL regular season. The Hawks - currently in fourth place with a 13-13 record - need just one win over their final two games to secure a place in the play-in. They play the Wildcats on Thursday, before heading to Melbourne for a matchup with United on Sunday. If the Hawks lose both games, they'll then be relying on other results around the league, with percentage very likely to come into play. The Wildcats are second on the ladder with a 17-9 record and, while John Rillie's team has a mathematical chance to climb into first place ahead of United, it's extremely unlikely. With their current record, the Wildcats have locked in a top-two position, which has earned them home court advantage in their semi-finals series. All eyes will then be on Friday's game between the New Zealand Breakers and Brisbane Bullets, with significant play-in implications on the line. A win for the Bullets - 13-14 - would secure them a spot in the play-in, while a loss would put them at a significant disadvantage, where they'd then need the Sydney Kings to lose to the South East Melbourne Phoenix later in the round. If the Breakers win, their spot in the play-in is practically locked in going into their final game of the season against the Adelaide 36ers.
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