The breadth of Australians in the NBA is as wide as it's ever been.
Josh Giddey is locked into his new city and has a $100 million mandate in Chicago, while Dyson Daniels suddenly has expectations and is on a Hawks team built to win right now. Young wings like Johnny Furphy and Josh Green are still eyeing how to fit on rosters that may not be built to win this very moment, Jock Landale has a golden opportunity, there are veterans who could be primed for deep playoff runs, and a new wave of Australians are ready to prove they belong.
Here's the rundown of the 14 Australians - and, of course, one Kiwi - on NBA rosters going into the 2025-26 regular season.
Josh Giddey - Chicago Bulls
Giddey has his new contract, so this season is about starting the process of living up to it.
The new four-year, $100 million deal means Giddey is locked in as the Chicago Bulls' starting point guard for the foreseeable future, and the team's hope is that he can build off what was an incredibly productive end to last season. In 19 games after the 2025 All-Star break, Giddey averaged 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 9.3 assists per game, while shooting an impressive 50% from the field and 45.7% from 3PT (on 4.3 3PA). It's the type of output that ultimately earned him this contract, and the thing the Bulls will want to see on the regular.
"I'm looking to hit the ground running," Giddey told ESPN.
Josh Giddey has spent the summer working on his game ahead of the NBA season, after the 22-year-old signed a new deal with the Chicago Bulls.
"You don't ever want it to be a two-month, three-month hot stretch... you want it to be a regular occurrence. I've had a great offseason, so [I'm] excited to get back there and get into it."
The Bulls' roster around Giddey is largely unchanged, but there's an expectation of a leap from Matas Buzelis, who's developed some chemistry with the Australian. Growth from both Giddey and Buzelis, in particular, would play a significant role in the Bulls finally finishing higher than the play-in, which they've been a part of over the last three seasons.
"No one wants to sit in the middle," Giddey said.
"You want to get out of that middle section; you wanna be a top team. Every team does. Sometimes it takes time. We're at a point now -- especially with our group -- where we believe we have enough, and I think we showed it at the back end of the year.
Dyson Daniels - Atlanta Hawks
There's a level of excitement brewing around Daniels and these Atlanta Hawks.
Daniels is coming off a Most Improved Player award - and was runner up for Defensive Player of the Year - after averaging 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and a league-best 3.0 steals per game, so all eyes are on what the next leap for the 22-year-old looks like.
What makes it more exciting is that the leap will take place on a Hawks team that retooled over the offseason, to the point where it's reasonable to see them making some noise in the weaker Eastern Conference. The addition of Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard substantially lift the expected fortunes of Quin Snyder's team, so don't be surprised if a lengthy playoff run is on the cards.
Despite those additions, Daniels will likely enter this season playing a similar role, generally off the ball to Trae Young, as the team's primary point-of-attack defender, with some secondary ball-carrying duties here and there.
The other wrinkle to Daniels' season is that it's a contract year. Assuming he doesn't sign an extension before Tuesday's (AEDT) deadline, the Victorian will become a restricted free agent at the end of the season, so another leap - he's publicly claimed he can win the Most Improved award for the second year running - would do wonders for that new contract.
The key to improvement this season for Daniels will be continued growth with his jump-shot - he was 34% 3PT, on 3.1 3PA last season - as well as demonstrating with some consistency that he can play the point and show off some creation chops.
The key to Exum's third season in Dallas will be his ability to stay on the floor, and the signs are already looking concerning.
Rewind to two seasons ago, and Exum was an impactful bench player for a Mavericks team that advanced to the NBA Finals, averaging 7.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game - shooting 49.1% from 3PT - and playing 55 games as an ideal ancillary piece next to Luka Doncic. Last season was similarly impressive from a production and efficiency standpoint, but Exum only managed 20 games due to multiple injuries.
This offseason, Exum signed a one-year deal to return to Dallas, but didn't take part in training camp due to what head coach Jason Kidd called right knee soreness, with the team planning to take a "long-term view" with the injury. While Exum of course has the capacity to continue to be a reliable contributor for a Mavericks team hoping to make some noise in a tough Western Conference, the ambiguity surrounding his injury is concerning.
When healthy, Exum offers a valuable mix of shooting, defensive versatility, and is a veteran presence, making him an ideal complementary player to No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, who's been doing a lot of ball-carrying for the Mavericks over the preseason.
Exum has a defensive point of difference with D'Angelo Russell, and provides more ball-carrying than Max Christie, so there should be openings for the 30-year-old Victorian in Kidd's rotation; again, it's just about when he's healthy enough to hit the floor, and if he can do so consistently.
Johnny Furphy - Indiana Pacers
There's a real opportunity here for Furphy.
It's come in the most unfortunate of circumstances - a season-ending Achilles injury to Tyrese Haliburton - and the Pacers probably won't ever say it out loud, but this season has 'gap year' written all over it for Rick Carlisle's team, and Furphy could well be the biggest beneficiary.
The Pacers were great last season, and had an expectation to win games, so playing a 19-year-old rookie is a tough ask. Those expectations aren't there to the same extent this season, so the team should absolutely see these games as free developmental reps for someone like Furphy.
The athletic 6'9 wing - who's seemingly providing at least one highlight reel dunk a game - still has hurdles to climb within the Pacers' rotation. He's still behind proven playoff contributors in Bennedict Mathurin, Aaron Nesmith, and Ben Sheppard on the wing, and minutes at the four will be hard to come by over Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin. Still, Furphy has a three-point jump-shot that appears to be approving game by game, and has the athletic base to reasonably think he can develop into a really capable defender at the NBA level.
"I know there's more opportunity, but it's not really about being told," Furphy told ESPN.
"It's about being able to prove yourself, and being able to establish those roles... Everyone starts fresh. Everyone knows what each other can do. I'm excited to be able to have more of an impact."
"It starts with defence. I think that's how you gain trust, knowing you're not a liability on defence. And also, just being able to make open shots. It sounds pretty simple, but that's what it is.
"To stay on the court - especially a player like me, where I'm not gonna have the ball in my hands a whole lot - being able to consistently make catch-and-shoot shots is what I think is gonna help me get more opportunity."
Josh Green - Charlotte Hornets
This has the potential to be a volatile season for Josh Green, and not for any fault of his own.
Firstly, and definitely most importantly, Green is currently sidelined with a shoulder injury - he underwent surgery in June - and there's no timetable for his return. Green has dealt with shoulder injuries over the course of his career, so there's reason to think the Hornets will be conservative with his return to action.
It's then, of course, worth considering the makeup of the team. Notwithstanding his injury, Green was likely going to lose his starting spot to No. 4 overall pick Kon Knueppel, while there's no telling how many games LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller will play, so the likelihood is that this will be another losing season for the Hornets.
It makes this season awkward for Green. While he didn't have the breakout year that most expected from his last season, he was still solid, averaging 7.4 points per game, while continuing to shoot it at a high clip from beyond the three-point line. He's the ideal complementary three-and-D wing for a winning team, but he's on a team that would probably prefer to lose.
The hope for the soon-to-be 25-year-old Green is that the Hornets can make some unlikely early noise in a weakened Eastern Conference, which would then make his skillset required if the team wanted to continue searching for wins.
Joe Ingles - Minnesota Timberwolves
This will be Ingles' 12th NBA season, and the 38-year-old would know he's heading into it with his locker room presence as his No. 1 skillset.
Ingles has been taking one-year deals since leaving the Utah Jazz in 2023, and this will be his second with the Timberwolves, who are coming off a Conference Finals appearance.
Last season, Ingles played just 19 games - effectively only hitting the floor during garbage time - with his value coming from being a positive veteran influence on a team with some rising young players. With Ingles a year older, and the Timberwolves possessing reasonable depth across the positions he can play, there's no question that this season will be more of the same for the Australian.
Jock Landale - Memphis Grizzlies
Everything is set up for Landale to have the biggest season of his NBA career.
That's because he enters the new season as the projected starting centre for the Memphis Grizzlies, who he signed with this offseason with that very expectation in mind. With Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke sidelined to start the season, Landale's overwhelmingly likely to get the nod to start at the five-spot for the Grizzlies, where he'll play in the frontcourt alongside Jaren Jackson Jr.
Landale is coming off an impressive-but-awkward season with the Houston Rockets, averaging 11.9 minutes and 4.8 points per game, but getting caught in the back of a logjam at the centre spot.
What his two seasons in Houston did show, however, was that Landale can be effective when playing starters minutes, so that's the opportunity he'll step into in Memphis.
One element of Landale's game to keep an eye on: the improved three-point shooting. He's coming off a season in Houston where he shot 42.3% from 3PT, and was 7-of-12 from downtown over four preseason games for the Grizzlies; all of which he was a starter for.
Tyrese Proctor - Cleveland Cavaliers
Here's a prediction: Tyrese Proctor will be too good for the G-League, but won't be able to crack the Cavaliers' regular rotation this season.
That's, of course, not an indictment of Proctor's game, which appears pretty NBA ready, but the fact that he was drafted by one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, that has reasonable depth in his position.
Between Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Lonzo Ball, Sam Merrill, and Craig Porter Jr., it's tough to see Proctor finding regular minutes with the Cavaliers this season, but what he showed over the preseason was relatively impressive. Proctor averaged 10 points per game for the Cavaliers, over four preseason contests, showing off his off-the-dribble creation that made him such an exciting prospect out of Sydney, Australia a few years ago.
The Cavaliers signed Proctor to a standard NBA deal, so he'll definitely see some time with them, but expect the 21-year-old to spend a good chunk of his rookie season with their G-League affiliate, the Canton Charge.
Duop Reath - Portland Trail Blazers
We should probably be expecting more of the same for Duop Reath going into his second season in Portland.
That means someone who always finds a way to make an impact when he hits the floor - he's coming off a season where he averaged 4.2 points and 2.0 rebounds a game - but who finds difficulty actually getting those opportunities.
Let's look at last season. Reath largely earned minutes when there were injuries in the frontcourt, as well as around February and March when games mattered less; otherwise, he was forced to sit and watch the Trail Blazers' draft picks go to work. This season, he remains behind Donovan Clingan, while the Trail Blazers also surprised the league by using a first-round pick on Chinese big-man Yang Hansen. Throw in the likely more consistent availability from Robert Williams III, and it's difficult to see Reath finding opportunities over the course of the season.
And that's a shame, because Reath seemingly always finds a way to contribute when he does hit the floor, and, for his sake, it'd be good to be able to show his worth in what's a contract year for the South Sudanese-Australian big-man.
Matisse Thybulle - Portland Trail Blazers
Last season was fascinating for Thybulle. He missed many months of action with injury, but then hit the floor in the back end of the Trail Blazers' campaign and put up career-best numbers.
Through 15 games, Thybulle averaged 7.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 43.8% from 3PT, and his hope is that he can carry that sort of form into the start of this season, where there doesn't seem to be a heap of competition in the off-guard and wing spots.
The thing that's worth keeping an eye on Thybulle's contract situation. The Australian-American is on an expiring deal, and it's a relatively team-friendly number, so he could become a valuable asset once the trade deadline draws near. Assuming he plays close to the level he did to end last season, then there's every reason to think that Thybulle's days as a Trail Blazer are numbered; expect a contender to swoop on him at the deadline.
Steven Adams - Houston Rockets
Looking at Adams' counting stats from last season doesn't come close to illustrating how much of an impact he made for the Rockets. The 3.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, as someone who's come close to averaging double doubles throughout his career, looks just okay, but nothing special.
Look a bit deeper, especially in the playoffs, and you can see why the Rockets were desperate to make sure the Kiwi big-man was back on their roster; so much so, that they gave him a new three-year, almost-$40 million deal.
During the postseason, Adams' averages jumped to 5.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, and he formed a fascinatingly effective partnership with franchise cornerstone Alperen Sengun. The 'double big' lineup - where Adams and Sengun shared the floor - go against the grain of modern basketball, but was surprisingly effective, with a net rating of +18.9, and a wild offensive rebounding rate of 46.3%.
In fact, those lineups were so effective that the Rockets went and signed another quality backup centre in Clint Capela.
Now, don't expect Adams to make too much noise during the regular season; he almost certainly won't play back-to-backs, and head coach Ime Udoka will likely keep his minutes relatively conservative. Come the playoffs, though, and Adams' value will shine through, for a Rockets team that suffered a blow with Fred VanVleet's season-ending ACL injury, but has some renewed hope with the addition of the Kiwi's former teammate Kevin Durant.
Alex Toohey - Golden State Warriors (two-way)
Toohey was the 52nd overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and ultimately signed a two-way deal with the Warriors for this coming season.
It means he'll primarily be playing for their G-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, with an eye toward continuing his development to ultimately earn minutes on the franchise's NBA roster.
"Conditioning," Toohey told ESPN, on what he was hoping to improve on going into his first NBA season.
"You can never really be in the best shape. You can always be in better shape. I'm making sure I nail that before I get over there; making sure that, when you're playing, you can't get tired. I think that raises every level. It raises your decision-making, the longer you can stay fit and keep your mind engaged.
"Then, just shooting and finishing. Obviously, the Warriors like to shoot threes, and have a lot of players that are able to stretch the floor - one to five can shoot threes - so that, and finishing over length."
While the Warriors are relatively deep in the wing and forward positions, head coach Steve Kerr hasn't been against playing second round picks in meaningful moments - Gui Santos and Quinten Post, for example - so let's see if Toohey can show enough in practice and the G-League to follow suit.
Luke Travers - Cleveland Cavaliers (two-way)
This will be Travers' second season as a two-way player with the Cavaliers, after being drafted by the franchise in 2022.
Like last season, the forward is expected to spend the bulk of his time with the Charge in the G-League; he's coming off a campaign where he averaged 17.0 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game.
Rocco Zikarsky - Minnesota Timberwolves (two-way)
It's reasonable to treat this season as a largely developmental year for Zikarsky.
The 45th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Zikarsky is on a Timberwolves team that has ambitions to compete for a title, and solid depth in the frontcourt, so it's difficult to see the 19-year-old - who's on a two-year, two-way deal - cracking the rotation.
The big-man will spend the majority of his time with the Iowa Wolves in the NBA G-League.
Lachlan Olbrich - Chicago Bulls (two-way)
Olbrich was selected by the Bulls with the 55th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and is set to enter his rookie season on a two-way contract.
That means he'll be splitting his time between the Bulls and their G-League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls.
The expectation is that the 21-year-old will be spending the vast majority of his time this season in the G-League, but a recent injury to fellow big-man Zach Collins may see the Adelaide native with the main roster more than previously thought.
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