Every Australian Playing in the NBA This Season, Ranked

With 15 players signed to an NBA team for the 2025-26 season, there’s never been a better time to be an Australian playing in the NBA. The exciting news for those up-and-comers is that there have never been more pathways to the league, and each of these players has found their way through several different avenues, including College, High School, G League, and the NBL, which has made a name for itself as a preferred pathway to the NBA. Names such as LaMelo Ball, Alex Sarr, and Josh Giddey have taken the NBL route over the traditional college route, and it’s paid off with contracts upwards of $25 million per season. Which player on our list will have the biggest impact this season? Let’s find out.

Best Australians Playing in the NBA at a Glance

Highlights from our list include the following players:

• Best overall: Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks
• For a break-out year: Josh Giddey, Chicago Bulls
• For a veteran player: Joe Ingles, Orlando Magic

Now you’ve read our favourites, let’s check out the complete list.

1. Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks

Current team: Dallas Mavericks (#11 / Point guard, Shooting guard)
Career average: 23.7 PTS, 5.6 AST, 4.1 REB
Career earnings: $347,701,173

It pains us to stick Kyrie Irving at the top of the best Australian basketball players list, as he’s never represented our country on any level. However, as per the title of this article, Kyrie Irving is Australian, so he’s on the list. His career averages of 23.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists make him the stat-sheet leader on this list, but the career accolades cement the Melbourne-born point guard as the best. He’s an NBA Champion (2016), an eight-time NBA All-Star, and an Olympic Gold-medal winner (2016). Once he returns from injury, he will hope to lead the Dallas Mavericks in the post-Luka Doncic era.

• Born: 23 March 1992, Melbourne, Victoria
• Height: 1.88 m
• Education: Duke (2010–2011)
• Drafted: 1st round, 1st overall pick (2011)
• Seasons in the NBA: 14

2. Josh Giddey, Chicago Bulls

Current team: Chicago Bulls (#3 / Point guard, Shooting guard)
Career average: 14.1 PTS, 6.1 AST, 7.5 REB
Career earnings: $52,214,807

Drafted by the OKC Thunder, Josh Giddey signed a 4-year, USD$100 million contract with the Chicago Bulls in the 2024-25 off-season. The Bulls traded for him before the 2024-25 NBA season started. It’s still a work in progress for the 6’8 floor general who fell out of the closing rotation early in the 2024-25 season, but it’s starting to make sense as the team builds around him and Matas Buzelis.

• Born: 10 October 2002, Melbourne, Victoria
• Height: 2.03 m
• Education: St Kevin’s College (Melbourne), Lake Ginninderra (Canberra)
• Drafted: 1st round, 6th overall pick (2021)
• Seasons in the NBA: 4

3. Dyson Daniels, Atlanta Hawks

Current team: Atlanta Hawks (#5 / Point guard, Shooting guard)
Career average: 8.4 PTS, 3.2 AST, 4.4 REB
Career earnings: $25,262,943

Dyson Daniels emerged as one of the best defenders in the NBA last season, earning him the nickname ‘The Great Barrier Thief’. He raised his career averages to 8.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, but that doesn’t tell the whole story because it’s all about the intangibles for Daniels, who has emerged as one of the Atlanta Hawks’ most promising young stars. He’s averaging 33.8 minutes per game (up from 22.3 minutes) and brought his points average up to 14.1 to go along with a league-leading 3.0 steals through the 2024-25 season.

• Born: 17 March 2003, Bendigo, Victoria
• Height: 2.01 m
• Education: Bendigo South East College; (Bendigo, Australia)
• Drafted: 1st round, 8th overall pick (2022)
• Seasons in the NBA: 3

4. Josh Green, Charlotte Hornets

Current team: Charlotte Hornets (#10 / Small forward, Shooting guard)
Career average: 6.7 PTS, 1.5 AST, 2.7 REB
Career earnings: $39,959,007

Josh Green spent four years with the Dallas Mavericks, where the Luka Doncic-led team went deep into the NBA Playoffs on numerous occasions. Green has earned a place on the Charlotte Hornets roster and found real minutes as a two-guard alongside LaMelo Ball in his breakout season. He’s playing the same 3&D role as in Dallas, but has raised his 3-point percentage to a whopping 39.1% last season, which is above the league average. If he can keep his percentage above his career average of 38.0% he’ll find a large chunk of change at the other end of the three-year, $41 million (AUD$64 million) contract he signed with the Mavericks.

• Born: 16 November 2000, Sydney, New South Wales
• Height: 1.96 m
• Education: Arizona (2019–2020)
• Drafted: 1st round, 18th overall pick (2020)
• Seasons in the NBA: 5

5. Danté Exum, Dallas Mavericks

Current team: Dallas Mavericks (#0 / Guard)
Career average: 6.2 PTS, 2.3 AST, 1.9 REB
Career earnings: $54,061,946

Danté Exum is one of the NBA’s biggest “what ifs” with a long list of injuries having set back the 6’5 guard for most of his career. Still, when he returned from two years overseas to average 7.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists, it began a second stage in the lengthy point guard’s career.

• Born: 13 July 1995, Melbourne, Victoria
• Height: 1.96 m
• Education: Australian Institute of Sport
• Drafted: 1st round, 5th overall pick (2014)
• Seasons in the NBA: 8

6. Jock Landale, Memphis Grizzlies

Current team: Memphis Grizzlies (#31 / Center)
Career average: 5.4 PTS, 1.0 AST, 3.3 REB
Career earnings: $21,053,233

Jock Landale made an immediate impact in the NBA when he landed on a rebuilding San Antonio Spurs roster in 2021-22 and averaged 4.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 54 games. He joined the Phoenix Suns a season later and continued the high output with career highs in points and rebounds. However, since joining the Rockets last season and now the Memphis Grizzlies, Landale has struggled to find minutes, averaging 11.9 MPG a season ago. Due to this restriction, his numbers have taken a hit and he’s averaged just 4.8 points per game last year. Now with Memphis, this season will give the centre another chance to prove his skills on the biggest stage, but regardless of his play, he inked a 4-year $32,000,000 contract when he was with the Houston Rockets, so he’ll be rolling in it regardless.

• Born: 25 October 1995, Melbourne, Victoria
• Height: 2.11 m
• Education: Saint Mary’s (2014–2018)
• Drafted: Undrafted
• Seasons in the NBA: 4

7. Joe Ingles, Minnesota Timberwolves

Current team: Minnesota Timberwolves (#7 / Power forward, Small forward)
Career average: 7.9 PTS, 3.6 AST, 3.0 REB
Career earnings: $91,513,467

Like his Boomers teammate Patty Mills, Joe Ingles is in the twilight stages of his career. Still, he’s managed to find minutes on an NBA roster as a mentor to young players. The Minnesota Timberwolves have championship hopes, and with Smokin’ Joe on the sideline, he will look to provide meaningful minutes as a third-string forward with high IQ plays and a reliable 3pt jumper. Oklahoma City Thunder fans will never forget what he did to NBA superstar Paul George in the NBA Playoffs, and Boomers fans will never forget the role he played on the Bronze medal-winning team alongside Mills.

• Born: 2 October 1987, Happy Valley, South Australia
• Height: 2.06 m
• Education: Australian Institute of Sport (AIS)
• Drafted: Undrafted
• Seasons in the NBA: 12

8. Matisse Thybulle, Portland Trailblazers

Current team: Portland Trail Blazers (#4 / Small forward, Shooting guard)
Career average: 4.9 PTS, 1.1 AST, 2.0 REB
Career earnings: $45,588,127

Matisse Thybulle is signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the Portland Trailblazers back in 2023, but has only just returned to the court for the start of the 2025-26 season. Still, he’s one of the best Australian basketballers in the NBA with career averages of 4.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 2.0 steals. He’s known for his lockdown defence, and he was a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in 2020-21 and 2021-22 when he played for the Philadelphia 76ers. Today, he’s a solid backup guard/ forward who can be inserted into line-ups sparingly and can see around 15-20 minutes of playing time per game.

• Born: 4 March 1997 (age 27 years), Scottsdale, Arizona, United States
• Height: 1.96 m
• Education: University of Washington
• Drafted: 1st round, 20th overall pick (2019)
• Seasons in the NBA: 6

9. Duop Reath, Portland Trailblazers

Current team: Portland Trail Blazers (#26 / Center)
Career average: 7.1 PTS, 0.8 AST, 3.0 REB
Career earnings: $6,221,677

With a breakout 2023-24 season that saw him average 9.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.0 assists behind him, Duop Reath has struggled to find a place in the current Portland Trail Blazers rotation. He appeared in 46 games last season, struggling to find more than 10 minutes on the court. You could point the finger at many of the advanced stats, but looking at the On Court/ Off Court stats, the Portland Trailblazers have an Offensive Rating of -18.6 with him on the court vs. -6.8 off. That’s not a promising sign for the sharp-shooting stretch five.

• Born: 26 June 1996, Waat, South Sudan
• Height: 2.06 m
• Education: Lee College (2014–2016), LSU (2016–2018)
• Drafted: Undrafted
• Seasons in the NBA: 3

10. Johnny Furphy, Indiana Pacers

Current team: Indiana Pacers (#12 / Small forward)
Career average: 2.1 PTS, 1.4 AST, 0.4 REB
Career earnings: $3,806,219

Johnny Furphy is one of the newest faces in Australian basketball, and his NBA journey has only just begun with the Indiana Pacers. He appeared in most of the team’s games last season and averaged 2.4 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in limited minutes (9.0 minutes per game). His 17-point performance against the Orlando Magic was his career-high, but he’s also managed a 6-point and 5-point effort. With a 4-year NBA contract signed, Furphy is a project for the Indiana Pacers, so expect to see more of him as the season goes on.

• Born: 7 December 2004, Melbourne, Victoria
• Height: 2.06 m
• Education: University of Kansas (2023–2024), Maribyrnong College
• Drafted: 2nd round, 35th overall pick (2024)
• Seasons in the NBA: 2

11. Luke Travers, Cleveland Cavaliers

Current team: Cleveland Cavaliers (#33 / Shooting guard)
Career average: 1.0 PTS, 1.7 AST, 0.7 REB
Career earnings: $85,300

Luke Travers remains on a two-way contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2025-26 season, which splits his time between the NBA court and the G League. Still, he managed to carve out some playing time last season, including a 30-minute night against the New Orleans Pelicans, during which he scored 4 points and dished out 3 assists. He is one of the youngest players on our list, and Travers still has plenty of time to prove himself in the NBA.

• Born: 3 September 2001, Perth
• Height: 2 m
• Education: Willeton Senior High School
• Drafted: 2nd round, 56th overall pick (2022)
• Seasons in the NBA: 2

12. Tyrese Proctor, Cleveland Cavaliers

Current team: Cleveland Cavaliers (#24 / Point guard, Guard)
Career average: 5.0 PTS, 1.0 AST, 2.0 REB
Career earnings: $1,272,870

Tyrese Proctor is one to watch. Despite his late second-round draft pick status, he signed a four-year, $8,685,387 contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the off-season, so expect him to play.

• Born: 1 April 2004, Sydney
• Education: Lake Ginninderra College
• Height: 1.96 m
• Weight: 84 kg
• Drafted: 2nd round, 49th overall pick (2025)

13. Rocco Zikarsky, Minnesota Timberwolves

Current team: Minnesota Timberwolves (#44 / Center)
Career average: 0.0 PTS, 0.0 AST, 0.0 REB
Career earnings: $85,300

Zikarsky was a late second-round draft pick, so don’t expect huge numbers from him in a stacked Minnesota Timberwolves lineup this season. He signed a two-year, two-way contract with the team on July 9, 2025.

• Born: 11 July 2006, Sunshine Coast
• Height: 2.21 m
• Weight: 103 kg
• Drafted: 2nd round, 45th overall pick (2025)
• Education: Brisbane Grammar School

14. Alex Toohey, Golden State Warriors

Current team: Golden State Warriors (#22 / Power forward, Forward)
Career average: 0.0 PTS, 0.0 AST, 0.0 REB
Career earnings: $85,300

Don’t expect too much from Alex Toohey this season. He was drafted late in the second draft round. He would be happy to call himself an NBA player, having signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Golden State Warriors in September 2025.

• Born: 5 May 2004, Canberra
• Height: 2.03 m
• Education: Marist College Canberra
• Listed weight: 223 lb (101 kg)
• Drafted: 2nd round, 52nd overall pick (2025)
• Seasons in the NBA: 1

15. Lachlan Olbrich, Chicago Bulls 

Current team: Chicago Bulls (#47 / Center)
Career average: 0.0 PTS, 0.0 AST, 0.0 REB
Career earnings: $85,300

Fresh off a 2024-25 NBL Championship with the Hawks, where he averaged 8.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in 29, Lachlan Olbrich will join his fellow Australian, Josh Giddey, on the Chicago Bulls this season, having signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls on July 2, 2025.

• Born: 30 December 2003
• Height: 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
• Education: Reynella East College
• Drafted: 2nd round, 55th overall pick (2025)
• Seasons in the NBA: 1

Australian’s No Longer in the NBA

Of course, not every career in the NBA lasts forever, and these are the players who were on a roster for the 2024-25 season but no longer find themselves on a team.

Ben Simmons

Current team: N/A
Career average: 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists
Career earnings: $203,356,689

Ben Simmons was touted as the next LeBron James, but failed to live up to expectations. He finished his NBA career with the Clippers and will sadly be remembered as one of the league’s all-time “what ifs.” He’ll also be remembered as an injury-prone player who hasn’t represented Australia on the biggest stage, one that struggled to shoot the ball beyond 15 feet, and continued to disappoint the fanbase of every team he joined. He was a generational talent with Magic’s vision and LeBron’s athleticism, and despite this, he failed to achieve a meaningful accolade. He was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2018 and a three-time NBA All-Star, but you could probably add NBA high-five champion to that list as well. We’ll never know how great Ben Simmons could have been if injuries had not hampered his progression.

• Born: 20 July 1996, Melbourne, Victoria
• Height: 2.08 m
• Education: LSU (2015–2016)
• Drafted: 1st round, 1st overall pick (2016)
• Seasons in the NBA: 9

Patty Mills

Current team: N/A
Career average: 8.7 points, 1.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists
Career earnings: $85,559,433

Patty Mills is one of Australia’s most accomplished NBA players, having won an NBA championship and an Olympic medal. He will go down in Australian sports folklore as “FIBA Patty” for his performance that led the Australian Boomers to their first-ever Olympic medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. While his 16-year NBA career has now ended, his reputation precedes him. His accolades include an NBA championship with the Spurs (2014), an NBA Sportsmanship Award (2022), and his No. 13 jersey has been retired by Saint Mary’s Gaels. He’s now the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors basketball program manager at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.

• Born: 11 August 1988, Canberra, ACT
• Height: 1.88 m
• Education: Saint Mary’s (2007–2009)
• Drafted: 2nd round, 55th overall pick (2009)
• Seasons in the NBA: 15

Jack McVeigh

Current team: Cairns Taipans, NBL
Career average: 1.6 points, 0.6 rebounds, 0.1 assists
Career earnings: $51,497

Like Alex Ducas and Luke Travers, sharp-shooter Jack McVeigh signed a two-way NBA contract with the Houston Rockets for the 2024-25 season. However, with limited opportunity and just nine games played, his time in the NBA ended at the season’s conclusion. He now plays for the Cairns Taipans in the NBL.

• Born: 27 June 1996 (age 28 years), Murwillumbah, New South Wales
• Height: 2.03 m
• Education: Lake Ginninderra (Canberra)
• Drafted: Undrafted
• Seasons in the NBA: 1

Alex Ducas

Current team: Brisbane Bullets, NBL
Career average: 1.7 points, 1.2 rebounds, 0.2 assists
Career earnings: $102,994

It’s been a roller coaster ride of an NBA career for Alex Ducas, who played just one season in the NBA (2024-25). Somewhat hilariously, he was a member of the NBA Championship-winning Oklahoma City Thunder last year, and played just 21 games during the season. Having left the NBA, he’s returned to home soil, playing for the Brisbane Bullets in the NBL.

• Born: 11 December 2000, Geraldton, Western Australia
• Height: 2.01 m
• Education: Saint Mary’s College of California
• Drafted: Undrafted (2024)
• Seasons in the NBA: 1