Australian basketball players feature heavily in NBL and NBA

The connection between the National Basketball League (NBL) and the NBA remains strong, with 23 players in the upcoming NBL season having previous NBA experience. Melbourne United holds the highest number of combined NBA games among NBL teams, led by Joe Ingles and Cole Anthony. The Sydney Kings also feature significant veteran presence with Torrey Craig and Matthew Dellavedova.

In the NBA, ten Australian representatives are set to play during the 2026-27 season. Nine of these players are projected to earn over US$1 million. Melbourne-born Kyrie Irving leads the group with a projected salary of approximately US$39.5 million with the Dallas Mavericks. Other high earners include Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels, both slated to earn roughly US$25 million, and Josh Green, who is expected to make approximately US$14.7 million.

Additional Australians in the league include Jock Landale, Matisse Thybulle, and Ben Simmons. The upcoming season for these players includes various contract types, ranging from multi-million dollar deals to rookie scale contracts for players like Johnny Furphy and Tyrese Proctor.