Australian NBA players to watch in the 2026–27 season

Australia ranks as the third-most represented country outside the United States across the NBA’s 30 opening-night rosters, trailing only France (17 players) and Canada (16). For the first time in 13 seasons, Canada has lost its position as the leading international contributor to the league.

Although Australia’s contingent has dropped from 15 players last season, the country remains well represented heading into the 2026–27 NBA season. Ben Simmons, despite his recent injury, joins eight other Australians who featured on opening-night rosters last season.

Several familiar faces, however, will be missing. Alex Toohey was waived by the Golden State Warriors this week, while Dante Exum was not retained by the Dallas Mavericks.

Veteran Joe Ingles, 38, has returned to Australia after signing a two-year deal with Melbourne United in the NBL. Fellow Australian Luke Travers has also joined the club, while Lachlan Olbrich has moved to Japan’s Alvark Tokyo after making 37 appearances for the Chicago Bulls last season.

Meanwhile, Matisse Thybulle and Duop Reath are no longer officially classified as Australian players on NBA rosters, despite representing the Australian Boomers at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Thybulle is now listed as American, while Reath is classified as South Sudanese.

The upcoming campaign will also feature a record-breaking contingent of 19 international players with NBA All-Star honours, including Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons.

Dyson Daniels — Atlanta Hawks

One of the Atlanta Hawks’ premier perimeter defenders, Dyson Daniels continues to establish himself as one of the NBA’s leading defensive talents. Entering his fifth season, the Australian guard will be looking to build on an impressive rise through the league.

Daniels earned NBA All-Defensive First Team honours in 2025 before being named to the Second Team in 2026, underlining his growing reputation as an elite defensive presence.

He finished second in the league for steals during the 2025–26 season, recording 149 — just one behind Cason Wallace despite playing one fewer game. Daniels also ranked third in deflections, behind Wallace and Detroit’s Ausar Thompson, after leading both categories the previous season.

His defensive production remained impressive even as he assumed greater offensive responsibilities during Trae Young’s absence, with significant improvements in both rebounds and assists.

Improving his shooting accuracy from inside and beyond the arc has been a major focus during the off-season. If Daniels can take that next step offensively, he could become an even more complete two-way threat for Atlanta.

Jock Landale — Atlanta Hawks

Could the NBA feature two Australians in the same starting five this season?

It is a rare prospect, with Jock Landale potentially joining Boomers teammate Dyson Daniels in the Atlanta Hawks’ starting lineup at some point during the campaign. The last example that comes to mind is Joe Ingles and Dante Exum with Utah in 2014–15, although other instances may have gone under the radar.

Landale is projected to sit behind starting centre Onyeka Okongwu on Atlanta’s depth chart, putting him within reach of a potentially historic opportunity.

The Australian centre is also playing for his immediate future, having entered the season on an expiring contract worth US$14 million. The Hawks re-signed Landale after he averaged nine points and four rebounds across 23 appearances following a deadline-day move to Atlanta.

A potential NBA Finals debut was on the cards before an ankle injury brought those ambitions to an abrupt halt.

His numbers with Memphis were even stronger, averaging 11 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

By February, Landale could find himself starting for a genuine contender — or adjusting to another change of scenery. With his contract situation and role still uncertain, his season will be one to watch closely.

Josh Giddey — Chicago Bulls

Fresh off a season in which he averaged 17 points per game, Josh Giddey enters his sixth NBA campaign shortly after turning 24. Despite undergoing ankle surgery during the off-season, the Australian playmaker appears well positioned to continue his development.

Giddey recorded career-best averages across several categories for the Chicago Bulls in 2025–26, posting 17 points, 9.1 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game while averaging approximately 32 minutes on the court.

At 6-foot-8, Giddey is among the tallest primary ball-handlers in the NBA. He will be expected to play a key role in directing a young Bulls offence that includes fourth overall draft pick Caleb Wilson, a prospect with considerable potential.

Chicago enters the new season amid significant changes both on and off the court, leaving questions about how quickly the team can adapt to its new direction.

Nevertheless, Giddey’s pre-season performances against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies offered encouraging signs ahead of another important year in his development.

Kyrie Irving — Dallas Mavericks

Kyrie Irving enters his 15th NBA season with the Dallas Mavericks, the franchise he has called home for the past three seasons. He has played 150 of his 875 career regular-season games for Dallas.

The campaign was supposed to mark his return to action after suffering a serious ACL injury in March 2025, which sidelined him for the entirety of the 2025–26 season.

Irving has offered mixed signals about his immediate future. He has expressed excitement about testing his surgically repaired left knee during the opening stretch of the season, while also reflecting on how the NBA has changed throughout his 15-year career.

“When I came in, we were not doing tipping and gambling meetings and social media, and mental health was this foreign subject,” Irving explained.

“Nobody ever talked about it in 2011. The game has changed. It’s become less human, more robotic.”

He also questioned how much longer he would want to remain in the league, adding that he could not see himself playing in the NBA at 42 or 43.

Dallas faces a challenging campaign, with the Mavericks expected to battle near the bottom of the Western Conference standings alongside teams such as the New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings.

After such a lengthy absence, Irving’s priority will be getting back to full fitness and taking the season one game at a time.

Johnny Furphy — Indiana Pacers

Johnny Furphy is continuing his recovery from a torn ACL suffered in February, with the Indiana Pacers anticipating a potential return around the middle of the season.

The Australian wing is now several months into rehabilitation and will be approaching his 22nd birthday around the time he hopes to return to the court.

In late September, Pacers assistant general manager Ted Wu described Furphy’s recovery as “extremely positive”, noting that he had met all the required rehabilitation benchmarks.

Although the injury represents another interruption to his development, Furphy still has time on his side. His contract runs through the end of the 2027–28 season, giving him an opportunity to establish himself within Indiana’s rotation.

The Pacers continue to rate their second-round draft pick highly, and a successful return could give him valuable minutes as the team looks to re-establish itself as a playoff contender.

Rocco Zikarsky — Minnesota Timberwolves

Rocco Zikarsky begins the second half of his two-season, two-way contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, having made just five NBA appearances last season.

His most significant opportunity came in Minnesota’s final regular-season game against the New Orleans Pelicans. With several starters, including Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, rested ahead of the playoffs, Zikarsky played 20 minutes and delivered an encouraging performance.

The young Australian recorded eight points and nine rebounds, building on an impressive G League campaign in which he averaged 16 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks per game while shooting slightly above 53 per cent from the field.

Zikarsky has acknowledged that adjusting to the NBA’s defensive demands remains a work in progress, particularly when defending pick-and-roll situations in drop coverage.

He admitted that he had been “blown by (and) too low a few times” during his limited NBA minutes, making defensive positioning a key focus of his off-season development.

If he can make meaningful progress in that area, increased opportunities could follow. With Rudy Gobert occupying the starting centre position, Zikarsky will be looking to establish himself as a reliable backup, competing with fellow young big man Joan Beringer.

Ben Simmons — Sacramento Kings

Ben Simmons was preparing for a high-profile return with the Sacramento Kings, where he was expected to provide backup support to rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr.

However, those plans were dramatically disrupted after Simmons suffered a season-ending Achilles injury during practice, ruling him out of the 2026–27 campaign.

There was at least some financial upside to the situation. Simmons officially made Sacramento’s opening-night roster, triggering a US$1 million bonus on top of his one-year, US$3.5 million contract.

Because the injury occurred during a team practice, Simmons also has certain contractual and salary protections. Reports have suggested that Sacramento remains open to retaining the 30-year-old, with the possibility of another contract being considered next season.

For now, however, the former NBA All-Star faces another lengthy rehabilitation period, and fans will have to wait to see him back on the court.

Josh Green — Utah Jazz

Josh Green becomes the latest Australian to join the Utah Jazz, arriving as a 3-and-D wing after a complicated series of trades that briefly sent him to the Minnesota Timberwolves before he was moved again.

The Sydney-born shooting guard joins Utah following a frustrating second season with the Charlotte Hornets. After starting 67 of his 68 appearances in 2024–25, Green returned from a shoulder injury only to find himself competing for minutes in a rotating group of reserves behind rookie guard Kon Knueppel.

His outlook for 2026–27 remains uncertain. At 25, Green faces considerable competition on the wing, with players including Ace Bailey, Brice Sensabaugh and Josh Okogie expected to compete for opportunities.

His limited involvement across Utah’s four official pre-season games offers little indication that he will immediately secure a significant role. Still, earning a place on the opening-night roster gives him an opportunity to work his way into the rotation.

The second half of the season could prove particularly important. Green is playing on an expiring contract, potentially making him an attractive option for teams seeking a dependable three-point shooter and perimeter defender ahead of the 2027 trade deadline.

Tyrese Proctor — Cleveland Cavaliers

Tyrese Proctor enters his second NBA season looking to secure a more substantial role with the Cleveland Cavaliers after averaging approximately 10 minutes per game as a rookie.

The Australian guard increasingly operated as a point guard rather than a traditional shooting guard throughout 2025–26, potentially opening the door for him to become a backup option behind veteran James Harden as the 37-year-old’s workload is managed.

With Dennis Schröder and Lonzo Ball no longer in the picture, Proctor has made his ambitions clear. He wants to become “a leader of the guard group” and position himself as a potential long-term successor to Harden.

Competition for minutes will remain intense, however. Proctor has described the Cavaliers’ roster as featuring “a lot of dogs”, highlighting the level of competition he will need to overcome.

He spent the summer adding strength and muscle to improve his physical profile and better handle the demands of the NBA.

One of his biggest positives last season was his 35 per cent three-point shooting, a respectable mark around the league average. He also produced a combined 37 points in late-season games against Atlanta and Washington, offering a glimpse of his offensive potential.

If Proctor can build on those performances and continue developing as a playmaker, the 2026–27 season could be an important step towards establishing himself as a regular contributor in Cleveland.