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The NBA season begins this week, marking the first time in a ten years that Australia's two most prominent basketball stars – Ben Simmons and Patty Mills – are unsigned.

Their absence indicates a changing of the guard, as Australian guard pair Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels emerge as key starters for contending teams, with recently signed nine-figure contracts establishing them as some of the country's top sporting earners.

They aren't the only ones. Fourteen Australians are expected to play for playing time across the NBA, ranging from experienced big men Jock Landale and Duop Reath, up-and-coming forwards in Johnny Furphy and Josh Green, to promising draftees like Tyrese Proctor and Rocco Zikarsky.

Josh Giddey Aiming to Show His Worth

After lengthy negotiations with the Bulls, the guard finally signed his rookie extension worth US$100 million (A$153 million) over four years last month. It's a major deal for the Melburnian, but in league standards it is cheap for his role and reputation as a lead playmaker. Hesitation for the Bulls management to offer a max deal means the 23-year-old begins this season with a point to make.

Having been traded by Oklahoma City at the start of last campaign, Giddey observed as his former squad stormed to the title in his absence. As the Chicago look to make the playoffs in the less competitive Eastern Conference, he will need to demonstrate his shooting and defensive skills are elite-level or else he may fall back towards the NBA’s fringe.

Dyson Daniels Eyes Another Step

Daniels agreed to the same deal as his counterpart recently, and after his MIP honor last season, the Atlanta player's career has taken off in Atlanta following his exit from the Pelicans. He is now lauded as one of the league’s best perimeter defenders, and topped the league in steals with 3.0 spg – more than one full steal per game higher than the total of second place.

Performing next to dynamic Trae Young in Atlanta, the youngster can be successful this season as a playmaking option and defensive stopper as long as the team make the playoffs. But if he can improve his three-point shooting, which was below league average last year, and continue to develop his distribution and attacking, Daniels could become one of the league’s most versatile talents.

Johnny Furphy On Highlight Watch

Indiana wing the rookie has emerged as a crowd favorite in Indiana following a series of highlight-reel slam dunks in exhibition games. His acrobatics led league figure Pat Beverley to describe him as the “top Caucasian leaper we’ve seen in a while”, and an opportunity to the mid-season slam dunk competition could be on the table.

Following logging just 8 mpg per contest over 50 games in his rookie campaign, the former Maribyrnong College player is in contention for a Indiana rotation that might favor young players following setback to star playmaker Tyrese Haliburton.

Tyrese Proctor An Outside Shot

Guard Proctor dropped in the NBA Draft all the way to the 49th pick, where Eastern Conference contenders the Cavaliers picked him. The Cavaliers are front-runners to reach the Finals from the Eastern Conference, so it would be unusual for a first-year player drafted in the second round to see much playing minutes. But the Sydney product has earned minutes in pre-season, and his NBA-ready shot offers him a opportunity to contribute.

Minutes Crunch Ahead for Experienced Group

Veteran centre Jock Landale has a opportunity to secure the starting centre position in the Grizzlies given top prospect Zach Edey will be out for the opening of the season after ankle surgery.

In the Trail Blazers, Duop Reath is the experienced reserve to young centres Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen, but could play regular minutes if the team become competitive. His fellow player Matisse Thybulle is expected to be deployed as a defensive specialist off the bench.

In Charlotte, Josh Green's off-season shoulder procedure has left him without a timeline to return. The player still has a deal for the upcoming year, but will not want to give his colleagues at the rebuilding Charlotte an excessive head start. And a physical issue has already slowed Dante Exum, who has a knee complaint and has missed key pre-season opportunities in Dallas.

Australian NBA Players Fighting for Roles

Then there are those who are unlikely to see a lot of, if any, game action this year. Veteran Joe Ingles is back in Minnesota, but seems to be primarily a big brother keeping Anthony Edwards focused.

Rocco Zikarsky is likely to be developed by the Wolves through their affiliate team. Fellow rookies Lachlan Olbrich in the Bulls and Alex Toohey for the Warriors are also in the development pipeline, while the experienced Luke Travers will be hoping to earn minutes with Proctor for the Cavs.

Ben Simmons and Patty Mills Fish for a Deal

Should anyone question Patty Mills was planning to end his career, he answered them with a workout video shared on his accounts over the weekend, showing the veteran is still in form and focused on securing one more NBA contract.

Simmons' intentions is anyone’s guess after an off-season in Australia, angling and using with a football. Even though he took to Instagram last month to reject suggestions he was done, the 29-year-old – an elite player as recently as 2021 – has yet to surface.