Josh Green, an Australian wing out of the University of Arizona, was selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the 18th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
The native of Sydney entered draft night as a projected first-rounder after showing his value as a three-and-D prospect in his one season under Sean Miller at Arizona.
Because of the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the draft was conducted virtually, with Green hearing the news of his selection from a house in Phoenix. He was surrounded by his family: his mother, Cahla; sister, Maya; brother, Jay; and father, Delmas.
"It's a starstruck moment," Green said following the selection.
"Being with my family, it's awesome. It's something I dreamed of doing my whole entire life, so for it to really happen is amazing. Obviously, it would've been cool to be in person, but for this, this will never happen again, so being around my family and my close ones has been amazing for me."
Green averaged 12 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game as a Wildcat, shooting 42.4 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from downtown; the 20-year-old set to join the Luka Doncic-led team coming off a first-round playoff exit.
Green conducted an interview with the Mavericks during his pre-draft process, describing head coach Rick Carlisle and the team's front office as "amazing".
"I've always watched the Mavericks from a young age," Green said. "They've always been dominant in the Western Conference so, for me, to say that I'm a part of the organisation; it's crazy. It's an unreal feeling.
"My meeting with them, I felt like it was amazing; they're really down-to-earth, good people. I felt like I got along with them very well. You can tell they take their player development really seriously, as well as their organisation. I was all for it. I was super pumped, and I love the Mavericks. It's something I continued to stress onto my agent, you know, 'what are the Mavericks thinking?', so I'm stoked right now."
The 6'6 wing was born in Sydney, before moving to Phoenix, Arizona at the age of 14. Green led IMG Academy to a high school national championship in his senior year, and went on to complete his one-and-done season at Arizona.
Green was widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the 2020 draft class, and demonstrated his ability to make an impact on both ends alongside a ball-dominant point guard during his time in Arizona, where he shared a backcourt with Nico Mannion. On a Mavericks team with Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, Green would be projected to initially enter Dallas as a complementary player next to that All-Star pair.
"I think, for anybody, they're gonna have stuff they need to work on," Green, who will wear the number zero, said. "But, for me, it's being (able) to focus on what the team needs.
"I feel like, in my position, and the role the team will want me to play, I don't need to do anything outside of that. If I'm able to play defence, continue to work as hard as I can, hit open shots, and do what the team needs to do, I feel like that happens.
"As far as the rest of my game, as far as maybe creating a shot, that comes over time with player development and also respect from your coach. Coming into the Mavericks, I just wanna make sure that I'm able to do whatever the team needs to be better and to win games."
The Mavericks also selected Stanford's Tyrell Terry with the 31st overall pick in the draft.
Earlier on draft night, the Illawarra Hawks' LaMelo Ball was taken by the Charlotte Hornets with the 3rd overall pick. R.J. Hampton, a guard who played for the New Zealand Breakers over the 2019-20 NBL season, was drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans - selecting for the Denver Nuggets - with the 24th overall pick.