The NBA Draft will take place over two days for the first time in 2024, and there's good reason to keep a close eye on both.
An eclectic mixture of Australian and NBL Next Stars talent will be hoping to hear their name called, with the projections spanning the entire draft board. Melbourne's Johnny Furphy is the Australian projected to be selected the highest after an impressive freshman season at the University of Kansas, while the Perth Wildcats' Alex Sarr is the best of a heap of Next Stars; the Frenchman firmly in consideration for a top-three selection.
The first round of the draft will take begin on Thursday at 10am (AEST), with the second round starting at 6am the following day; both will be broadcast in Australia on ESPN.
Here's the Australian and NBL talent who are in contention to be drafted -- or, who are entrants in the draft and have completed at least one NBA workout -- with analysis from ESPN's preeminent draft expert, Jonathan Givony.
AUSTRALIANS
Johnny Furphy - University of Kansas
Furphy is a player who wasn't in draft conversations a year ago. In fact, he was barely in consideration to be a division-1 college guy. Now, he's projected to be taken somewhere in the middle of the first round.
It's an incredible rise for the 6'9 forward, who used his sole season as Kansas as a springboard to lift his draft projection in a substantial way.
Furphy averaged 9.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game at Kansas, shooting 35.2 percent from downtown, on 3.8 attempts a contest. He's currently No. 18 on ESPN's Top 100 rankings of the best available players going into the 2024 draft, with the 19-year-old projecting as a three-and-D wing with immense upside.
"You're hoping that he's a big wing who can make shots from all over the floor, and maybe a little bit more than that," Givony said. "Live off his energy, run the floor, crash the glass, cut, play mistake-free basketball, and the big thing for him is obviously going to be the shooting.
"The trajectory that he's on -- being a late bloomer who basically had zero college offers a year ago -- is intriguing, the way he's grown late. You'd think that would give him some upside to continue to develop his body and the rest of his game, so hopefully he can become a more consistent shooter. Playing 32 games at Kansas, going through the ringer of the Big 12; I think people are pretty comfortable with the body of work."
Furphy's has firmed as a mid-first round pick, and received an invite to the green room. ESPN currently has Furphy mocked to the Orlando Magic with the 18th overall pick, with the Australian also drawing interest from the Memphis Grizzlies, Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Sacramento Kings.
Alex Ducas - Saint Mary's College
Ducas is coming off an admirable fifth year with Saint Mary's, and, while not extremely likely, is Australia's sleeper candidate to be drafted going into this week.
The native of Geraldton, WA is No. 90 on ESPN's Top 100, with his size and skillset putting him into the mould of a prototypical complementary NBA wing. Ducas is 6'7, and just finished a season with the Gaels where he averaged 9.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game, while, most notably, shooting 43.8 percent from beyond the arc on 5.4 attempts a contest.
"He's had a lot of workouts," Givony said. "He's 6'7, shot 44 percent from three, super competitive, super smart, knows how to play, winning player.
"There are guys like this who play in the NBA. If you can make shots, and you're tough, and smart, you've got a chance to play in the NBA, for sure."
Ducas has offers from four NBL teams, sources said, but is strongly considering his options in Europe and the NBA G-League.
Josh Bannan - Brisbane Bullets
Bannan was an automatic entrant into this draft, and has been doing the rounds working out for NBA teams with the hopes of a selection late in the second round.
The 6'10 forward is coming off an impressive rookie season with the Bullets, averaging 11.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game; he has two seasons remaining on his contract in Brisbane.
Bannan isn't currently ranked in ESPN's Top 100, but there's still some level of intrigue around the NBA in the high-energy, versatile skillset for his position.
The 23-year-old has worked out for around 10 teams, sources told ESPN. Among the teams, sources said: the Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Golden State Warriors.
He was a member of the Australian Boomers team that played in a pair of FIBA Asia Cup qualifying games in February.
Tyler Robertson - Portland University
Robertson is a 6'6 wing out of Melbourne, and was arguably Australia's most effective college player over the 2023-24 season.
The 23-year-old averaged 16.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game for the University of Portland, shooting 45.2 percent from the field, including 37.2 percent from downtown.
Robertson has worked out for one NBA team, sources said, before forgoing multiple other workouts in order to join the Boomers for two exhibition games in Japan.
After his senior year at Portland came to an end, Robertson signed a three-year deal with the Sydney Kings in the NBL. He isn't currently listed on any draft boards.
NEXT STARS
Alexandre Sarr - Perth Wildcats
Sarr has been one of the faces of the 2024 NBA Draft cycle, emerging as a potential No. 1 overall pick before the NBL season began.
The 7'1 big-man out of France was part of the NBL's Next Stars program, averaging 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game for a Perth Wildcats team that finished second on the league's regular season ladder.
Over the course of the season in Australia, Sarr was a consistent producer off the bench for John Rillie's Wildcats -- who would ultimately be eliminated in the NBL semifinals to the eventual champions, the Tasmania JackJumpers -- showing off a defensive versatility and refined offensive skillset that helped propel him to the top of draft conversations.
He's currently No. 2 on ESPN's Top 100 rankings, and has long been a lock for a top-three selection.
"It's the defensive component," Givony said, on the most prized element of Sarr's skillset.
"He led the Australian NBL in block percentage, so he can be your anchor defensively. But, he can also be really versatile with the way that he covers ground, the way he hedges screens, the way he can play out of multiple coverages, the fact that he can switch; 7'1, with a 7'5 wingspan.
"He has incredible mobility, with a quickness off his feet. I think that's really interesting when you pair that with the budding shooting, the way he can push off the defensive glass, some of the creation he showed; passing, operating from the midpost, operating out of short rolls. For a guy that just turned 19 and has that kind of frame and overall tools, he's super intriguing."
Sarr announced himself as one of the best prospects in this class when the Wildcats played a pair of games against the NBA G-League Ignite in September. The 19-year-old averaged 21.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.0 blocks, and 2.0 assists over those two games, which "propelled him into the conversation of the No. 1 pick," Givony said.
"I don't think a lot of people realised Alex Sarr had that in him; to go out and dominate two games, both ends of the floor. That got his season started in a really impressive way."
From that point on, Sarr's stock would remain sky high, regularly competing at an admirable level in the NBL, which is widely considered a top-five league in the world.
"The way he was able to hold his own, for one of the best teams in the NBL... I think that helps, not so much the resume, but it helps the development," Givony said.
"It's going to be an easier transition for him to the NBA, knowing that he played against grown men, and that he already knows what physicality and intensity looks like. The Australian NBL, the speed of the game, and the way guys compete every possession; people know that, if you can hold your own at that level, it's not a big stretch to say you can do it in the NBA."
ESPN's reporting is that the Washington Wizards -- who own the No. 2 overall pick -- are Sarr's likely landing spot, with mutual interest from the big-man. Up to this point, Sarr has chosen not to work out for the Atlanta Hawks, who have the No. 1 overall pick.
Bobi Klintman - Cairns Taipans
Klintman was largely impressive for the Taipans over the course of the 2023-24 NBL season, showing glimpses of a two-way skillset that's had him projected as a late first-rounder for the majority of this cycle.
The Swedish wing averaged 9.7 points and 4.8 rebounds a game, shooting 35.7 percent from downtown, playing a regular role off the bench for Adam Forde's team.
Klintman -- who completed one season at Wake Forest before joining the NBL's Next Stars program -- is currently the No. 29 ranked player on ESPN's Top 100, and expected to enter the draft with a considerable range of where he may be selected.
"Every NBA team is looking for a 6'10 wing who can make threes, flies out in the open court, and can make plays defensively," Givony said.
"It's hard to find those guys who can slide between the two and four positions. You look at Bobi, there's still a lot of upside there. He's nowhere close to his ceiling as a prospect. I think that's what excites a lot of people."
More than half of Klintman's shot attempts came from beyond the three-point line, and, unsurprisingly, that part of his skillset is the swing skill that will likely determine his long-term success in the NBA.
"It's about making shots," Givony said. "That's what the NBA's all about. If he can become a 40 percent three-point shooter, he's going to make a lot of money. That's the name of the game in today's league; having size and shooting.
"He was just inconsistent. Even though he's 21, he hasn't been on the radar for very long. He moved to the US from Sweden just a few years ago. How much high-level basketball has he really played? In those three years, he's played a lot. But, before then, not so much. He's 21 but, in a lot of ways, there's still upside there to tap into."
AJ Johnson - Illawarra Hawks
Johnson came into the NBL season as one of the most hyped Next Stars, but experienced a volatile season with the Illawarra Hawks that saw him drop from a potential lottery pick to a late-first-to-early-second round consideration.
The 6'5 guard averaged 2.8 points in just 7.9 minutes per game for the Hawks; not playing a substantial amount of meaningful minutes, for a team that started poorly and underwent a midseason coaching change.
Still, Johnson has kept his stock in a healthy place -- he's currently No. 35 in ESPN's Top 100 -- thanks to impressive showings in workouts and at the Draft Combine, with his potential and upside guiding his value through this process.
"At the combine, he was so fluid changing speeds out of hesitation moves," Givony said.
"He's passing off a live dribble, making shots off the dribble. He's really, really thin but the frame should be able to fill out, and you see the long strides attacking the rim, and the touch he shows off the glass. That's high level.
"He's dripping with talent. The question is: how much patience does a team have to develop him, and develop his body? He's nowhere close to playing in the NBA games, just like he was nowhere close to playing in an NBL game. But, the NBA Draft is all about potential, and AJ Johnson has a ton of potential."
Trentyn Flowers - Adelaide 36ers
Flowers was another Next Star who entered the NBL season with high hopes and a higher ceiling, but experienced volatility over his campaign in Australia.
The 6'8 wing was a member of an Adelaide 36ers team that opened the season as one of the worst in the NBL, and, after 13 games, fired the head coach that brought him in.
Flowers averaged 5.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game -- in 12.7 minutes a contest -- shooting 42.1 percent from downtown before, in effect, being shut down toward the end of the season.
He's currently No. 56 on ESPN's Top 100 ranking and, like Johnson, has retained value due to his potential as a big, rangy wing.
"I was talking to a team today that's drafting in the middle of the second round, and they had a lot of questions about Trentyn Flowers," Givony said.
"He's helped himself in the workout process; he helped himself in the first day of the combine. He's 6'8 in shoes, and explosive. This guy's a real athlete. He had some games in the NBL, showing that he knows how to put the ball in the basket, too. When you talk about size, and athleticism, and scoring instincts, that's a pretty good place to start when you're 19 years old.
"Did he choose the best pathway for himself? Probably not. Would I have liked to see him another year somewhere in the NBL or wherever it may be? Probably, yeah. He's nowhere close to playing in the NBA right now, but there's talent there. Is there a team willing to take a chance on him and say, hey, we'll stash you in the G-League for a couple of years and see what comes out of you?"
Ariel Hukporti - Melbourne United
Hukporti was the veteran of the most recent NBL Next Stars class, having just completed his third year in the program as a member of Melbourne United.
An Achilles injury kept him out of the entirety of the 2022-23 season, but he showed no ill-effects of having that significant time off, emerging as one of the most effective bigs in the NBL throughout his 2023-24 campaign.
Hukporti averaged 8.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game for a United team that advanced all the way to the NBL Championship Series, with the centre also proving to be one of the most effective defensive players in the league.
The 22-year-old is currently No. 63 on ESPN's Top-100 rankings, and has been doing the rounds working out with NBA teams.
"He's beasting people in workouts," Givony said.
"This is a grown man, 7-feet tall, 250 pounds. He's the No. 1 rebounder in this class, which is very impressive because, he didn't play at the mid-major level in college; he played in the NBL and went up against grown men. For him to rebound on both ends of the floor the way he did, it shows you something about the guy's body, the intensity, how quick he is off the ground, the physicality.
"That's where the NBL really helped him. There were major question marks three years ago when he got to Melbourne, about if he'll bring consistent intensity and all that, and what is his feel for the game. He's really addressed that, to his credit. I think he's a legitimate guy for teams to look at in the second round. He's a guy who, worst case, is gonna be a EuroLeague player and German national team player, so he's a legitimate dude to pick and keep following."
Mantas Rubštavičius - New Zealand Breakers
Rubštavičius is similar to Hukporti, in that he was a European-born Next Star who was slightly older than the rest of his counterparts; and, while his age hurts his draft stock in a process where, broadly speaking, younger players are preferred, it meant he was more prepared to make an impact at the NBL level.
The Lithuanian wing was one of the top-two most effective Next Stars, averaging 9.5 points and 2.1 rebounds per game -- shooting 43.3 percent from downtown, on 2.9 attempts a game -- for a New Zealand Breakers team that found its stride late in the season. Part of the Breakers' late success was simply getting healthy, but also due to Rubštavičius entering the starting lineup.
The 22-year-old is currently No. 64 on ESPN's Top 100, and is a prime stash option for a team picking late in the second round in a draft.
"Mantas has helped himself in private workouts so far: Indiana, Dallas, Miami, Golden State, Portland, Boston, Orlando," Givony said.
"He's really done the rounds here, and people have really liked what they've seen. Everybody's looking for size, everybody's looking for shooting, everybody's looking for feel, and Mantas has all three of those things. He's over 6'8 in shoes, he made 43 percent of his threes in the NBL, and he really knows how to play basketball.
"And he's super competitive on top of that. We saw the Breakers put him on Bryce Cotton at times. They were not afraid to mix it up and have him guard all over the floor. We know that Mantas Rubštavičius is, worst case, going to be a high-level EuroLeague player and a high-level Lithuanian national team player, so does somebody draft him in the second round and say: keep developing, we're going to keep tabs on you, and see what happens in a year or two."