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This year's National Basketball Association season tips off now, marking the initial occasion in a ten years that Aussie pair of most prominent basketball stars – Ben Simmons and Patty Mills – are without a roster spot.

This change indicates a transition period, as Boomers’ guard pair Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels step up as essential players for contending teams, with new nine-figure contracts making them some of Australia’s highest sporting income generators.

But they are not alone. Fourteen Australians are expected to play for minutes across the NBA, including experienced big men Jock Landale and Duop Reath, emerging wings in Johnny Furphy and Josh Green, to intriguing rookies like Tyrese Proctor and Rocco Zikarsky.

Josh Giddey Aiming to Show His Worth

After protracted negotiations with the Chicago Bulls, the guard finally inked his rookie extension worth US$100 million (A$153 million) over four seasons recently. It’s a huge contract for the Melbourne native, but in NBA terms it is affordable for Giddey’s position and reputation as a primary ball-handler. The reluctance for Chicago’s front office to pay top dollar means the young star enters this year with a point to make.

After being moved by the Thunder at the beginning of last season, he observed as his old team stormed to the title in his absence. As the Bulls aim to reach the postseason in the weaker Eastern Conference, he will need to demonstrate his shooting and defensive skills are starter-worthy or else he may slide towards the NBA’s fringe.

Dyson Daniels Targets Further Growth

The guard agreed to the same deal as his counterpart this week, and after his most-improved player award last year, the Atlanta guard’s trajectory has taken off in the city following his exit from the Pelicans. He is now lauded as one of the NBA's best perimeter defenders, and topped the league in takeaways with three per game – more than one whole takeaway per match greater than the total of the runner-up.

Playing next to flamboyant Trae Young in the Hawks, the youngster can be successful this campaign as a secondary ballhandler and elite defender as long as the team advance to the postseason. But if he can elevate his long-range game, which was subpar last year, and continue to develop his distribution and driving, he could become one of the association's most versatile players.

Johnny Furphy A Dunking Sensation

Pacers wing Furphy has burst onto the scene as a fan favourite in Indiana following a series of highlight-reel dunks in exhibition games. His acrobatics led league figure Pat Beverley to label him as the “best white dunker we’ve seen in a long time”, and an opportunity to the mid-season slam dunk competition could be a possibility.

After logging just eight minutes per contest over 50 games in his debut season, the former college player is in the running for a Indiana lineup that might lean towards youth following setback to star playmaker Tyrese Haliburton.

Tyrese Proctor An Outside Shot

Playmaker Proctor dropped in the NBA Draft down to the 49th pick, where playoff hopefuls Cleveland selected him. The Cavaliers are front-runners to reach the NBA finals from the Eastern Conference, so it would be unusual for a rookie drafted in the second round to see significant court time. But the Sydney product has seen minutes in exhibition play, and his NBA-ready shot offers him a opportunity to make an impact.

Minutes Crunch Ahead for Veteran Quintet

Veteran big man Jock Landale has a chance to claim the starting centre spot in Memphis given highly-touted Zach Edey will be out for the opening of the season after a surgical procedure.

In Portland, Duop Reath is the experienced reserve to young centres Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen, but could see regular minutes if the Blazers find themselves in the hunt. His teammate Matisse Thybulle is expected to be used as a defensive spark off the bench.

In the Hornets, Josh Green's off-season shoulder procedure has resulted in him with no return date to come back. The player still has a contract for the upcoming year, but will not want to give his colleagues at the rebuilding Charlotte too much advantage. And injury has already hindered Dante Exum, who has a knee problem and has missed key pre-season opportunities in Dallas.

Aussie Hoopers Fighting for Roles

Additionally, there are those who are not expected to see much, if any, court time this season. Thirty-eight-year-old Joe Ingles is returned in the Timberwolves, but seems to be little more than a mentor keeping Anthony Edwards focused.

Rookie Rocco Zikarsky is likely to be developed by the Wolves through their affiliate team. Fellow rookies Lachlan Olbrich in Chicago and Alex Toohey for the Golden State Warriors are also in the slow cooker, while the experienced Luke Travers will be aiming to earn playing time with Proctor for the Cavs.

Ben Simmons and Patty Mills Seeking Contracts

If there were any doubts Mills was planning to end his career, he answered them with a training clip shared on his social media recently, demonstrating the 37-year-old remains sharp and determined on landing another NBA contract.

What Simmons is thinking is anyone’s guess after an off-season in Australia, going fishing and using with a football. Although he took to Instagram last month to reject rumors he was done, the 29-year-old – an elite player as recently as 2021 – has yet to return to the league.