Move to ‘unlock’ Giddey’s ‘full potential’; big question to decide Simmons’ future: Aussies in the NBA

The NBA offseason is in full swing now and there have been a number of Australians in the headlines, with Josh Giddey traded to Chicago early in the piece while Josh Green was the latest countryman to land on a new team.

With all of that in mind, foxsports.com.au has you covered with all the latest news on every Australian in the NBA and what is in store for those who will be wearing new colours.

JOSH GIDDEY (Chicago Bulls)

Starting with the biggest name of the lot because for the last three years, Giddey had been one of the faces of the Oklahoma City rebuild.

But, as has been well-established by this point, he was forced into a role that didn’t play into his strengths as the talented Thunder roster rose to new heights in the 2023-24 season.

That is all old news though. So, what is new for Giddey in Chicago?

Well, for starters he won’t be coming off the bench given what the 21-year-old said at his introductory press conference for the Bulls.

“I just said to him at this point in my career, I’m 21 years old, it wasn’t something that I was overly eager to do,” Giddey said of his chat with Thunder GM Sam Presti.

You would suspect Giddey wouldn’t be eager to do that at the Bulls either, especially when you consider he would have been a lot closer to contending for a title at Oklahoma City.

At this stage it looks like Giddey will be starting in the backcourt alongside Coby White, who is a nice fit alongside the Australian after shooting 38 per cent from deep on seven attempts per game last season.

Ayo Dosunmu, Chicago’s young guard who emerged down the stretch, looks more likely to settle into a bench rotation role.

Elsewhere, DeMar DeRozan’s departure for Sacramento will only further open up more opportunities for this to be Giddey’s team.

That is true to a degree, of course, given the Bulls won’t want to just give Giddey the keys entirely considering how much White showed in a prominent role last season.

But it will still be a much better set-up for Giddey in terms of getting his hands on the ball more while the Bulls won’t be expected to compete for a playoff berth either, meaning there should be less pressure and hence more chances for Giddey to make — and learn from — mistakes.

“It was going to be hard to tap into my full potential, in my opinion, on a team like [Oklahoma City] with so many talented guys who needed the ball in their hands, who were great with the ball in their hands,” Giddey said.

“A change of scenery was going to maybe unlock more of that for me. Being able to make the game easy for everybody, being able to get guys involved, distribute the ball and get other players confident around me is the thing I pride myself on doing.

“And it’s hard to do that in a role when the ball isn’t in your hands a lot. … That’s probably the big thing coming in here. I want to be the pass-first point guard I am.”

Bulls fans will get a look at the pass-first point guard in Giddey at this year’s Olympics after the 21-year-old thrived in a similar role at the FIBA World Cup.

The big question for the Bulls as a whole is what happens with Zach LaVine, who is due to make $43 million next season, $46 million in 2025-26 and has a $49 million player option for 2026-27.

At this stage, the Bulls are still looking to offload him but may find it hard to get the kind of return they are after given LaVine’s contract and the fact they have so little leverage in negotiations.

JOSH GREEN (Charlotte Hornets)

As will be consistent with all the younger Australian players moved this offseason, this trade takes Green further away from competing for a title but will ultimately help his development.

At Dallas, Green was restricted to a rotation role where he was more of a 3-and-D guy than anything else, complementing Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

There were times that Green excelled in that role, most notably in Game 5 of the NBA Finals when he made four 3-pointers on his way to 14 points off the bench in a loss to the Celtics.

But for the most part Green’s form would fluctuate depending on how he was shooting the ball.

What didn’t falter though was the energy and hustle Green offered on both ends of the floor and he will be an important player in setting the tone and culture for a Charlotte team that is still in the early stages of forming its own identity.

Green has an opportunity to start at the two for the Hornets but either way he will see more minutes than he did at the Mavericks and have more freedom, like Giddey, to make mistakes and learn from them.

At Dallas, if Green made too many missteps he risked having his minutes squeezed in the rotation for a team that has title aspirations.

It is easy to forget Green is still only 23 years old and he has previously shown his potential when operating as the primary ballhandler in games without Doncic or Irving.

He may not have as many wins on the board in Charlotte but don’t be surprised if Green emerges as a breakout player of sorts with the added responsibility.

DYSON DANIELS (Atlanta Hawks)

Likewise, Daniels is another player who will benefit from getting a fresh start in the upcoming season.

New Orleans traded Daniels as part of a move that saw the Pelicans land Dejounte Murray and it is expected to be just the start of more major changes at Atlanta, who may be heading towards a rebuild of sorts.

With that in mind, Daniels also has a legitimate chance to see playing time — at least more than he was getting at New Orleans, another Western Conference contender on the rise.

In fact, there is every chance he could share the backcourt with Trae Young, should he stay at the Hawks, given the Australian’s elite defence would be the perfect match alongside him.

Daniels’ point of attack defence in particular will keep him on the court, while any growth on the offensive side of the ball will determine just how high his ceiling is.

The young guard out of Bendigo looked hesitant and lacked confidence at times when playing for the Pelicans, whether it was with his shot or driving to the rim.

If Daniels can overcome that mental battle and develop his perimeter shooting, he could end up being a key piece of Atlanta’s future but at least his defence gives him a solid floor and an asset the Hawks desperately need right now as constructed.

JOE INGLES (Minnesota Timberwolves)

It wasn’t supposed to be like this for Ingles, who told reporters after Australia’s second warm-up game against China that he hoped he would be a one-team player in his NBA career.

“The crazy thing is I only wanted to play for one. I really just wanted to play for one,” Ingles said, per ESPN.

Instead Ingles played eight seasons at Utah until he tore his ACL and was traded to Portland, where he remained sidelined by injury and didn’t see a single minute on the court before becoming a free agent.

The veteran wing then secured a one-year contract with the Bucks, only to then agree to another short-term deal with the Magic the following season and now Minnesota is the next stop for the Boomers legend.

Although Ingles revealed he could have easily already been on the Timberwolves this time last year.

“They actually tried to get me last year as well,” Ingles said.

Ingles landed at Orlando instead, where he was the oldest player in a young roster that exceeded expectations and will likely continue to rise up the Eastern Conference standings.

But unlike Giddey, Green and Daniels, Ingles is heading to a team that is a genuine title contender next year.

The Timberwolves knocked off defending champions Denver in this past season’s playoffs before going down to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference semi-finals.

In Minnesota, Ingles will reunite with former Jazz teammates Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert.

He will also team up with one of the league’s most rapidly ascending superstars — and best trash talkers — in Anthony Edwards.

“He’s good,” Ingles said of Edwards’ trash talk.

“I’ll save it for someone else. (But) it’s exciting. It’s obviously a really good team. Western Conference finals this year. Just going in there fully understanding the role they have for me. Trying to help Rudy, trying to help Ant, trying to help all these guys get better and hopefully go further.”

Ingles described it as a “basketball opportunity that was too good to give up”.

Realistically, the 36-year-old will slot into a similar bench role to Kyle Anderson, who signed a three-year contract with Golden State.

He can still shoot the ball and is a valuable veteran locker room presence while his familiarity with Conley and Gobert is obviously also a plus.

JOHNNY FURPHY (Indiana Pacers)

From an Australian veteran to the country’s newest NBA export.

Furphy was projected as a mid-to-late first round pick but was instead made to wait until the early stages of the second round for his name to be called.

The Indiana Pacers traded up to land the Victorian, who Pacers coach Rick Carlisle told ‘The Wake Up Call’ on 107.5 The Fan was actually the 14th-ranked prospect on their big board.

“He is a guy that our scouts had as the No. 14 player in the entire draft, and we got him at 35, so we feel pretty fortunate there,” Carlisle said.

At19 years old, Furphy offers plenty of upside with his combination of shooting, athleticism and length at 6-foot-9.

But Furphy is very much a developmental player who still needs to add plenty of weight to his frame to be able to handle the physicality of the NBA.

That is something both Furphy and Chad Buchanan are aware of though, with the Indiana general manager telling reporters the team believes the former Kansas wing has “a lot of room to grow”.

“Both his body physically and his game,” Buchanan said.

“He’s obviously very young in age, but we liked a lot of things about him that felt like aligned with who we are as an organisation and how we play.”

Specifically, Indiana likes to push the pace and that is a stylistic fit for Furphy, who had highlight finishes in transition during his time at Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence.

The way Furphy moves, or more accurately, glides down the court also makes him an ideal piece for the high-tempo offence Indiana runs.

“I think the Pacers run a super exciting play style. Their team dynamic is something I can envision myself fitting in really well,” Furphy said in his introductory press conference.

“Just how fast they play. How different players impact the game. I can kind of envision myself doing that.”

Furphy, who said slipping out of the first round of the draft is “definitely a motivation” for him moving forward, will likely struggle to find playing time early in his Pacers career and Buchanan hinted at as much.

“The reality is our roster is in a situation where it’s going to be tough for a young guy to come in and play,” the Pacers GM said.

“We have a lot of good young players already on the roster. We have a lot of established roles already. We feel like we’re willing to be a little bit more patient with a young player like Johnny.”

But that is honestly for the best since Furphy was viewed as more of a high-upside project player heading into the draft, so the Pacers are taking the right approach with him.

One of the key focuses for Furphy will be developing his game off the ball as it is his best chance of seeing playing time on an Indiana team that is not short of playmaking options.

“That’s something I’ve had to do my whole life,” Furphy said.

“Playing with a lot of different teams, learning how to play without the ball in my hands. That’s something I feel like I do really well.

“Being able to impact the game without the ball. Playing in transition, rebounding, cutting. That’s something I can see myself doing.”

BEN SIMMONS (Brooklyn Nets)

It all comes down to this for Simmons. A contract year and potentially the season that will decide if he still has a career in the NBA.

After multiple injury setbacks and false starts, could this finally be the season when Simmons puts it all together and shows glimpses of the talent that made him a three-time All-Star?

If it is another disappointing season for Simmons, the Nets will likely just count down the days until his $40.3 million contract expires because it is hard to see any team being incentivised enough to take on his salary without a sudden turnaround in form.

Of course, on the flip side, the best case scenario for the Nets is that Simmons does start to show signs of improvement — or at least enough to increase his trade value.

The worst case scenario is that Simmons is playing poorly, stays on the roster and walks in free agency next summer.

But at least they’d be rid of his salary at that point as the Nets play towards the future.

If anything, trading Mikal Bridges should theoretically give Brooklyn the chance to feature Simmons more in the offence, if that is still a feasible plan at this stage of his career.

Should Simmons return to health and remind everyone of his potential when running the offence, maybe a team could come to the negotiating table?

PATTY MILLS (Miami Heat)

Mills is a free agent and while he would obviously welcome the chance to return to Miami, the ball is in the Heat’s court.

Although the fact Milwaukee added Delon Wright in free agency would only increase the veteran guard’s chances of scoring another contract.

If Mills is offered the chance to re-sign with Miami it would be on a one-year, veteran-minimum deal where he would be a depth piece more than anything.

DANTE EXUM (Dallas Mavericks)

With Green out of the picture, it leaves Exum with even more responsibility should Doncic or Irving go down injured as the team’s next best option at point guard.

Otherwise, Exum will remain locked into a key rotation role for the Mavericks given his energy on both ends along with his playmaking and distributing chops.

Outside of Exum, 22-year-old guard Jaden Hardy also stands to benefit from Green’s move while the Mavericks also traded for Quentin Grimes, who will help fill the void left by the Sydney native.

JOCK LANDALE (Houston Rockets)

It looks at this stage like Landale’s $8 million salary with the Rockets for next season has been fully guaranteed, although it is hard to see the Australian having a prominent role given he is now behind Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams.

Regardless, Landale’s salary could be used in a future trade alongside Houston’s growing draft capital should the Rockets decide to make a big, all-in move.

For now, Landale will be a frontcourt depth piece and may see some minutes in the rotation after proving himself down the stretch for Houston as he finished the season strong.

Landale averaged 8.8 points and 4.1 rebounds in his final two months for the Rockets after an injury to Sengun saw him take on greater responsibility in the Houston frontcourt.

MATISSE THYBULLE and DUOP REATH (Portland Trail Blazers)

Not much is expected to change for Thybulle and Reath, who will likely both settle into rotation roles off the bench for a Trail Blazers team that is still in the early stages of a rebuild.

The only real notable addition Portland made this offseason via free agency or trade was Deni Avdija while Jerami Grant and Anfernee Simons are staying put for the time being despite speculation they could be on the move.

Elsewhere, the Trail Blazers added Donovan Clingan in the draft, which specifically will make it harder for Reath to see significant minutes in a crowded big man rotation which includes Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III.

JAYLIN GALLOWAY (Milwaukee Bucks)

Galloway is currently signed on a two-way contract for next season and will feature for Milwaukee’s G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd.

In the meantime, Galloway will be in action for the Bucks at the NBA Summer League again, where he will play alongside NBL Next Star AJ Johnson, who Milwaukee drafted in the first round this year.

AUSTRALIANS AT THE NBA SUMMER LEAGUE

The NBA’s Summer League is also already underway as rookies, second-year players and some NBL-rostered Australian talent will be looking to make an impression.

Melbourne United’s Jack White impressed enough at the Summer League back in 2022 to earn a contract with the eventual NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets.

Here are a few names to look out for at this year’s edition:

– Luke Travers (Cleveland Cavaliers)

– Josh Bannan (Los Angeles Clippers)

– Tyler Robertson (Washington Wizards)

– Jo Lual-Acuil Jr (Sacramento Kings)

– Sam Froling (Indiana Pacers)

– Alex Ducas (Oklahoma City Thunder)