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The National Basketball Association season starts now, marking the first time in a decade that Aussie pair of biggest hoops stars – Ben Simmons and Patty Mills – are teamless.

This change signals a transition period, as Australian guard pair Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels emerge as essential players for contending teams, with new huge contracts making them some of the country's top sporting income generators.

They aren't the only ones. A group of 14 Aussies are expected to play for minutes around the league, including experienced big men Jock Landale and Duop Reath, emerging wings in Johnny Furphy and Josh Green, to promising draftees like Tyrese Proctor and Rocco Zikarsky.

Josh Giddey Aiming to Show His Worth

After protracted negotiations with the Bulls, Giddey ultimately inked his new deal worth $100m (A$153 million) over four seasons recently. It’s a huge contract for the Melburnian, but in league standards it is cheap for his role and profile as a primary ball-handler. The reluctance for the Bulls management to pay top dollar means the 23-year-old enters this year with a point to make.

After being moved by Oklahoma City at the beginning of last season, he watched as his old team charged to the NBA championship in his absence. As the Bulls aim to make the playoffs in the less competitive Eastern Conference, he will need to demonstrate his scoring and defence are starter-worthy or else he may slide towards the league's outskirts.

Dyson Daniels Targets Further Growth

The guard signed the same deal as his counterpart this week, and after his most-improved player award last season, the Atlanta player's career has taken off in the city following his departure from the New Orleans. He is now praised as one of the league’s best perimeter defenders, and topped the league in takeaways with three per game – more than one whole takeaway per match greater than the tally of second place.

Performing next to dynamic Trae Young in Atlanta, the youngster can be effective this season as a secondary ballhandler and defensive stopper as long as the team make the playoffs. But if he can elevate his three-point shooting, which was subpar last season, and keep enhance his passing and driving, he could become one of the association's most well-rounded players.

Johnny Furphy On Highlight Watch

Pacers forward Furphy has emerged as a crowd favorite in the state following a succession of highlight-reel dunks in pre-season. His athletic displays led NBA personality Pat Beverley to label him as the “top Caucasian leaper we’ve seen in a long time”, and an opportunity to the mid-season slam dunk competition could be on the table.

Following logging just 8 mpg per contest over 50 appearances in his rookie campaign, the former college student is in the running for a Indiana lineup that might favor youth following injury to star playmaker Tyrese Haliburton.

Tyrese Proctor An Outside Shot

Guard Proctor fell in the NBA Draft down to the second round, where Eastern Conference contenders the Cavaliers selected him. The Cavs are favourites to make the NBA finals from the East, so it would be rare for a first-year player taken in the second round to see significant playing minutes. But the Sydney product has seen minutes in pre-season, and his pro-level shooting offers him a chance to make an impact.

Minutes Crunch Ahead for Experienced Group

Seasoned big man Jock Landale has a chance to secure the starting five position in the Grizzlies given highly-touted Zach Edey will be out for the opening of the season after ankle surgery.

In Portland, Duop Reath is the veteran backup to youthful big men Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen, but could play consistent minutes if the team become competitive. His teammate Matisse Thybulle is expected to be deployed as a defensive specialist off the bench.

In the Hornets, Josh Green’s summer shoulder surgery has resulted in him without a timeline to come back. The 24-year-old still has a contract for the upcoming year, but won’t want to allow his teammates at the developing Charlotte too much head start. And injury has already slowed Dante Exum, who has a knee complaint and has been absent for key exhibition opportunities in the Mavericks.

Australian NBA Players On the Fringe

Then there are those who are unlikely to see much, if any, game action this year. Veteran Joe Ingles is back in Minnesota, but seems to be primarily a mentor ensuring Anthony Edwards focused.

Rookie Rocco Zikarsky is expected to be nurtured by the Wolves through their affiliate team. Fellow first-year players Lachlan Olbrich in the Bulls and Alex Toohey for the Golden State Warriors are also in the slow cooker, while the more seasoned Luke Travers will be aiming to earn playing time with Proctor for the Cavaliers.

Ben Simmons and Patty Mills Seeking Contracts

Should anyone question Mills was planning to end his career, he addressed it with a training clip shared on his social media over the weekend, showing the veteran is still in form and determined on landing another NBA contract.

Simmons' intentions is anyone’s guess after an off-season in his homeland, going fishing and using with a Sherrin. Even though he took to Instagram recently to deny suggestions he was retired, the 29-year-old – an elite player as recently as 2021 – has not yet return to the league.