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The NBA season starts now, marking the first time in a ten years that Australia's pair of biggest basketball stars – Ben Simmons and Patty Mills – are without a roster spot.

Their absence signals a changing of the guard, as Boomers’ guard pair Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels emerge as essential players for playoff aspirants, with recently signed huge contracts establishing them as some of the country's highest athletic earners.

But they are not alone. A group of 14 Aussies are set to compete for playing time around the league, ranging from experienced big men Jock Landale and Duop Reath, emerging wings in Johnny Furphy and Josh Green, to promising rookies like Tyrese Proctor and Rocco Zikarsky.

Josh Giddey Aiming to Show His Worth

After protracted discussions with the Chicago Bulls, Giddey finally signed his rookie extension worth US$100 million (A$153 million) over four seasons last month. It’s a huge contract for the Melburnian, but in NBA terms it is cheap for Giddey’s position and profile as a lead playmaker. 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 start of last campaign, Giddey watched as his former squad charged to the title without him. As the Bulls look to reach the postseason in the less competitive Eastern Conference, he will have to demonstrate his shooting and defensive skills are starter-worthy or else he may fall back towards the league's outskirts.

Dyson Daniels Targets Further Growth

The guard signed the identical contract as Giddey this week, and after his most-improved player award last season, the Atlanta player's career has taken off in Atlanta following his exit from the Pelicans. He is now lauded as one of the league’s best perimeter defenders, and led the league in takeaways with 3.0 spg – more than one whole takeaway per game higher than the tally of second place.

Performing next to flamboyant Trae Young in the Hawks, the 22-year-old can be successful this season as a secondary ballhandler and defensive stopper as long as the team make the playoffs. But if he can elevate his long-range game, which was subpar last year, and continue to develop his distribution and driving, Daniels could become one of the association's most versatile talents.

Johnny Furphy On Highlight Watch

Indiana forward Furphy has emerged as a crowd favorite in the state following a series of highlight-reel dunks in exhibition games. His acrobatics led NBA personality Pat Beverley to label him as the “top Caucasian leaper we’ve seen in a while”, and an opportunity to the mid-season slam dunk competition could be on the table.

After logging just 8 mpg per game over 50 games in his rookie campaign, the former Maribyrnong College player is in contention for a Pacers rotation that might lean towards young players following setback to star playmaker Tyrese Haliburton.

Tyrese Proctor An Outside Shot

Guard Proctor fell in the June draft all the way to the 49th pick, where Eastern Conference contenders the Cavaliers selected him. The Cavs are front-runners to reach the NBA finals from the East, so it would be unusual for a first-year player taken in the second round to see significant playing minutes. But the Australian has seen time in exhibition play, and his pro-level shooting gives him a opportunity to make an impact.

Playing Time Squeeze Looms for Veteran Quintet

Seasoned centre Jock Landale has a chance to secure the starting five spot in the Grizzlies given highly-touted Zach Edey will miss the start of the season after a surgical procedure.

In Portland, Duop Reath is the experienced reserve to youthful big men Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen, but could see regular action if the team become competitive. His teammate Matisse Thybulle is expected to be used as a defensive spark in a reserve role.

In the Hornets, Josh Green's off-season shoulder surgery has resulted in him without a timeline to return. The 24-year-old still has a deal for the upcoming year, but won’t want to give his colleagues at the rebuilding Hornets an excessive advantage. And injury has already hindered Dante Exum, who has a knee problem and has missed important pre-season opportunities in Dallas.

Aussie Hoopers On the Fringe

Then there are those who are not expected to see a lot of, if any, game action this year. Thirty-eight-year-old Joe Ingles is returned in the Timberwolves, but seems to be primarily a mentor ensuring Anthony Edwards focused.

Rookie Rocco Zikarsky is likely to be nurtured by Minnesota Timberwolves through their G-League team. Fellow first-year players Lachlan Olbrich in Chicago and Alex Toohey for the Warriors are also in the slow cooker, while the experienced Luke Travers will be aiming to earn playing time alongside his compatriot for the Cavaliers.

Ben Simmons and Patty Mills Seeking Contracts

Should anyone question Patty Mills was planning to end his career, he answered them with a training clip posted on his accounts over the weekend, demonstrating the veteran remains sharp and focused on securing one more league deal.

What Simmons is thinking is uncertain after an off-season in Australia, going fishing and playing with a football. Although he posted on social media last month to deny rumors he was retired, the former All-Star – an All Star as recently as 2021 – has yet to surface.