The 2024-25 NBA season is fast approaching in what will be a record-setting campaign for Australians in the NBA.
Heading into the season, there is set to be a record 15 players from Down Under on opening night rosters, with plenty of new faces joining the league, with three players signing two-way deals in the off-season — Luke Travers joins the Cleveland Cavaliers, Alex Ducas on the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boomers wing Jack McVeigh on the Houston Rockets.
Meanwhile, Australia’s lone draft selection Johnny Furphy will suit up for the Indiana Pacers after being taken with the No. 35 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
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It was a busy off-season for the Aussies with a host of players finding new homes in the summer, headlined by Josh Giddey’s move to the Chicago Bulls, while Dyson Daniels will suit up for the Atlanta Hawks, Josh Green joins the Charlotte Hornets, Joe ingles the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Patty Mills with the Utah Jazz.
With no shortage of storylines to follow, NBA League Pass is serving up a ton of must-watch games and we’ve got you covered with the top 10 matchups to watch this season.
Simmons’ time with the Brooklyn Nets has been tumultuous to say the least, appearing in just 15 games last season due to a back injury, but with the 28-year-old entering the final year of his contract, the 2024-25 season looms as perhaps the most important of his career to date.
The 3-time All-Star has officially been cleared for 5-on-5 play just weeks out from training camp and with the Nets’ first game of the season coming against the Atlanta Hawks on October 24 at State Farm Arena, Simmons’ return to the floor will be a welcome sight for both Brooklyn and Australian hoops fans.
After falling to the Indiana Pacers with the No. 35 overall pick in the Draft, Furphy finds himself in a great situation on a team with lofty ambitions in the Eastern Conference.
The 19-year-old will look to crack the Pacers rotation after impressing at Summer League with averages of 14.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.8 steals through four games in Las Vegas.
Furphy will likely make his NBA debut in the Pacers’ season opener against the Detroit Pistons on the road.
Dyson Daniels was on the move in the off-season, after being traded by the New Orleans Pelicans alongside E.J. Liddell, Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller and two future first-round picks for Dejounte Murray.
ESPN analyst Zach Lowe earmarked Daniels as one of the most intriguing players heading into the 2024-25 season as he joins Trae Young in the Hawks’ backcourt.
“I think the idealised version of Daniels is a really good fit in Atlanta next to Trae Young,” Lowe said on The Lowe Post podcast.
“He gives them size in the backcourt and he is terrific defending on the ball if he can shoot and that is the big question mark.”
MORE: Aussie player ratings revealed for NBA 2K25
The former NBA Global Academy teammates and childhood friends have faced off in the NBA in five games, with Daniels having the edge (3-2) so far.
With both players suiting up for new teams this season, they’ll square off first on November 10 in Atlanta, but two weeks later they’ll meet again in an In-Season Tournament matchup in Chicago.
There’s just something about Josh Giddey and Madison Square Garden!
Under the bright lights in New York, Giddey has delivered some of the best performances of his career, becoming the first player in NBA history to record a triple-double in his first three games at MSG.
Will he make it a fourth at The Mecca?
Josh Giddey’s career so far at Madison Square Garden:
– 28 points, 11 rebounds, 12 assists
– 24 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists
– 16 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists— Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 1, 2024
In a game featuring plenty of Aussies with Matisse Thybulle, Duop Reath, Jock Landale, Jack McVeigh and Kiwi Steven Adams, this In-Season Tournament matchup is a must-watch.
The potential battle in the paint between Landale and Reath headlines the game, with Landale having his two highest-scoring games of the season against the Blazers last season, dropping 20 points in Portland and 17 points and nine rebounds in Houston.
After the Dallas Mavericks went down to the Boston Celtics 4-1 in the 2024 NBA Finals, Jason Kidd’s squad will no doubt be looking for revenge in the first meeting between these two teams this season.
Adding Klay Thompson, Quentin Grimes, Naji Marshall, and Spencer Dinwiddie in the off-season the Mavs will once again make some noise in the Western Conference, with two Aussies taking the court in Dante Exum and Kyrie Irving.
WATCH: Every game of the NBA season live on NBA League Pass
The two Boomers stalwarts are coming into the latter stages of their NBA careers after teaming up in the off-season for an Australian-record fifth Olympic Games appearance.
It’s time to cherish matchups on the NBA hardwood between the two Aussie legends — both at age 36.
With Mills signing a one-year deal with Ingles’ former team, the Utah Jazz, and Ingles now a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, their meeting at Delta Center in January is certain to be must-see TV for Aussie fans.
Green was another Aussie on the move in the off-season traded from Dallas to Charlotte in a six-team trade after the Mavericks’ their trip to the NBA Finals.
He’ll face his former team in Charlotte on January 21, however, Green makes his return to Dallas to take on fellow Aussies Dante Exum and Kyrie Irving at American Airlines Center.
One of the biggest moves of the offseason saw Giddey traded to Chicago for Alex Caruso and while he’ll face his former team early in the season on October 27 in Chicago, he will make his return to Oklahoma City on April 1.
After three seasons in OKC after being drafted No.6 overall l in the 2021 NBA Draft, Giddey became a fan favourite in the Sooner State, so expect a huge ovation in Oklahoma City.
Cue the video tribute.
The 2024-25 NBA season tips off on Wednesday, October 23 as the Boston Celtics host the New York Knicks, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers up against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Catch every game of the NBA season live on NBA League Pass.
