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The National Basketball Association season begins this week, marking the initial occasion in a decade that Aussie pair of biggest hoops stars – Ben Simmons and Patty Mills – are teamless.

Their absence indicates a changing of the guard, as Australian guard pair Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels emerge as essential players for contending teams, with new nine-figure contracts establishing them as some of the country's highest athletic income generators.

They aren't the only ones. Fourteen Australians are expected to play for minutes around the league, including veteran centres 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 lengthy discussions with the Bulls, the guard ultimately signed his rookie extension worth $100m (A$153 million) over four years recently. It's a major deal for the Melbourne native, but in league standards it is cheap for his role and reputation as a lead playmaker. The reluctance for the Bulls management to pay top dollar means the 23-year-old enters this season with much to prove.

After being moved by the Thunder at the start of last season, he watched as his former squad charged to the title in his absence. As the Bulls aim to make the playoffs in the less competitive Eastern Conference, he will need to show his scoring and defensive skills are elite-level or else he may slide towards the league's outskirts.

Dyson Daniels Eyes Another Step

The guard signed the identical contract as his counterpart recently, and after his MIP honor last year, the Hawks player's trajectory has skyrocketed in Atlanta following his exit from the Pelicans. He is now praised as one of the NBA's best defensive specialists, and led the league in takeaways with three per game – over one whole takeaway per match higher than the total of the runner-up.

Performing next to flamboyant Trae Young in Atlanta, the 22-year-old can be effective this campaign as a secondary ballhandler and elite defender as long as the team advance to the postseason. But if he can elevate his three-point shooting, which was below league average last year, and continue to develop his distribution and driving, Daniels could become one of the league’s most well-rounded talents.

Johnny Furphy On Highlight Watch

Pacers forward the rookie has burst onto the scene as a crowd favorite in Indiana following a series of highlight-reel slam dunks in exhibition games. His acrobatics prompted 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 dunk contest could be a possibility.

Following playing just eight minutes per game over 50 appearances in his debut season, the ex- Maribyrnong College student is in contention for a Pacers rotation that might favor youth following setback to star playmaker Tyrese Haliburton.

Tyrese Proctor An Outside Shot

Playmaker Proctor dropped in the June draft all the way to the second round, where playoff hopefuls Cleveland picked him. The Cavaliers are front-runners to reach the Finals from the Eastern Conference, so it would be unusual for a rookie drafted in the second round to see much court time. But the Australian has earned time in pre-season, and his pro-level shooting gives him a chance to make an impact.

Minutes Crunch Ahead for Veteran Quintet

Seasoned big man Jock Landale has a chance to claim the starting five spot in Memphis given highly-touted Zach Edey will be out for the start of the campaign after a surgical procedure.

In Portland, Duop Reath is the experienced reserve to youthful big men Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen, but could see consistent action if the Blazers become competitive. His fellow player Matisse Thybulle is expected to be used as a defensive specialist off the bench.

In the Hornets, Josh Green's off-season shoulder surgery has resulted in him without a timeline to return. The player still has a deal for next season, but won’t want to allow his colleagues at the developing Charlotte an excessive head start. And injury has already hindered Dante Exum, who has a knee problem and has missed important exhibition opportunities in the Mavericks.

Aussie Hoopers Fighting for Roles

Additionally, there are those who are not expected to see a lot of, if any, court time this season. Thirty-eight-year-old Joe Ingles is returned in Minnesota, but appears to be primarily a mentor keeping Anthony Edwards focused.

Rocco Zikarsky is expected to be developed by the Wolves through their affiliate team. Other first-year players Lachlan Olbrich in Chicago and Alex Toohey for the Warriors are also in the development pipeline, while the more seasoned Luke Travers will be hoping to win playing time alongside Proctor for the Cavs.

Ben Simmons and Patty Mills Fish for a Deal

Should anyone question Patty Mills was planning to end his career, he answered them with a workout video posted on his social media over the weekend, showing the veteran is still sharp and focused on securing another league deal.

Simmons' intentions is uncertain after an off-season in Australia, going fishing and using with a Sherrin. Even though he posted on social media recently to deny suggestions he was done, the former All-Star – an All Star as recently as 2021 – has yet to surface.