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This year's National Basketball Association campaign tips off this week, marking the first time in a ten years that Aussie pair of biggest hoops stars – Ben Simmons and Patty Mills – are teamless.

Their absence indicates a changing of the guard, as Australian backcourt duo Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels step up as key starters for playoff aspirants, with new huge contracts making them some of Australia’s highest athletic income generators.

They aren't the only ones. A group of 14 Aussies are expected to play for minutes across the NBA, ranging from veteran centres Jock Landale and Duop Reath, emerging wings in Johnny Furphy and Josh Green, to promising draftees like Tyrese Proctor and Rocco Zikarsky.

Josh Giddey Out to Prove Himself

After protracted negotiations with the Bulls, Giddey ultimately inked his rookie extension worth US$100 million (A$153 million) over four seasons recently. It’s a huge contract for the Melburnian, but in league standards it is cheap for Giddey’s position and profile as a primary ball-handler. Hesitation for the Bulls management to pay top dollar means the young star enters this season with a point to make.

After being moved by Oklahoma City at the start of last season, he watched as his former squad charged to the title in his absence. As the Bulls look to make the playoffs in the less competitive Eastern Conference, he will need to show his scoring and defence are starter-worthy or else he may fall back towards the league's outskirts.

Dyson Daniels Targets Further Growth

Daniels signed the same deal as Giddey recently, and after his most-improved player award last year, the Atlanta player's career has taken off in Atlanta following his exit from the New Orleans. He is now praised as one of the NBA's best defensive specialists, and led the league in takeaways with 3.0 spg – more than one whole steal per game greater than the tally of second place.

Playing next to flamboyant Trae Young in Atlanta, the 22-year-old can be effective this season as a playmaking option and elite defender as long as the team advance to the postseason. But if he can improve his three-point shooting, which was below league average last season, and continue to develop his distribution and attacking, Daniels could become one of the association's most versatile players.

Johnny Furphy On Highlight Watch

Pacers forward Furphy has burst onto the scene as a crowd favorite in Indiana following a series of highlight-reel dunks in pre-season. His acrobatics prompted league figure Pat Beverley to label him as the “best white dunker we’ve seen in a while”, and an opportunity to the All-Star dunk contest could be on the table.

After playing just 8 mpg per contest over 50 appearances in his debut season, the former college student is in contention for a Indiana rotation that might lean towards young players following setback to star playmaker Tyrese Haliburton.

Tyrese Proctor A Long-Range Threat

Guard the Sydney native dropped in the NBA Draft all the way to the 49th pick, where playoff hopefuls the Cavaliers selected him. The Cavs are front-runners to reach the NBA finals from the East, so it would be unusual for a rookie drafted in the late picks to see much court time. But the Australian has seen minutes in exhibition play, and his NBA-ready shot offers him a chance to contribute.

Minutes Crunch Looms for Veteran Quintet

Veteran centre Jock Landale has a chance to claim the starting centre spot in the Grizzlies given highly-touted Zach Edey will miss the opening of the campaign after a surgical procedure.

In Portland, Duop Reath is the veteran backup to young centres Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen, but could play consistent action if the team become in the hunt. His teammate Matisse Thybulle is expected to be deployed as a defensive spark off the bench.

In the Hornets, Josh Green's summer shoulder procedure has resulted in him without a timeline to come back. The player still has a deal for the upcoming year, but won’t want to allow his colleagues at the developing Charlotte too much advantage. And injury has already slowed Dante Exum, who has a knee complaint and has missed important pre-season opportunities in the Mavericks.

Australian NBA Players On the Fringe

Additionally, there are those who are unlikely to see much, if any, court time this season. Veteran Joe Ingles is returned in the Timberwolves, but seems to be primarily a mentor ensuring Anthony Edwards focused.

Rocco Zikarsky is likely 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 slow cooker, while the more seasoned Luke Travers will be hoping to earn minutes with his compatriot for the Cavaliers.

Ben Simmons and Patty Mills Fish for a Deal

If there were any doubts Patty Mills was planning to end his career, he addressed it with a training clip posted on his social media recently, showing the 37-year-old is still sharp and focused on landing another NBA contract.

What Simmons is thinking is uncertain after an break in his homeland, going fishing and using with a football. Although he took to social media recently to reject suggestions he was done, the former All-Star – an elite player as recently as 2021 – has not yet return to the league.