Awesome Foursome: Rocco, Alex, Tyrese and Lachie

• Complete list of every Australian in the NBA
• 2025 NBA Draft Tracker: Where every player was selected
• Player tracker: Trades, free agents and transactions

It was a nerve-wracking second round but after a tense anticipation, Australian fans couldn’t have asked for a better result with all four NBA draft entrants earning a selection.

Now with an NBA home each, will they be able to stick?

Let’s dive into what they can bring to the table at the game’s highest level and what opportunities their teams might afford them in return.

ROCCO ZIKARSKY
PRE-DRAFT ESPN MOCK: #41
PICK: #45 — MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (via Sacramento Kings)

He may have been the least productive NBL Next Star last season, but it didn’t stop Rocco Zikarsky from being the first Australian taken off the board.

Zikarsky’s two years with the Brisbane Bullets were full of highs and lows. Heading into his rookie season, the big man’s junior career garnered a ton of excitement, with draft specialists such as Jonathan Wasserman listing Zikarsky as high as #7 on their mock drafts due to his allure as a paint protector with flashes of skill.

We only saw brief cameo’s of play from Zikarsky in year one, and his brief stints appeared to consistently result in highlight dunks or blocks, setting the table for a breakout sophomore campaign. Brisbane themselves opened the door for Zikarsky’s potential leap, with Aron Baynes moving on and the backup centre spot his for the taking. Unfortunately, extended opportunities proved to instead expose the young centre’s flaws, his hypothetical defensive impact yet to materialise.

Zikarsky chose not to participate in the scrimmage section of the NBA Draft combine, seemingly content to ride the coattails of his mystique, and while he was never going to recoup the draft stock he saw before joining the NBL, his pre-draft approach appears to have worked out for him, picked up by the Minnesota Timberwolves half-way through the second round.

Consensus ultimately deemed Zikarsky as more as a throw at the dartboard than a likely NBA contributor by draft time, but as one of the youngest players in the NBA draft, the youngest drafted in the second round, and now the third tallest player in the NBA altogether, Zikarsky’s long term upside still appears incredibly tantalising.

What immediately sticks out about Zikarsky’s destination is the presence of Rudy Gobert — one of a small handful of traditionally sized interior bigs that have carved a niche in the modern NBA. It’s a repopulating player type with the recent success of the Portland Trail Blazer’s Donovan Clingan and Walker Kessler, but Zikarsky has a long way to go building out his frame and his skill-set to reach similar heights. Zikarsky also joins fellow Aussie veteran Joe Ingles, who will undoubtedly have a vested interest in supporting the big man through his early days in the league.

It makes sense that Rudy Gobert, four times the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, would be a fantastic mentor for Zikarsky’s positioning in drop coverage defensively, but expect Zikarsky to spend the majority of his immediate NBA future playing for their G League affiliate, Iowa. With Gobert, Naz Reid and now fellow 2025 NBA draftee Joan Boringer (picked at 17) at the five spot, as well as Julius Randle sliding up for minutes inside, it’s unlikely for any circumstance where Zikarsky is called upon for NBA minutes anytime soon.

For now, that may be for the best — Zikarsky is a project that needs time and opportunity in equal spades.

There’s no reason to give up high hopes for Zikarsky — he’s still one of the upcoming Australian generations most promising centres — but it will be a process.

TYRESE PROCTOR
PRE-DRAFT ESPN MOCK: #34
PICK: #49 — CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (via Milwaukee Bucks)

The last three years of Tyrese Proctor’s career have been on the peripheral vision of Australian fans, but for American fans and NBA scouts, his game has been front and centre. Playing for the Duke Blue Devils, one of the most desirable blue-chip homes of NBA talent in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Proctor has not been short on exposure, but in equal measure, Proctor has had to navigate changing roles and rosters, eventually thriving in his junior year.

Proctor is one of the most skilled guards I have seen come through the junior ranks in my time covering youth basketball in Australia, and after re-classing forward to join Duke early, he seamlessly adapted to college’s highest level, starting 34 of a possible 36 games.

With the introduction of Jared McCain as a backcourt partner in his Sophomore year, and first overall pick Cooper Flagg in his Junior year, Proctor’s role adapted over time. Struggling to get to or finish at the rim with efficiency, Proctor relinquished a level of shot creation and on-ball play for a more ancillary role, and his final year resulted in career highs in both three point attempts (5.8) and conversion (40.5%).

This role consolidated on Proctor’s best NBA skill, his shooting, but it also reaffirmed beliefs around his limitations. Despite having the ball on a string, Proctor struggled to demonstrate the requisite burst to beat defenders off the dribble, nor the verticality, strength or supreme skill to excel as a finisher. Still capable of taking and making tough shots off the dribble, and a deft facilitator, Proctor doesn’t completely lack on-ball skills, but it has capped expectations around Proctor’s ability to be a lead ball-handler in the NBA, and in turn capped his draft upside.

Falling slightly from the pre-draft projections, Proctor finds himself on the Cleveland Cavaliers as the only Australian to sign a multi-year deal post-draft, per Jake Fischer. While a regular role with the Cavs seems unlikely, it’s a vote of confidence from the organisation. Lonzo Ball and newly re-signed Sam Merrill stand out as the likely depth behind star guards Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, but with Ty Jerome’s return up in the air, it’s possible that Proctor could find himself an injury or trade away from some form of a playing opportunity.

Right now it looks like Proctor’s home-run projection as a full time point guard prospect is unlikely, but with a rise in multiple guard lineups, Proctor feels like a perimeter option in the mould of a player like Andrew Nembhard, who we saw produce for Indiana in the NBA Finals. Like Nembhard, Proctor is an excellent defender who was elite matching up against guards at the college level.

If Proctor can put on some mass and find a physical advantage on the offensive end, there’s a real NBA player to be found.

ALEX TOOHEY
PRE-DRAFT ESPN MOCK: #45
PICK: #52 — GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (via Denver Nuggets)

Alex Toohey’s selection this week made him the second ever Canberra-born draftee behind Patty Mills.

Toohey was an immediate contributor at the NBL level thanks to a combination of feel, competitiveness and two-way versatility. The forward instantly commanded a 20+ minutes per game role in his first season with the Sydney Kings, primarily making his impact felt on the defensive end, where he was able to guard multiple player types on the ball, and displayed great positioning and intelligence away from the ball. His defensive activity led to him being one of only two players in this year’s draft with both steal and block rates at above 3%. Offensively, Toohey slashed with confidence, finishing at the rim in the half-court and excelling in transition, whilst utilising his feel for the game as an instinctive, connective passer.

Of course, the big question mark regarding Toohey is the shot. In his first year as a Next Star, Toohey shot 24.2% from the three point line, and followed it up with an improved yet inconsistent mark of 31.0% in year two. It’s always an uphill battle to establish oneself as an NBA role player without consistent outside shooting, so it’s a natural swing skill for his long term success in the league, but with functional mechanics and an upward trajectory, we can hope that he’s destined to continue to refine his jump shooting game.

Toohey joins the Golden State Warriors after being selected at #52 — a team with a seemingly sudden affinity for Australians, as he joins Taran Armstrong and Alex Higgins-Titsha on their Summer League roster. General Manager Mike Dunleavy discussed the selection of Toohey, and while he admitted he doesn’t expect Toohey to play a role as a rookie, he lauded his versatility and said that while he could be envisioned at the four, there is appeal in Toohey’s ability to play multiple positions.

Toohey may not be a commanding scorer or athlete, but his motor and feel for the game have made him a proven winner. Sticking in the NBA is always a long shot from the second round, but it’s hard not to feel like he’s a consistent three point shot away from being able to contribute at the game’s highest level.

LACHLAN OLBRICH
PRE-DRAFT ESPN MOCK: #50
PICK: #55 — CHICAGO BULLS (via Los Angeles Lakers)

Wrapping up a perfect night for our Australian’s, Lachlan Olbrich managed to sneak into a late selection, getting picked up by the Chicago Bulls at #55.

Olbrich’s journey had initially taken him to the NCAA’s Big West, where he would receive conference Player of the Year honours as a freshman playing for UC Riverside. It wouldn’t be long, however, until the big man decided to return home to the NBL, signing a multi-year deal with the Illawarra Hawks. After a quiet first year, Olbrich came into his own this past season, stepping up in a significant way for the NBL25 Champions. His efforts, including two double-digit scoring efforts in the NBL finals series against Melbourne United following Sam Froling’s injury, typified his winning reputation at every level, having also won an NBL1 Central and NZNBL championship within his short men’s career.

On paper, Olbrich doesn’t fit the mould of an NBA big — he measured only 6’7.5 without shoes at the NBA combine, isn’t a stupendous athlete to make up for it, and is largely limited as a rim protector as a result. Combine that with a lack of outside shooting and it’s hard to imagine him finding a role at the four or five positions in the NBA.

One thing we have however learnt is never to count Olbrich out. Largely mocked outside of the top 60 throughout the entirety of the season, it was a dominant pre-draft process that led to Olbrich’s selection. After dominating the G League Showcase, Olbrich was invited to the NBA Draft Combine, and subsequently excelled in the scrimmages, leading the event in rebounding and putting up a handful of notable performances. Impacting the interior with sheer effort, Olbrich was able to show off the more unorthodox elements to his offensive game as well, pushing the ball off the glass, making smart reads and outsmarting defences with savvy footwork and finishing in the paint.

At #55, Olbrich is a stab in the dark for the Bulls. While the Illawarra Hawks would’ve been quietly hoping a draft and stash opportunity could’ve wound Olbrich back up on their roster, Jonathan Givony of ESPN reported on the broadcast that Olbrich has been signed to a two-way contract, meaning we’ll see his services in the G League for the majority of next season.

One promising element of the fit? The Bulls love to push the pace, and would certainly empower Olbrich’s grab and go tendencies. Let’s hope we can see a re-signed Josh Giddey and Lachlan Olbrich share the floor at some point next season.

About the Michael Houben

Michael Houben is an Australian basketball writer and scout based in Melbourne, Victoria. As well as covering the game as a journalist, Michael supports US colleges to identify and recruit Australian talent as the owner of Airtime Scouting, and supports grassroots athletes through Airtime Basketball.