Hawks title boost as Harvey set to become an Aussie

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The Illawarra Hawks could be ready to bounce right back into NBL championship contention with club legend and sharpshooter Tyler Harvey set to play as a local after having his Australian citizenship application approved, according to ESPN's Olgun Uluc.

According to Uluc, Harvey sat and passed his Australian citizenship test at the Department of Home Affairs in Parramatta on Monday morning, sources said, with a swearing-in ceremony expected to follow in the near future, ahead of the Hawks' season opener on September 20.

After the ceremony, the 33-year-old two-time All-NBL First Team member will be eligible to play in the league as a local, non-restricted player and will not count as an import for the upcoming season. He will also be eligible to be designated as a marquee player for the Hawks, where only part of the player's contract counts towards the salary cap.

Harvey would also be eligible to play for the Australian Boomers - just like Matisse Thybulle and Bryce Cotton - but under FIBA rules, only one naturalised player can feature on a national team at a particular time.

The Eastern Washington college basketball star finally becomes an Aussie after arriving on our shores in 2020 when he was recruited by then Hawks coach Brian Goorjian.

Harvey has been the mainstay, along with big man Sam Froling, for Illawarra since - experiencing the highs and lows with the franchise before helping lead them to a drought-breaking championship in 2025 when they beat Melbourne United in five games.

The combo guard, who was drafted 51st overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2015 NBA Draft, is currently signed with the Hawks until the conclusion of the 2027-28 season. He averaged 16.9 points and 3.6 assists per game with the Hawks last season as they missed the playoffs and their chance to repeat as champions.

Harvey is the latest of many US imports to end up calling Australia home, with the most recent being Bryce Cotton, who made his debut earlier this month for the Boomers against Guam and the Philippines. While others, such as three-time NBL champion Casey Prather, have also started the process to become naturalised.

The news is a huge off-season boost for the Hawks, who now have three import spots they can fill before NBL27 season tip-off.

Tyler Harvey: Illawarra Hawks import turned Championship sharpshooter and future Australian local

The Three Pointer

• NBL Champion in 2024–25, hitting one of the defining shots of the Finals series against Melbourne United.
• Two-time All-NBL First Team selection (2020–21, 2024–25) and the longest-serving import in Illawarra Hawks history.
• Granted Australian citizenship, placing him on track to qualify as a local player under league rules.

Introduction

Tyler Harvey has transformed from short-term import to the face of the Illawarra Hawks, blending clutch scoring, deep shooting and steady leadership into a championship-winning NBL career.

Player Profile

Name: Tyler Harvey Age: 35 Team(s): Illawarra Hawks (2020–present) Position: Shooting guard Size: 193cm Weight: 88kg

Playing Style

Harvey is a left-handed scoring guard whose game is built around deep, confident three-point shooting and one of the cleanest pull-up jumpers in the NBL. He thrives late in the shot clock, comfortable manufacturing looks off the dribble against set defences, and he has a long-standing reputation as one of the league's most reliable clutch shot-makers. His footwork out of ball screens and his ability to punish soft coverages from well beyond the arc force opposition defences to extend further than they'd like.

While he made his name as a high-volume scorer, Harvey's game has broadened considerably. He now operates as a genuine secondary creator, running pick-and-roll actions, hitting rollers on time and swinging the ball to open shooters when defences load up. His playmaking numbers have grown alongside his leadership, and he has become the kind of guard coaches trust to steady the offence when possessions get tight.

Career

Harvey arrived in the NBL for the 2020–21 season after a productive stint in Germany, and the impact was immediate. Averaging 20.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists, he earned All-NBL First Team honours and helped drag the Hawks back to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

The next two seasons tested him. In 2021–22, defences keyed in and his scoring dipped to 16.1 points, though he remained Illawarra's primary perimeter threat. The 2022–23 campaign ended in the wooden spoon, but Harvey was handed the co-captaincy and still produced 18.9 points a night through injuries and roster churn.

Under Justin Tatum, the Hawks reinvented themselves. Harvey's scoring eased to 15.1 points in 2023–24 as he embraced a more team-oriented role during a surprise playoff run. Then came 2024–25—arguably the finest season of his career. He averaged 17.1 points, made another All-NBL First Team, and helped deliver Illawarra its NBL championship, drilling a decisive late three in Game 2 of the Finals against Melbourne United to keep the series alive.

In 2025–26 he continued at a high level, contributing around 16.9 points and 3.6 assists per game while remaining the offensive engine of the group. Although he hasn't worn Boomers or Opals colours, his Australian permanent residency in 2026 opened a genuine pathway to local status—an outcome few would have predicted when he first landed at WIN Entertainment Centre.

Five Fast Facts

1. Harvey is left-handed, a rarity among elite NBL guards.
2. He joined the Hawks in 2020 after playing professionally in Germany.
3. Through six NBL seasons he had racked up 193 games for Illawarra.
4. He was named Hawks co-captain in 2022–23 despite being an import.
5. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest imports in Illawarra Hawks history.

Career Highlights Timeline

2020–21: Debut NBL season—20.0 points per game, All-NBL First Team, Hawks return to the playoffs.

2021–22: Remains Illawarra's leading perimeter threat at 16.1 points per game despite heavier defensive attention.

2022–23: Named co-captain and averages 18.9 points through a difficult wooden-spoon campaign.

2023–24: Adapts his role under Justin Tatum, helping Illawarra become one of the league's surprise packets.

2024–25: Wins the NBL Championship, earns second All-NBL First Team selection, hits a defining Finals three against Melbourne United.

2025–26: Continues as Illawarra's offensive engine at 16.9 points and 3.6 assists per game.

2026: Granted Australian permanent residency, edging toward eventual local-player status.

Tyler Harvey's Illawarra journey is one of the NBL's best modern import stories. What began as a short-term signing evolved into a franchise-defining tenure, capped by a championship, All-NBL honours and a growing legacy as one of the league's premier clutch performers.

With his Aussie citizenship secured and his production still humming, Harvey's chapter in Australian basketball is far from finished. If he does eventually suit up as a local, the Hawks—and the NBL—will have gained not just a reliable scorer, but a leader whose fingerprints are all over one of the most compelling club rebuilds of the decade.