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This year's NBA season begins now, marking the initial occasion in a decade that Australia's pair of most prominent basketball names – Ben Simmons and Patty Mills – are without a roster spot.

Their absence signals a transition period, as Australian backcourt duo Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels emerge as key starters for contending teams, with new huge contracts making them some of the country's top sporting income generators.

But they are not alone. A group of 14 Aussies are set to compete for minutes around the league, ranging from experienced big men 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

Following lengthy discussions with the Chicago Bulls, Giddey finally inked his new deal worth $100m (A$153 million) over four seasons last month. It’s a huge contract for the Melbourne native, but in league standards it is cheap for his role and profile as a primary ball-handler. Hesitation for Chicago’s front office to offer a max deal means the 23-year-old begins this year with a point to make.

After being moved by Oklahoma City at the beginning of last campaign, Giddey observed as his old team stormed to the NBA championship without him. As the Bulls aim to make the playoffs in the less competitive East, he will have to demonstrate his scoring and defence are starter-worthy or else he may slide towards the league's outskirts.

Dyson Daniels Targets Further Growth

Daniels agreed to the same deal as his counterpart this week, and after his most-improved player award last season, the Hawks guard’s career has skyrocketed in the city following his departure from the Pelicans. He is now lauded as one of the league’s best defensive specialists, and topped the league in steals with three per game – over one whole steal per match greater than the tally of second place.

Playing next to flamboyant Trae Young in the Hawks, the youngster can be effective this season as a playmaking option and defensive stopper as long as the team advance to the postseason. But if he can improve his long-range game, which was subpar last year, and continue to develop his distribution and attacking, he could become one of the association's most well-rounded talents.

Johnny Furphy On Highlight Watch

Indiana wing Furphy has emerged as a crowd favorite in Indiana following a series of highlight-reel dunks in pre-season. His athletic displays prompted NBA personality Pat Beverley to label him as the “best white dunker we’ve seen in a long time”, and an opportunity to the mid-season dunk contest could be a possibility.

Following logging just 8 mpg per contest over 50 games in his rookie campaign, the ex- Maribyrnong College student is in the running for a Pacers lineup that might favor young players following injury to star playmaker Tyrese Haliburton.

Tyrese Proctor An Outside Shot

Guard Proctor dropped in the NBA Draft all the way to the second round, where Eastern Conference contenders the Cavaliers picked him. The Cavs are favourites to reach the Finals from the East, so it would be unusual for a rookie taken in the second round to see significant playing minutes. But the Australian has earned minutes in exhibition play, and his NBA-ready shot offers him a opportunity to make an impact.

Minutes Crunch Ahead for Experienced Group

Veteran big man Jock Landale has a chance to claim the starting centre spot in Memphis given highly-touted Zach Edey will be out for the start of the season after ankle surgery.

In Portland, Duop Reath is the veteran backup to youthful big men Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen, but could see consistent action if the team become in the hunt. His teammate Matisse Thybulle is likely to be deployed as a defensive specialist in a reserve role.

In Charlotte, Josh Green’s off-season shoulder procedure has resulted in him with no return date to come back. The 24-year-old still has a deal for the upcoming year, but will not want to allow his teammates at the developing Charlotte an excessive advantage. And injury has already hindered Dante Exum, who has a knee complaint and has missed key exhibition opportunities in the Mavericks.

Australian NBA Players On the Fringe

Then there are those who are unlikely to see much, if any, court time this year. Veteran Joe Ingles is back in the Timberwolves, but appears to be little more than a mentor keeping Anthony Edwards in check.

Rocco Zikarsky is expected to be developed by Minnesota Timberwolves through their affiliate team. Other rookies 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 minutes alongside Proctor for the Cavs.

Ben Simmons and Patty Mills Seeking Contracts

If there were any doubts Mills was planning to end his career, he answered them with a training clip posted on his accounts recently, showing the veteran remains sharp and focused on landing one more league deal.

What Simmons is thinking is anyone’s guess after an off-season in his homeland, going fishing and using with a football. Although he took to Instagram recently to reject rumors he was retired, the 29-year-old – an elite player as recently as 2021 – has yet to return to the league.