Author: Monojit Mandal
On a memorable day for Australian basketball players in the NBA, forgotten talent Dante Exum made a glorious return to the league, while several countrymen found new teams, causing a stir in the basketball world.
After a difficult start to his NBA career, marked by injuries, Dante Exum, 27, signed a one-year guaranteed veteran’s minimum contract for around US$2.7 million. Exum’s perseverance and dedication were obvious as a former No. 5 pick in the NBA draft, as he had just won a bronze medal with the Boomers at the Tokyo Olympics. Exum has spent the last two years showing off his skills in Europe, playing for FC Barcelona and Partizan Belgrade before winning the ABA League.
Exum will return to the NBA, joining notable players such as Luke Doncic, Kyrie Irving and fellow Australian Josh Green at the Dallas Mavericks. This is a great chance for Exum to re-establish themselves in the league.
In other interesting trade news, Jock Landale, a big Australian player who shone with the Phoenix Suns during the playoffs, has signed a four-year $32 million contract with the Houston Rockets. Recognizing Landale’s talent and potential, the Rockets, who are in a rebuilding phase, used their huge salary cap space to recruit key players like him.
The Rockets also added Patty Mills to their roster, which was a great move. On the other hand, Mills is expected to be shunted to another team as part of the deal to sign and trade Dillon Brooks. In addition, veteran Joe Ingles is about to leave the Milwaukee Bucks and join the Orlando Magic on a two-year, $22 million deal, bringing experience and quality to the Magic’s roster.
In other news, Jack White, who previously won an NBA championship with the Denver Nuggets, has agreed to sign a two-year contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder. After spending time on a two-way contract with the Nuggets, White now has a sense of stability. He will now join fellow Australian Josh Giddey to help the Thunder achieve their goals in the upcoming NBA season.
With Giddey, White, Green, Exum and Landale potentially playing nearby, the five Australians are expected to have a big presence in the same region of the United States, linking the cities of Oklahoma City, Houston and Dallas.