About

Stars

About

Stars

The Next Stars program is an innovative player development program that is unique to the Australian NBl.

The Next Stars program has been running in an official capacity since the 2018-19 season. In 2024, the NBL had four players selected at the NBA Draft, including second overall pick, Alex Sarr.

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A PROVEN Pathway to the NBA

Team Recruitment

The NBL works with each player to pair them with the team best suited to their skillset, maximising their NBL time.

Specialist Training

Each player will have the opportunity to work with elite coaches to best help hone their skillset.

Track Record

The NBL Next Stars program has a proven track record in helping young players make it to the NBA.

Exposure

The NBL provides strong visibility back to the US. Both in building the players and being exposed to coaches and scouts.

Dedicated Housing

Players are given the best opportunity to focus 100% of their efforts on their game, not having to worry about accommodation.

Perfect Timing

Play 28+ games in the beautiful Australian summer, then be able to make it back to the US for draft workouts.

With 5 players signed, the 2025 Next stars are already making their presence felt.

The Next Stars program is an innovative player development pathway unique to the NBL, in which some of the top NBA Draft eligible talent from across the globe can fast-track their on-court development in order to reach the NBA.

The NBL24 crop of Next Stars was the largest in NBL history. Eight players from Australia, the USA, Lithuania, Germany, Sweden and France called the NBL home in the 2023-24 season, in the hopes of furthering their NBA Draft prospects.

Incredibly, four Next Stars were drafted to the NBA in June, while another was signed soon after the Draft. Perth's Alexandre Sarr made history as the highest overall Next Star selection, drafted at pick 2 by the Washington Wizards.

For NBL25, we welcome our next batch of emerging stars.

The recruitment of Terrance Ferguson by the Adelaide 36ers initially lit the spark for the program, after the heavily recruited five-star high school prospect elected to turn professional as opposed to tread the traditional collegiate route.

Ferguson was selected with the 21st pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and has since gone on to play over 200 times in the NBA. He was named an NBA G-League champion in 2022.

The program has been running in an official capacity since the 2018-19 season, with the likes of Josh Giddey and LaMelo Ball among the stars to have graduated from the program.

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