NBL Next Stars is a player development program that lets NBA draft-eligible prospects Australian and international turn professional in Australia's National Basketball League instead of going the college or G League route, playing real minutes against senior competition while NBA scouts track their progress. Launched officially for the 2018-19 season, it's become one of the most productive alternative pathways to the NBA anywhere in the world, producing at least a dozen NBA draftees so far, including seven first-round picks.

How the Next Stars Pathway Actually Works

The idea traces back to Terrance Ferguson, who signed with the Adelaide 36ers as a five-star high school prospect in 2016 instead of enrolling in college, then got picked 21st overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017. That result became the proof of concept for something bigger: instead of only choosing between college basketball or waiting out a G League deal, elite young prospects could sign with an NBL club, get a genuine professional season under senior coaches, and put themselves directly in front of NBA scouts and front offices in one of the strongest leagues outside the NBA itself.

Each NBL club can bring in Next Stars talent from anywhere in the world, and recent classes have included prospects from the US, Lithuania, Germany, Sweden, France, Mexico, and Trinidad and Tobago alongside homegrown Australian talent.

A Home-Grown Source of Pride

There's a particular thrill in watching a kid who came up through Australian basketball walk across an NBA Draft stage. Josh Giddey's rise hits home especially hard — a Melbourne native who joined the Adelaide 36ers through the NBL Next Stars program, was selected sixth overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, and has gone on to establish himself in the NBA.

But the pride runs deeper than any single name. Every Next Star, homegrown or from overseas, has had the opportunity to develop in our league, on our hardwood, competing against established professional players who don't give away easy minutes. When some of the world's best young talent chooses the NBL as a pathway to the NBA, it says something about the opportunities Australian basketball can provide. And when those players go on to make their mark in the NBA, the whole country gets to feel a little bit of ownership over the story.

Pathway Players: Who's Made the NBA Through Next Stars?

Some of the highest-profile names in recent NBA drafts came directly out of this pathway:

1. LaMelo Ball — picked 3rd overall in 2020, now a multiple-time NBA All-Star
2. Josh Giddey — picked 6th overall in 2021
3. RJ Hampton — picked 24th overall in 2020
4. Ousmane Dieng — picked 11th overall in 2022
5. Rayan Rupert — picked 43rd overall in 2023
6. Alex Sarr — picked 2nd overall in 2024, the highest Next Star selection to date
7. Ariel Hukporti — a later second-round pick in 2024 who went on to earn a fully guaranteed NBA contract
8. Karim Lopez — picked 21st overall in 2026, the program's most recent first-round selection

That list keeps growing every draft, and it's exactly why NBA scouts now treat the NBL as a legitimate proving ground rather than a detour.

From the NBL to Junior Clubs: Why the Right Kit Matters at Every Level

Every name on that list started out in a junior club uniform long before an NBA scout ever knew who they were. It's easy to forget that when the conversation turns to draft picks and scouting reports, but the pathway really does start there with a local team, a coach, and a kit that actually fits and holds up over a season. C2C Sports has spent decades working with Australian clubs at exactly that level, helping them put together custom basketball jerseys with player names, numbers, and club colours through a straightforward online design process, with a 3D preview so there's no guessing what the finished kit will look like. It's a small part of the bigger picture, but it's the part every future Next Star actually wore first.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NBL Next Stars program? It's a player development pathway that lets NBA draft-eligible prospects sign with an NBL club and play professionally in Australia instead of going through college or the G League, while NBA scouts monitor their progress.

How many Next Stars have been drafted to the NBA? At least a dozen players have been drafted into the NBA through the program since it launched in 2018-19, including seven first-round selections.

Who is the most successful NBL Next Star so far? LaMelo Ball, the 3rd overall pick in 2020, is the most decorated alum, having since become a multiple-time NBA All-Star. Alex Sarr holds the record as the highest-drafted Next Star, going 2nd overall in 2024.

Is the Next Stars program only for Australian players? No. While it developed homegrown Australian talent, the program also recruits international draft-eligible prospects from countries including the US, France, Germany, Sweden, Mexico, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Why do NBA scouts pay close attention to the NBL? Because Next Stars play real minutes in a high-level senior competition rather than a lower-tier development league, giving scouts a clearer look at how a prospect performs under real professional pressure.

Start Where Every Next Star Started

Wherever your club's players end up down the line, getting their kit right along the way is worth the effort. If you're putting together uniforms for your own team, C2C's Design Your Own Team Uniform tool makes it easy to build one colours, names, and numbers included and see it before you commit to an order. The Basketball collection is there too if you'd rather browse what's possible first.