Basketball’s landscape is shifting, and Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL) finds itself at a crossroads. With lucrative Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals now available in the U.S. college system, young athletes face some tough choices.
The NBL’s Next Stars program offers a different path. It focuses on player development and NBA readiness, rather than just chasing a payday.
The introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights in 2021 really shook up U.S. college sports. For the first time, student-athletes could actually earn money while playing, which is wild compared to the old days when they couldn’t make a dime off their own talents.
Colleges now run with ever-increasing NIL budgets. This season, that cap sits at about $31.4 million per school—which is a staggering figure if you think about it.
The money in these NIL deals? It’s almost hard to wrap your head around. With over 350 Division One schools, the total theoretical pool is somewhere near $11 billion.
Of course, not every school hits the cap, and the money gets split up across sports, but still, the opportunities are massive. Take Cooper Flagg, for example—the projected 2025 No.1 NBA Draft pick reportedly made $42 million in endorsements, just from deals with New Balance and Fanatics.
Oscar Cluff’s story is a real eye-opener. He grew up on the Sunshine Coast, worked at Pizza Hut, did some factory welding, and now? He’s pulling in more than AUD $2.6 million this season.
Cluff’s journey from Cochise Junior College in Arizona to millionaire status shows just how life-changing these NIL deals can be for elite young athletes.
The NBL’s Next Stars program takes a different approach, though. It launched back in 2017–18 to give top-tier young players a shot at competing against seasoned professionals in a legit league.
The focus here is growth and NBA readiness, not chasing instant riches. It’s a bit of a gamble, but for some, it pays off.
The program’s already produced some pretty big names:
- LaMelo Ball, Illawarra Hawks (2019–20)
- Josh Giddey, Adelaide 36ers (2020–21)
- Alexandre Sarr, Perth Wildcats (2023–24)
These guys proved that the experience you get on the court in the NBL can outweigh a quick million to play against other teenagers. LaMelo Ball and Josh Giddey both made the jump to the NBA and haven’t looked back.
Right now, Karim Lopez and Dash Daniels are two of the NBL’s brightest young prospects. They’ve picked the Next Stars route to boost their NBA chances.
Lopez, suiting up for the New Zealand Breakers, is projected to go 11th in the latest ESPN NBA Mock Draft. Dash Daniels—yeah, Dyson’s younger brother—is already making noise with Melbourne United and could go 22nd in the draft.
But there’s more to the NBL than just Next Stars. Loads of Australian talent are thriving outside the program, often because the college path just didn’t quite work out for them, for all sorts of reasons.
Perth Wildcats’ Ben Henshall is a good example. He ran into eligibility issues at Texas Tech, even though they were ready to offer up to $800,000.
So, he stayed with the Wildcats. At 21, he’s betting on his own development and plans to take another shot at the NBA next year.
South East Melbourne’s Owen Foxwell is another name worth watching. At just 22, he’s already in his fifth NBL season and having one of his best runs yet.
Earlier this year, he got the nod to attend the Adidas Euro Camp, which is a pretty big deal for young prospects. Foxwell’s NBA dream is still alive, and he’s showing real growth in the NBL every season.
The Future of NBL and NIL
The NBL and its Next Stars program have to keep pushing boundaries if they want to stand out against the pull of college money. The league’s history of helping young players grow gives future stars a lot to think about when choosing between college and going pro.
NBL CEO David Stevenson put it this way: “If you’re after short term money, yes college is a pretty good option. If you’re in for a long-term career that involves the NBA, then I think the Next Stars is the best place for you.”
If you’re curious about how NIL deals stack up against the Next Stars program, check out the full article on Fox Sports here.
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