LaMelo Ball picked third in NBA draft; Aussie Green heads to Mavericks
Australian guard Josh Green will join Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks for the upcoming NBA season while former NBL star LaMelo Ball now works for Michael Jordan after being selected by the Jordan-owned Charlotte Hornets with pick three.
The Mavs selected Green with the 18th pick in Thursday's NBA draft. The Sydney-raised 198-centimetre athlete was a standout AFL player in NSW but chose to follow his hoop dreams to the United States, where he went to IMG Academy then spent this past college season at the University of Arizona.
Ball, who was a Next Stars signing in the NBL, arrived in Australia with doubts about whether he was a top pick. But his 12 games with the Hawks and his diligence off the court saw him rocket into the top selections.
LaMelo Ball has been picked up at No.3 in the NBA draft.Credit:AP
Had Minnesota needed a point guard rather than a scorer in forward Anthony Edwards, who they selected first, many scouts suggested Ball could have been the top selection.
Both Green and Ball will earn guaranteed multi-year NBA contracts due to being first-round draft picks.
Green, 20, is a powerful defender and has already pledged to push for minutes this season, stating he only wanted an opportunity to play in the league.
The Golden State Warriors selected centre James Wiseman with the second pick, although bigger news emerged in the hours before the draft as reports surfaced that championship-winning guard Klay Thompson had seriously injured his "lower right leg" while training in Calfornia. He was still undergoing tests.
Thompson ruptured his left anterior cruciate ligament in the NBA finals in 2019 and was back to full fitness and preparing for the new season.
NBL Next Stars guard RJ Hampton is still on the board and waiting to find his new home. He is expected to be a first-round pick.
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