The 2025–26 NBA season opens with a record number of Australians across rosters.

It's a reflection of how far the country's basketball pipeline has come, producing players who contribute in every role imaginable.

Here's how the 13 Aussies in the NBA stack up heading into the new season, based on form, opportunity, and long-term upside.

3Jock Landale

Memphis Grizzlies

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After years of carving out minutes across San Antonio, Phoenix, and Houston, Jock Landale finally has the starting role he's been waiting for.

Landale will open the 2025-26 season as Memphis' starting centre, stepping in while Zach Edey, Brandon Clarke, and Jaren Jackson Jr recover from injuries.

It's a long-overdue chance for a player who has built his NBA identity on screens, hustle, and toughness rather than highlights. Landale fits seamlessly into the Grizzlies' “grit and grind” identity, setting bruising picks for Ja Morant, finishing out of the short roll, and doing the work that frees others to shine.

After years of being buried behind other bigs, he's landed in a system that values effort and continuity, with a locker room full of long-tenured teammates and a coaching staff that prizes reliability.

Landale's job won't be to score 20 a night; it's to give Memphis stability inside, bring physicality on both ends, and make every possession just a little easier for those around him, a role he's more than ready to own.