NBL Rising Stars: Which Players Are Ready to Make the Leap to the NBA

Gabe Smallson | Mar 17, 2025

Jan 25, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates his three-point basket with center Montrezl Harrell (15) in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

The sport of basketball doesn't just belong to North America.

Fans see this in Olympics matchups with other countries increasingly emerging as threats, FIBA tournaments showcasing the globe's top talent, and how every MVP since 2019 has been born outside of the United States (with that trend not looking to slow down in the 2024-25 season).

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When fans mention the NBL, a few NBA alumni come to mind like former MVP and Best Defensive Player award-winner Andrew Bogut, LaMelo Ball, Mathew Dellavedova, and others who made their way down under.

This season, there have been a few standouts that may already be worthy of making the jump to the NBA given their stellar play. There may even be some former NBA players looking to make a return to North American basketball play.

The first player that comes to mind has some NBA experience, but fans likely will not remember his 23 games in the league.

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Bryce Cotton is a 32-year-old point guard that plays for the Perth Wildcats.

After a tumultuous start to his basketball career, Cotton went undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft. With stints on the Utah Jazz, the Phoenix Suns, and the Memphis Grizzlies, the guard went international. From China to Australia, to Turkey, Italy, and then back to Australia, Cotton found a home in the NBL.

Never averaging under 22 points in NBL play, Cotton is currently leading the league with 28.6 points per game. This isn't just a career-high, but about five points per game higher than he has ever averaged in a season playing more than two games.

This current era of NBA needs more big men, to say the least, so this next player who is second in NBL with 9.32 rebounds per game may be a candidate to make a return to the league.

Montrezel Harrell hasn't been on an NBA court since 2023, but fans may remember his superior play for both the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers. Harrell even won the Sixth Man of the Year award as a member of the Clippers during the 2019-20 season.

In addition to his rebounds, Harrell is putting up 20.5 points per game and just over one block on average.

Lastly, a well-rounded guard deserving of an NBA spot is Kendric Davis. Putting up 25.6 points (second in the league), 7.8 assists, and 48% from the field, the 25-year-old has been thriving this season for the Adelaide 36ers.

Davis last played for the Santa Cruz Warriors (Golden State Warriors G League affiliate) during the 2023-24 season and averaged 18.7 points per game.

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For more news and notes, head on over to Ball Around on SI.