Could the NBL be on the verge of signing its next million-dollar superstar? The race is on, and the stakes are higher than ever. As the Hungry Jack’s NBL26 season shifts into its post-season phase, four teams are already setting their sights on the future, diving headfirst into the pre-agency period. But here's where it gets controversial: with the official Free Agency tipping off in April, the rumor mill is churning faster than ever, and not everyone agrees on who’s worth the big bucks.
Jack Heverin, Pete Hooley, and Olgun Uluc are breaking it all down—coaching whispers, contract negotiations, and player movements—as the league prepares for a seismic shift. While teams like Cairns and South East Melbourne have locked in stars like Jack McVeigh and Nathan Sobey, the real drama lies in the talent pool hitting the open market for the 2026-27 season. And this is the part most people miss: a wave of high-profile Aussies, including NBA quartet Dante Exum, Duop Reath, Alex Toohey, and Luke Travers, are now free agents after being waived during the 2026 NBA Trade Deadline.
Injuries have sidelined Exum, Toohey, and Reath for the rest of the 2025-26 season, but Travers—fresh off a stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers and their G League affiliate—is still chasing his NBA dream. If that doesn’t pan out, ESPN’s Olgun Uluc hints that an NBL return could be on the cards for 2026-27. But is the NBL ready to outbid the NBA, Japan, and Europe for his services?
“The door is slightly open for Luke Travers,” Uluc said on The Marketplace, presented by Paywie. “He was caught in a salary dump during a multi-team deal involving Cleveland, but he’s now a free agent on the two-way market. The hope is he lands another NBA gig, but NBL teams are already circling. Teams were asking about him mid-season, and they’re ready to throw serious money at him. The question is: could he be the next player to command a million-dollar deal?”
Speaking of global talent, Europe is currently home to NBL alums like Jack White (Turkey), Taran Armstrong (UAE), and Will McDowell-White (France), alongside Japan-based stars Yanni Wetzell, Keanu Pinder, and Nick Kay. Among them, McDowell-White’s name keeps popping up in NBL conversations. But is he biding his time in Europe, waiting for the perfect NBL offer?
“McDowell-White has been doing one-year deals in Europe, almost like he’s waiting for the right long-term opportunity,” Uluc explained. “Last off-season, there wasn’t a clear fit for him, but this time around, there could be more openings. As a local elite guard, he’s a valuable asset—teams could save their import spots for multi-positional players instead.”
As Round 22 of the Hungry Jack’s NBL26 tips off Wednesday night with Tasmania hosting Illawarra at 7:30 pm AEDT (live on ESPN), the bigger question lingers: Who will be the next million-dollar man? And more importantly, is the NBL ready to pay the price to bring these stars home? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—who do you think deserves the big contract, and who’s overhyped?
