Next Star weighs up options after strong National Championships

NBL Next Star Luke Paul is closing in on establishing his NBL team after several strong performances at last week’s Under 18s National Championships in Brisbane.

Paul once again showed why he is one of the country’s top prospects during the recent junior nationals, leading Western Australia Metro to a top-six finish.

The 17-year-old shone during the week-long tournament at Moreton Bay’s South Pine Sports Complex, producing several head-turning performances in front of NBL coaches and front office personnel.

Paul’s 38-point performance against Victoria Country was his highest-scoring outing, while he produced another 30-point performance in a win over NSW Country.

Known for his ability to contribute right across the box score, the 6’6 point guard flirted with triple-doubles on multiple occasions.

In an early match-up with South Australia Metro, Paul amassed 16 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists, along with 7 combined steals and blocks, while a rematch with the same opponent saw him fall just one dime short of a triple-double, as he produced 16 points, 14 rebounds and 9 assists.

Almost every NBL team had a representative at the event across the week, casting a keen eye over Paul, as well as the other top young talent from across the country.

Those included head coaches Brian Goorjian (Sydney) and Adam Forde (Cairns), as well as assistant coaches Kerry Williams (Adelaide) and Mark Radford (Tasmania), and GMs Matt Weston (Adelaide), Simon Mitchell (South East Melbourne), Mat Campbell (Illawarra), Dillon Boucher (New Zealand), James Newman (Sydney) and Danny Mills (Perth).

Cairns CEO Mark Beecroft was also in attendance, while Melbourne United assistant coach Andy Lim helped guide Victoria Metro to a gold medal as the championship-winning team’s head coach.

As for Paul, the youngest ever athlete to sign a Next Stars contract, he is currently weighing his options as to which franchise he’ll sign with for the 2026-27 campaign.

It’s understood that a decision will be made by the 17-year-old soon, with his focus then shifting to leading Australia’s campaign at the 2026 FIBA Under 17 World Cup, set to be held in late June in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Next Stars program has seen six players drafted in the first round across the last six NBA drafts, including LaMelo Ball (2020), Josh Giddey (2021), Ousmane Dieng (2022) and Alex Sarr (2024), all being selected inside the lottery.