While NBA fans gear up for next week's NBA Finals, Australia's draft hopefuls are testing their chances in the US.
Melbourne big man Mangok Mathiang and Sydney-raised duo Isaac Humphries and Jonah Bolden are all starting their campaigns to make the league for next season.
Impressive Louisville University forward Deng Adel, from Melbourne, was also in the mix for the draft but didn't sign with an agent and will instead return to the Cardinals for the next college season.
Mathiang played his final season at Louisville this year, while Humphries left the University of Kentucky to become a professional.
Mathiang moved to Melbourne in his early years from South Sudan before discovering basketball and moving to the US high school and then college system. He is a 208-centimetre centre best known for his active defence and rebounding.
Humphries, a 213-centimetre centre, starred for Australia at junior level and was being chased by NBL clubs, although his immediate future looks more likely to be in either the NBA or Europe.
Humphries is working out for a number of teams after a restricted role at Kentucky.
"I didn't really play all that much at Kentucky, so I know that I have to come in and show my skill-set," Humphries said.
"So it's really cool to be able to do that and give myself an opportunity to show what I could potentially bring to a team."
Bolden may end up a surprise packet as he left UCLA before last season and embarked on his first season in Europe where he starred for Serbian club KK FMP Beograd, winning the best young player award in the Adriatic Basketball Association.
At 208 centimetres and boasting good skills, shooting ability and athleticism, Bolden, whose dad Bruce was a long time NBL import, has caught the eye of plenty of NBA scouts.
There also remains a strong chance a handful of Australians could play in the NBA summer league or earn training camp invites for later this year with Rio Olympians Ryan Broekhoff and Brock Motum continuing to do well in Europe and Nathan Sobey and Mitch Creek winning admirers during their NBL season with Adelaide 36ers.
Mathiang turned on his charms while trying out for Sacramento Kings earlier this week.
"I will be the loudest guy on the court every single day and I communicate a lot, talk a whole lot of smack and that's just me and my personality," Mathiang said with a beaming smile.
"Once I leave the room I hope people say 'Mangok left a lot of energy out there today'."
Mathiang admitted he was a little star struck to work-out for Kings boss Vlade Divac and long time NBA centre Brad Miller.
"Right now I'm happy," Mathiang said. "I'm just a guy from Australia who didn't know much about basketball the first time I played, so to meet some hall of famers on my first session – I'm a little too dark for you to see but I'm blushing right now."
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