Four Australians Picked in NBA Draft

Rocco Zikarsky was picked 45th in the NBA draft and will head to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Picture: Liam Badkin.

Four more Aussies are set to join a rapidly growing Australian contingent of NBA players, after Rocco Zikarsky, Tyrese Proctor, Alex Toohey and Lachlan Olbrich all had their names called in the second round of the NBA draft.

It was the first time four Australians have been taken in a single NBA draft since 1997, when Chris Anstey, CJ Bruton, Pual Rogers and Ben Pepper all joined the world's best league.

No Aussies were drafted during the first round of the draft, leaving all four facing a nervous wait to hear their names called.

Zikarsky was picked 45th overall, and will head to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 7'3" teenager projects as a long-term project for the Wolves, after showing glimpses of dominance in the NBL with the Brisbane Bullets.

Proctor was picked just minutes later at 49th overall, he will head to Matthew Dellevadova's old team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Proctor was the only one of the four Australians drafted to not play in the NBL last season, as he enjoyed a breakout campaign in his third year at Duke University to get on scouts' radar.

Toohey was drafted 52nd overall and will head to San Francisco to join Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler on the Golden State Warriors. The 6'10" big man was a valuable contributor for the Sydney Kings last year, averaging more than 10 points per game.

And Olbrich made it a clean sweep with all four nominated Aussies drafted, as he was drafted 55th overall and will team up with Josh Giddey on the Chicago Bulls.

Olbrich's draft stock rose after a solid NBL campaign with the Illawara Hawks, which followed a dominant campaign in New Zealand's top league, where he league MVP, and Grand Final MVP for leading his team to the title.