A New Chapter for a Rising Star

Luke Paul, a 6’6 point guard from Western Australia and one of the top prospects born in 2009, has signed a multi-year deal with the NBL’s Next Stars program. This decision marks a significant step in his basketball journey, as he prepares to join a yet-to-be-selected team ahead of the 2026-27 NBL season. The goal is for him to spend multiple years in the program before becoming eligible for the 2028 NBA Draft.

“It’s a proven pathway to get to the NBA,” Paul said. “I don’t think it was a hard decision… I know it’s going to be a good one for me. Guys like Josh Giddey and LaMelo Ball have come through the pathway. The college landscape has changed so much with NIL money and everything like that; [I’m] trusting the people in my circle.”

Paul is unique in that he has signed with the Next Stars program without committing to a specific team. At just 16 years old, he and his representation will make a decision once there’s more clarity on player and coaching personnel across the league.

What Paul Looks for in a Team

When asked what he’s looking for in a team, Paul emphasized the importance of growth and accountability.

“I want to be pushed every day,” he said. “I want to go into a program where I know I’m going to get better. I want to be held accountable for my mistakes, but I also want to know that they’ve got trust that I can fix my mistakes and push through them. And… that they believe in me to run a team.”

Paul’s breakout moment came during the 2025 FIBA U16 Asia Cup, where he led Australia to a gold medal. He averaged 14.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 2.5 steals per game over the tournament. His performance included a near triple-double—26 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists—in the final against China. He was named the tournament’s MVP and immediately became a target for the Next Stars program.

A Proven Pathway

The Next Stars program has a track record of producing NBA draft picks, including LaMelo Ball, Josh Giddey, Alex Sarr, Ousmane Dieng, RJ Hampton, Rayan Rupert, AJ Johnson, Bobi Klintman, Ariel Hukporti, Rocco Zikarsky, and Alex Toohey. Liam Santamaria, the General Manager of Recruitment for Next Stars, expressed excitement about Paul joining the program.

“Luke is a fantastic young talent who has a really bright future in the game,” Santamaria said. “He possesses great positional size and plays with elite skill, smarts and feel which I believe will translate well to the professional level. He’s also a wonderful young man from a great family and it’s super exciting that he has chosen the Next Stars program as the next step in his basketball journey. We are thrilled to support Luke in his development and look forward to working closely with him, his family and his agent, Daniel Moldovan, to establish the NBL team he will join.”

A Unique Talent

Paul is the youngest athlete to ever join the Next Stars program. As a big point guard with a high-IQ and elite feel, he has demonstrated a high-level passing game throughout his junior career in Australia.

“I’m a long, athletic guard, bigger than most point guards,” Paul said. “I like to push the ball, get downhill; make my teammates’ lives easier. Find them, know where they want the ball, make it easier for them. I’ve been around bigger bodies and professionals for two years now, and I started at such a young age against professional guys. I think the physicality’s gonna be so much different, but the speed of the game, I think I can handle. For a while now, I’ve been playing at quite a high level, so I think stepping into a professional league, I can definitely take it on.”

A Strong Foundation

Paul is a product of the Willetton Tigers and spent time with the Perth Wildcats Academy program. He is currently a scholarship holder at Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Canberra, where he will remain for the next six months before joining an NBL team.

In April, Paul will represent Western Australia Metro at the under-18 National Championships. There is also an expectation that he will play a primary role on the Australian team for the 2026 FIBA under-17 World Cup in Turkey.