Dash Daniels, one of the top international prospects in the NBA’s 2026 draft class, has committed to joining Melbourne United as part of the NBL’s Next Stars program next season, he told ESPN on Friday.
Daniels, a 6-foot-6, 16-year-old playmaker, will sign a multi-year contract but will be draft-eligible in June 2026, making him potentially one of the youngest selected in the one-and-done era with his Dec. 18 birthday.
“I am joining one of the toughest leagues in the world,” Daniels told ESPN. “Playing against grown men at a young age will only help me develop. The Next Stars Program has proven to help lots of young stars achieve their dream of playing in the NBA, which is mine also. “
He follows lottery picks Alex Sarr, Josh Giddey, LaMelo Ball and Ousmane Dieng, into the Australian league’s Next Stars program, which now has two potential 2026 lottery picks, along with Mexican wing Karim Lopez of the New Zealand Breakers.
Dash’s brother, Dyson Daniels, is a rising star with the Atlanta Hawks, selected No. 8 in the 2022 Draft out of now-defunct Ignite of the G League. Dyson has emerged as one of the NBA’s premier defenders, averaging 13.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and a league-best 3.2 steals per game. He was named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month in December and is a candidate to be the youngest player ever to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
“It’s been great to watch all the success he is having,” Dash told ESPN. “I always knew he had it in him. It was just a matter of time before he started putting himself on the map. He is finally being recognized for all the little things he does to help his team win.”
Like his brother, Dash is considered an elite defender with a plus-four wingspan and tremendous versatility, instincts and anticipation skills. He posted a tournament-high 3.6 steals per game at the FIBA U17 World Cup this past summer in Istanbul. Despite his height, he sees time at point guard, and will likely continue to grow in stature.
“We do have our similarities and differences,” Dash said about his brother. “We both love playing defense, getting steals, reading what the offense is doing, being able to jump the lanes, and being in the right help positions. We both get out in transition, get to the midrange floater game, and are aggressive getting on the rim. I play a little bit more with the ball in my hands, create for teammates, use more on-ball screens, and beat my defender off of a quick first step.”
Dash spent the past several years in with the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, garnering considerable experience with the Australian junior national teams at the FIBA level and in camps and tournaments in the United States.
The Daniels brothers are the sons of American expatriate Ricky Daniels, who went to college at North Carolina State and played professionally in Australia before settling down in Bendigo in the state of Victoria, two hours north of Melbourne.
Dash was heavily recruited to play college basketball, spurning interest from the likes of Louisville, LSU, Florida and SMU, as well as other teams in the Australian NBL.
“I joined the Next Stars program for a number of reasons, but the main one being, I will be able to start my pro journey a year earlier in the NBL than If I was to go to college, as I wouldn’t be eligible until next year.”
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