Good morning,
The headlines this week have been a wake-up call for anyone following Australian sport. A deep dive into NBL salaries just revealed that our domestic hoopers aren't just competing on the court—they are competing for "Big 4" money. With top stars like Bryce Cotton and Xavier Cooks now earning in excess of $1 million AUD, the league has officially entered its "millionaire era".
But while the growth of the NBL is remarkable, there is a hidden financial story beneath the surface that impacts every player, agent, and club owner in the league.
The Great Basketball Migration
Despite the NBL's record $2.02 million salary cap for the 2025-26 season, a "middle tier" gap remains. While top-end salaries align with the AFL and NRL, mid-level NBL players often earn significantly less than their counterparts in other codes.
This creates a choice: stay home for stability, or head to the "Big Earnings" markets:
Japan’s B.League: Now a major rival, where top local stars like Yuta Watanabe can earn up to $5 million net, and high-level imports pull in over $1 million USD.
Europe’s EuroLeague: Where average contracts range from $750k to $1.2M AUD, and elite stars reach $8M per season.
The NBA Dream: Still the ultimate financial mountain, with rookie minimums starting at $1.9M AUD.
For an Australian player, these aren't just career moves—they are major foreign exchange events.
The "Import Windfall" of 2026
The NBL currently allows teams to carry a combination of up to four marquee players and imports. Across the league's 10 teams, this means up to 30 international roster spots are occupied by players typically thinking in USD, CAD, or EUR.
If you are an import who signed a multi-year deal in 2024 or 2025, you just got a massive, yet quiet raise.
As of January 2026, the Australian Dollar has reached 12-24 month highs against the USD, CAD, GBP, EUR, and JPY. For the ~30 imports in the league, this means their AUD-denominated contracts are suddenly worth 10%+ more when converted back to their home currency compared to this time last year.
The Cause: Shifting global interest rates and a rebound in Australian commodity prices.
The Result: A $400k AUD "middle-tier" contract is now buying significantly more lifestyle, property, and investment power back in the States or Europe.
The Double-Edged Sword: The Risks for Australians
While the AUD rebound is a win for imports in Australia, it’s a high-stakes trap for Australians heading out:
The Rebound Trap: If you sign a "Big Money" contract in Japanese Yen or Euro today while the AUD is at a 2-year high, you are essentially "buying high." If the AUD continues to climb, your foreign earnings will buy fewer groceries and pay off less of your Australian mortgage every single month.
The Silent Pay Cut: We’ve seen it before: a 10% currency swing can strip $100k from a million-dollar deal before you’ve even stepped onto the plane.
Pathway vs. Payday: The NBL is now the world's premier "NBA Pathway," with players drafted directly to the NBA recently. But for those not yet in the NBA, managing the "gap" between NBL pay and overseas offers requires a sophisticated currency strategy.
AUD/USD - Daily - Touching October 2024 Highs
The "NIL Trap"
For our rising stars heading to the US College system, there is a complex hurdle: The F-1 Student Visa. International athletes often have to fly home or cross borders just to "earn" their NIL money legally. Between travel costs and 3–5% losses in hidden bank fees during these cross-border transfers, the "dream deal" can quickly lose its luster.
We can help, ask us how.
How SportsFX Levels the Playing Field
Whether you are a club owner managing a $2M cap or a player heading to the B.League, the strategy is the same: Don't leave your net worth to chance.
At SportsFX, we help the basketball community move beyond the "payday cycle":
For Clubs: We help budget for import salaries so a currency swing doesn't blow out the owner's equalisation subsidy.
For Players: We map your global contract at signature, locking in value so you know exactly what your season is worth in AUD before you pack your bags.
For Rising Stars: We optimise the "cross-border" path for NIL earnings to eliminate friction and fee loss.
The NBL is growing, and the opportunities are global. Make sure your bank account grows with them.
The real takeaway
This isn’t about timing markets or predicting where Australian Dollar goes next.
It’s about recognising that currency is part of the contract, not an afterthought.
Professional businesses don’t leave future cashflows exposed to daily market swings. They structure them.
Athletes and international clients should be no different.
👉 The goal isn’t to chase the best rate.
👉 It’s to protect certainty, so income, lifestyle, and long-term plans aren’t left to chance.
This is what managing currency professionally actually looks like.
This same currency risk doesn’t just affect athlete salaries.
We see it regularly in international property purchases, inheritances, business exits, and staged transfers, where timing and structure matter far more than the headline rate.
In each case, the mistake is the same. Currency is treated as a transaction, not a risk.
And by the time it’s noticed, the outcome is already locked in.
Information is everywhere.
Markets move fast.
Your advantage is a strategy built before the market decides for you.
If you earn or move money internationally and want clarity before the market decides for you, you can book a short strategy call below.
👉 Book a Currency Strategy Call
For athletes, expats, property buyers, and global professionals.
Chris Broadfoot
Founder, SportsFX & CB3 Global Payments
