Next Star extends NBA deal

Former Melbourne United Next Star Ariel Hukporti is taking the NBA by storm, so much so that the New York Knicks have signed the 22-year-old on a two-year deal.

Hukporti was the 58th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and initially agreed to a two-way deal with the Knicks and the club’s G League affiliate the Westchester Knicks.

He has already played four games for his new team and will now remain a Knick until the end of the 2025-2026 season.

The seven-foot center has had a chance to shine with the absence of Mitchell Robinson.