Brisbane Bullets giant Will Magnay destined for NBA after breakout NBL campaign
A stint in the NBA’s Summer League beckons for emerging NBL big man Will Magnay and some of Australia’s most influential basketball voices are confident the 208cm giant has the goods to make it big in America.
Basketball
Don't miss out on the headlines from Basketball. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Australia’s next big thing in basketball never went to a Brisbane Bullets game as a kid, didn’t support an NBA team and was more interested in rugby union than the hoops.
But Will Magnay’s world is opening up considerably thanks to his prowess on the hardwood.
The 21-year-old from Brisbane has enjoyed a stunning breakout NBL season with the Bullets to put himself firmly on the radar of NBA clubs in the US.
A stint in the NBA Summer League awaits where recent draftees and other hopefuls try to impress during the two-week tournament in Las Vegas in July.
A full-time spot on an NBA roster – where the salary cap exceeds $US100 million compared to the NBL’s $AU1.4 million cap – is more than just a shot in the dark if he can take his NBL form to the States.
Standing at 208cm-tall and tipping the scales at 104kg, his athleticism, aggression and skill level have earned him selection in the Australian Boomers squad for this month’s Asian Cup qualifiers and NBL award nominations for Best Defensive Player, Most Improved and Best Sixth Man.
MORE BASKETBALL NEWS:
Snakes must keep playoffs fire rolling
Brisbane Bullets beaten by New Zealand Breakers as NBL playoff race tightens
‘I didn’t want to be like Mike’: Machado
LaMelo Ball mulls NBL investment; South Sydney teen’s potential NBA future
Andrew Gaze talks up Brisbane Bullets star Lamar Patterson as legitimate NBL MVP candidate
The thundering slam dunks, fierce blocked shots and occasional three-point bomb from the Nudgee College product have almost lifted the roof off “The Armoury”.
But the booming basketball career almost never took off at all.
Magnay first played club basketball at the Northside Wizards at Boondall when he was 14-years-old and was quickly snapped up by rep teams.
He played in Nudgee’s “A” rugby teams from Year 6 to Year 9 but when basketball and football started to clash in the same school term, he chose the hoops.
The Brisbane Bullets did not exist after folding in 2008 and he did not follow an NBA team although he did enjoy watching LeBron James from time to time.
“I played basketball but I didn’t really support it. I watched rugby and I was more involved in that. The Bullets weren’t a thing and Mum and Dad had never been to game … they had never thought about going,’’ he said.
Magnay – a power forward/centre – attended the AIS and University of Tulsa but returned home to join the Bullets where he played just 16 games across two seasons due to injury and illness.
But the boy became a man after a heart-to-heart chat with Bullets coaches at the end of last season and a dominant campaign in the QBL with the Brisbane Capitals under the guidance of NBL great Sam Mackinnon.
“I had a good off-season and worked really hard and built myself into a role I knew would get me some minutes but I didn’t expect to be where I am now,’’ he said.
“The best way to approach it for me is to not get caught up too much in all the external noise that’s been going on. When the season is done, I’ll start focusing on the other stuff. But right now, it’s all about working hard day-to-day and pushing for the finals.’’
Magnay’s brother Campbell is a professional rugby player while his uncle (by marriage) is former Australian Test cricketer Michael Kasprowicz. There are rich sporting bloodlines going in all directions around Magnay.
He said there was no shortage of rock-solid advice from his nearest and dearest to keep his feet on the ground.
“Mum and dad are obviously a huge influence along with my brother but the Bullets coaching staff have been great too. They have seen it and done it all,’’ Magnay said.
“A few players from around the league have reached out as well so I’m getting some great advice from great people.’’
Magnay is set to finalise a new contract with the Bullets this week but will first try to help Brisbane beat Perth in Perth on Sunday to stay in the hunt for the NBL play-offs.
WHAT THEY SAID
THE LEGEND – Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze – Five-time Olympian and seven-time NBL MVP
Gaze only caught glimpses of Magnay when coaching the Sydney Kings but liked what he saw.
“It’s incredible where he could end up and the sort of basketball he will be playing,’’ Gaze said.
“In my view, unquestionably, he is a very good chance to get some opportunities at the next level.
“You saw initially he was a good size and a good athlete but he wasn’t really getting much court time. But we are seeing it now on a regular basis and he has become an integral part of the Bullets team very quickly.
“Andrej Lemanis and his coaching staff have done an outstanding job on Will’s development.
“He has the technique to become a perimeter threat and his ability to get to the rim and throw it done is exceptional. And then you have his shot blocking ability.
“I’m not surprised that NBA teams would be excited about him.
“I think it’s almost a given that he will also become a very significant player for the Boomers. I’m not just talking Asia Cup qualifiers either.
“I’m talking Olympics and World Cups.’’
THE BIG MAN – Andrew Bogut – NBA championship-winner and former no. 1 NBA draft pick.
The veteran of 783 NBA games in 14 seasons has played against Magnay the past two NBA seasons.
“Within our league, I think Will is the best prospect to have a chance to one day play in the NBA,’’ Bogut wrote last week.
“If Will can get his three-point shot to a more consistent percentage, he has every chance to make the leap.
“I firmly believe that if he continues to work on his three ball as a big, with his already elite ability to block shots he can make the NBA. There aren’t as many of those guys around.
“Usually bigs that shoot threes are not physical bigs, who can rebound and block shots. It usually is one or the other.
“He has got skill sets from a both a physical point of view and also as a shooting big. If he can hone that three ball at a consistent level then he has a chance to be a very special player.”
THE MENTOR – Sam Mackinnon – NBL great, dual Olympian and Bullets assistant coach.
Mackinnon first coached Magnay in the Queensland under 16 team, in the Queensland state league with the Brisbane Capitals in 2019 and continues to work with him at the Bullets.
“I made him captain of that state team when he was a big, gangly kid because you could see he had some good qualities about him. He came from a good family and his peers listened to him,’’ Mackinnon said.
“You could see what he would be able to do if he was able to get on the court consistently.
“The QBL season was time to put up or shut up. I told him not to look at me to try and get subbed out. He had to learn to play through fatigue, compete with the good imports, run the floor and just play hard.
“And he needed to shoot the three-ball. I didn’t care if he was 0/20. He had to keep putting it up.
“If someone empowers you, it frees you up. Guys have to learn to fail so they can get better.’’
THE BOSS – Kevin Martin – Brisbane Bullets owner and veteran of 736 games and 12 years in the NBA.
Martin has joked that Magnay will serve only “five minutes” of his new contract with the Bullets which is set to be finalised this week.
“Will is turning into a special young player in this league and I think we are all in agreeance that the best thing for him is to let him develop into what his ultimate dream is and that is playing in the NBA,’’ Martin said on his last trip to Australia.
“We would love to have Will around for the next 10 years but we want to encourage people to do what’s best for them and their families and we want to help Will achieve those goals.
“I’m not going to be a selfish owner, and all those things (get-out clauses) are in there (the new contract). I know what’s best for Will and I want his family to know that we are looking out for him.’’
THE COACH – Brisbane Bullets head coach and three-time NBL championship winning coach Andrej Lemanis
Lemanis and the Brisbane coaching staff sat down with Magnay at the end of the last NBL season to map out how he could tap into his potential.
“The meeting was about where he was at, at that point in time. He wasn’t where he wanted to be. And he wasn’t where we wanted him to be,’’ Lemanis said.
“He lost a bit of confidence after being sick and getting a few injuries so there was a little question mark from both sides about what we do from here.
“It was an open and honest discussion. A really good discussion about putting in the work and everything that comes with being a professional sportsperson.
“It was all about the effort and commitment that you have to have on and off the court to give yourself the best chance.
“All that (the NBA and Boomers selection) is in front of Will, for sure. He’s a fantastic athlete who can impact a game. He’s putting the work in.
“It’s important for him now to worry about what he can control which is how he can get better each day. All that other stuff takes care of itself, he can’t get lost in the white noise.’’
Ben Simmons’ $280m Nets nightmare over
Aussie basketball star Ben Simmons is on the lookout for a new team and it could result in him winning an unlikely NBA title.
Cotton’s big night puts Melbourne United on notice
The Perth Wildcats rode the hot hand of MVP favourite Bryce Cotton to a big win over the Adelaide 36ers meaning the make-up of the top three teams will not be known until the last game of the regular season. See the latest NBL news.