Mojave King gets NBA combine invite as draft stock increases
May 12, 2023
Mojave King
- Nationality: NZL/USA/AUS
- Date of Birth: 11/06/02
- Place of Birth: Dunedin (New Zealand)
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 194
- Weight (KG): 88
- Junior Assoc: QLD - Brisbane
- College: None
- NBL DEBUT: 16/01/21
- AGE AT DEBUT: 18
- LAST NBL GAME: 24/04/22
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 19
- NBL History: Cairns 2021, 2026 | Adelaide 2022 | New Zealand 2025
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Mojave King was born in Dunedin (New Zealand). King received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 2019. He spent one year there and played for the program’s state league team.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Mojave King made his NBL debut with the Cairns Taipans at 18 years of age. He scored seven points in his first game.
Mojave King entered the NBL as part of the league’s Next Stars program, signing with the Cairns Taipans to develop his NBA draft prospects. By joining the NBL, King turned down offers from several top NCAA Division I programs, including Arizona, Baylor, Oregon, and Virginia. In his rookie season, King showed flashes of his potential, averaging 6.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.5 assists. However, the Taipans struggled throughout the season, finishing in ninth place with an 8-28 record. Despite the team’s poor performance, King gained valuable experience as he transitioned to professional basketball.
CAIRNS TAIPANS
2021/22
After a frustrating season in Cairns, where he felt his playing time was limited and hindered his NBA aspirations, Mojave King moved to the Adelaide 36ers for the 2021/22 season. King joined a 36ers team in flux, with new additions like Mitch McCarron, Kai Sotto, and Hyrum Harris, as well as imports Dusty Hannahs and Todd Withers. Despite the team’s promise, Adelaide struggled early, going winless in the first round before bouncing back in round two. King saw limited opportunities throughout the season, averaging 3.7 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists. Injuries to key players like Isaac Humphries and Cam Bairstow further hampered Adelaide’s playoff hopes, with the team finishing in seventh place with a 10-18 record. Though it was a challenging year for King, it marked another step in his professional development.
NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS
2024/25
CAIRNS TAIPANS
2025/26
Mojave King has joined the Cairns Taipans as an injury replacement while Alex Higgins-Titsha recovers from a hand injury
Mojave King currently plays for the Cairns Taipans and has played 86 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 6.5 points, 2 rebounds, and 0.8 assists since entering the league in 2021.
CURRENT CONTRACT:
Cairns Taipans – 1 Year Deal (2025-26)
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 23 | Cairns | 6-17 (9) | 13 | 171.8 | 135 | 43 | 17 | 28 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 26 | 49 | 108 | 45% | 22 | 61 | 36% | 15 | 20 | 75% | 57% | 56% | 32 |
| 2024-25 | 22 | New Zealand | 10-19 (9) | 17 | 282.2 | 145 | 31 | 17 | 25 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 22 | 26 | 50 | 117 | 43% | 23 | 70 | 33% | 22 | 24 | 92% | 56% | 53% | 20 |
| 2021-22 | 19 | Adelaide | 10-18 (7) | 26 | 259.6 | 95 | 28 | 23 | 10 | 18 | 8 | 5 | 16 | 18 | 34 | 92 | 37% | 16 | 47 | 34% | 11 | 18 | 61% | 47% | 46% | 15 |
| 2020-21 | 19 | Cairns | 8-28 (9) | 30 | 496.6 | 187 | 74 | 14 | 24 | 50 | 9 | 6 | 27 | 32 | 67 | 173 | 39% | 33 | 100 | 33% | 20 | 29 | 69% | 50% | 48% | 25 | Totals | 86 | 1210 | 562 | 176 | 71 | 87 | 89 | 31 | 17 | 82 | 102 | 200 | 490 | 40.8% | 94 | 278 | 33.8% | 68 | 91 | 74.7% | 53% | 50% | 25 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 23 | Cairns | 6-17 (9) | 13 | 13.2 | 10.4 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 8.3 | 45% | 1.7 | 4.7 | 36% | 1.2 | 1.5 | 75% | 57% | 56% | 32 |
| 2024-25 | 22 | New Zealand | 10-19 (9) | 17 | 16.6 | 8.5 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 6.9 | 43% | 1.4 | 4.1 | 33% | 1.3 | 1.4 | 92% | 56% | 53% | 20 |
| 2021-22 | 19 | Adelaide | 10-18 (7) | 26 | 10.0 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 3.5 | 37% | 0.6 | 1.8 | 34% | 0.4 | 0.7 | 61% | 47% | 46% | 15 |
| 2020-21 | 19 | Cairns | 8-28 (9) | 30 | 16.6 | 6.2 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 5.8 | 39% | 1.1 | 3.3 | 33% | 0.7 | 1.0 | 69% | 50% | 48% | 25 | Total | 86 | 14.1 | 6.5 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 5.7 | 40.8% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 33.8% | 1.1 | 3.2 | 74.7% | 53% | 50% | 25 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 25 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- Brisbane 2018 | BA Centre of Excellence 2019
FIBA EXPERIENCE
King made the New Zealand team for the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifiers in November 2025.
NBA EXPERIENCE
Mojave King was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with pick #47 in the 2023 NBA Draft.
King would play for Indiana at the 2023 NBA Summer League.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- New Zealand - Southland (2022), Tauranga (2025) | Puerto Rico - Cangrejeros de Santurce (2025)
In 2022, Mojave King played in New Zealand for the Southland Sharks and averaged 18.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists across 16 games.
In 2025, King spent the NBL offseason playing in Puerto Rico with Cangrejeros de Santurce.
He returned to the NZNBL for the second half of the 2025 season, joining the Tauranga Whai. King delivered a breakout performance with 43 points against his former team, Southland.
King later led Tauranga to a playoff-clinching win over Taranaki, recording 31 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists in an 83–67 victory.
In that same game, Carlin Davison paced Taranaki in the loss with a triple-double effort of 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. The win saw Tauranga advance to face Wellington in the semi-finals.
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