BIO: Derrick Jr Walton was born in Detroit, Michigan (USA) and attended Chandler Park Academy
(Harper Woods, Michigan).

As a high school senior at Chandler Park Academy in 2013, he was a Parade All-American, the Michigan Boys Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year and the runner-up for the Mr. Basketball of Michigan award.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Derrick Walton Jr made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings at 27 years of age. He scored 12 points in his first game.

After winning the championship, the Sydney Kings lost their star import trio of Jaylen Adams, Jarrell Martin, and Ian Clark to larger overseas deals, prompting a roster revamp. With the improvement of Xavier Cooks, Dejan Vasiljevic, and Angus Glover during the team’s title run, Sydney chose to build around its local talent and sign imports who could complement their Aussie core. Derrick Walton Jr was brought in to replace the scoring of Jaylen Adams, while sharpshooting center Tim Soares (via Europe) and former Defensive Player of the Year Justin Simon (via Illawarra) completed the new import trio. With Makur Maker (to Washington) headed to the NBA, Kouat Noi (via Cairns) was signed, and the roster was finalized with rookie Jackson Makoi.

Sydney began their quest for back-to-back titles by defeating Illawarra, Brisbane, and Melbourne to start the season (3-0). The twenty-point win over Melbourne (91-71) was particularly impressive, featuring a second quarter where the Kings reeled off a 25-0 run while holding United to just six points. This win streak saw Sydney notch up their 15th straight road win—a new NBL record, surpassing the mark set by Canberra’s back-to-back championship team of the mid-80s.

The Kings suffered their first loss of the season in the following game, with the Cairns Taipans delivering an 83-78 upset. Cairns, playing without injured star Tahjere McCall, excelled defensively while the Kings hurt themselves by shooting just 14/25 from the foul stripe. Shannon Scott (16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) led Cairns, with DJ Hogg (15 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) also making a significant impact.

Dejan Vasiljevic was at his usual prolific best with 20 points for the Kings, while Xavier Cooks (15 points, 8 rebounds) and Derrick Walton Jr (14 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists) did their best to keep the team in the game, but the Kings were held at arm’s length by the resolute Taipans.

Sydney collected another road win over Brisbane before suffering another home loss against Adelaide (92-88), who had just returned from beating the NBA’s Phoenix Suns in a preseason game. Sydney had several chances to tie or take the lead in the final minute, but missed shots and a game-saving defensive effort from Adelaide skipper Mitch McCarron secured the win for the visitors. 36ers import Craig Randall II (24 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists) finished as the game’s high scorer, while all of Adelaide’s starters scored in double digits. Derrick Walton Jr led the Kings with 23 points, while Dejan Vasiljevic followed with 15 of his own.

In round five, Sydney was on the verge of losing their third consecutive home game until Kouat Noi nailed an epic buzzer-beating three-pointer to defeat his former team Cairns, 106-103. Cooks, who nearly recorded a triple-double (18 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists), was integral in helping Sydney secure the victory, which cemented them into the top position on the ladder (8-2).

Next, the Kings faced the New Zealand Breakers in a highly anticipated contest featuring first vs. second on the ladder. Sydney survived a blistering last-quarter comeback from the Breakers to win the game (81-77) but lost Walton Jr to an ankle injury in the first half (he managed 12 points for the match in only 18 minutes) and an ankle injury to Cooks, who would miss the next three weeks of games, including the Australian Boomers World Cup Qualifier game against Kazakhstan.

The Kings received a boost with Cooks returning from injury, albeit in a game where Cairns snapped Sydney’s road winning streak, ending it at 17 in a row. Keanu Pinder (30 points and 13 rebounds) delivered a career-high scoring effort in a Taipans comeback victory that had to be decided in overtime (94-88). Cooks (25 points and 10 rebounds) was eager to go after being sidelined and scored the first 6 points for the Kings before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

In a heavyweight clash against South East Melbourne, Mitch Creek and Derrick Walton Jr delivered the first 40-point outings of the season, in the same game. Creek (46 points and 10 rebounds) shot 15/27 from the floor, including 4/11 from three and 12/13 at the line, while Kings star Derrick Walton Jr (45 points and 10 assists) shot 14/27 from the field, 5/10 from deep, and 12/13 from the foul line. Injuries to South East Melbourne’s Gary Browne (calf) and Ryan Broekhoff (hip), and Sydney’s Xavier Cooks (ankle), didn’t detract from the contest as Creek and Walton Jr delivered a game for the ages, which saw the Kings fall short in a double overtime loss (112-113), resulting in them dropping behind New Zealand on the ladder.

Kings’ Coach Chase Buford was forced to miss the next game against the Tasmania JackJumpers due to poor conduct, and assistant Kevin Lisch filled in as Sydney’s head coach. Sydney was able to get into the paint at will, recording 56 points in the paint while shooting an NBL season-high 69 percent from the field to secure a 97-77 victory.

Cooks was relentless, attacking Tasmania’s interior defense and leading all scorers with 23 points alongside 7 rebounds. Walton Jr set the table, dishing 7 assists to go with 11 points in the win. Sydney locked themselves firmly into the top spot with a 49-point beatdown of Brisbane (116-67). The Kings’ 49-point winning margin was the largest achieved during the 40-minute era, as well as being Sydney’s biggest win in franchise history over the Bullets, with Cooks (20 points), Soares (20 points), and Walton Jr (18 points) putting up the majority of points.

While New Zealand and Cairns fought it out for second place (both finishing with 18 wins for the season), Sydney ended the season on top of the ladder (19-9) despite losing their last two games heading into the playoffs. Xavier Cooks (16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists) was named NBL MVP, beating Perth’s Bryce Cotton and South East Melbourne’s Mitch Creek, and Derrick Walton Jr (15.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 6.1 assists) earned a spot on the All-NBL Second Team.

With Cairns defeating Perth (91-78) and advancing through the NBL play-in tournament, a semi-final series with the Kings was set. A spectacular performance from Cooks (27 points and 14 rebounds) fueled the Kings to a game one win (95-87) before a drama-filled game two saw Kings’ coach Buford ejected after Kouat Noi and Sam Waardenburg both went down after hard hits to the head, which included Tim Soares also being charged with striking. Amidst the chaos, DJ Hogg (25 points and 8 rebounds) and Tahjere McCall (20 points and 7 assists) caught fire, and Cairns defeated Sydney (93-82), setting up a do-or-die game three.

In the deciding game, Vasiljevic (15 points and 5 rebounds), who had been almost a non-factor in the first two games, delivered when it counted the most, landing three crucial three-pointers and finishing as the Kings’ game-high scorer. Cooks and Noi racked up identical double-double efforts (11 points and 11 rebounds) to propel Sydney to victory (79-64) and onto the championship series.

On the opposite side of the bracket, New Zealand eliminated Tasmania to reach the championship series before marching into Sydney and claiming game one (95-87) in front of 13,145 shocked Kings fans. William McDowell-White (19 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists) starred for New Zealand, while Barry Brown Jr (19 points) and Jarrell Brantley (16 points and 7 rebounds) also kept the scoreboard ticking over. Justin Simon (18 points and 6 steals) finished as the leading scorer for Sydney in a game where Derrick Walton Jr suffered an injured leg that would see him miss the end of this game and struggle through the next.

Game two saw Sydney even the series, despite its stars Derrick Walton Jr (4:50 minutes) and Xavier Cooks (9:05 minutes) seeing their play heavily limited due to injury. Justin Simon (12 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 steals) was big at both ends, while Noi (20 points) provided the offensive spark required, coming off the bench. The Breakers struggled on the offensive end, shooting just 36 percent from the field. Barry Brown Jr was New Zealand’s leading scorer with 21 points.

Returning to Sydney, the Kings took a 2-1 lead behind a dominant 91-68 victory over the Breakers in front of the biggest crowd in NBL history. 18,049 fans poured into Qudos Bank Arena—the largest attendance ever for an NBL game—and watched Derrick Walton Jr shake off his injury concerns to notch up 12 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds, while Xavier Cooks, who had signed an NBA contract to play with the Washington Wizards that same day, added 10 points and 8 rebounds. William McDowell-White was New Zealand’s leading scorer with 11 points.

In game four, the Breakers denied the Kings in Auckland (80-70), extending the series to five games. Brantley (23 points), McDowell-White (19), and Brown Jr (20) all came up big for New Zealand, while Sydney was led by Walton Jr (18 points) and Angus Glover (12 points).

The Sydney Kings squeezed a few extra fans into Qudos Bank Arena for game five, breaking the record for fan attendance set in their previous home game with 18,124 in attendance. In one of the greatest championship games in history, the Kings ripped off a 14-0 run in the final quarter to secure their first back-to-back titles since their 2003-2005 three-peat. Derrick Walton Jr (21 points and 6 assists) was named the Championship Series MVP as Sydney went on to win 77-69. Cooks also added 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Barry Brown Jr had 22 points off the bench for New Zealand.

A total of 67,811 fans attended the Championship Series, the highest Grand Final attendance in NBL history.

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX
2024/25
The departure of long-term franchise star Mitch Creek and import center Alan Williams set the stage for a major rebuild at South East Melbourne. Creek, the team’s all-time leading scorer, departed to pursue opportunities overseas, while Williams was released by mutual agreement despite having one year remaining on his contract. In response, the Phoenix retooled their roster by adding experienced veterans Nathan Sobey (via Brisbane), Jordan Hunter and Angus Glover (both via Sydney), with all three signing multi-year deals to help establish a new core. Import trio Derrick Walton Jr., Matt Hurt, and Joe Wieskamp were also added on one-year contracts.

Despite finishing at the bottom of the ladder the previous season, Mike Kelly was retained as head coach to begin the 2024/25 campaign.

However, after an 0–5 start to the season, the club parted ways with Kelly and elevated assistant coach Sam Mackinnon to interim head coach while launching an international search for a permanent successor.

Mackinnon delivered an immediate spark, leading the Phoenix to a much-needed 93–84 win over Melbourne. Jordan Hunter (20 points and 9 rebounds) produced his best performance since joining the club, while Nathan Sobey (16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 assists) also broke out of an early-season slump. Sobey, who had been moved to the bench during Kelly’s tenure, responded strongly under Mackinnon’s leadership.

Mackinnon then led the team to a dominant 88–62 victory over New Zealand before falling to Illawarra 88–82. Shortly after, he handed over the reins to newly appointed head coach Josh King.

King, who had most recently coached in the Turkish National League, was signed to a two-year deal. Phoenix General Manager Simon Mitchell endorsed the appointment, stating, “Josh brings a strong reputation, a clear philosophy on what success looks like, and a game style that will inject great energy into our program. Tactically, Josh preaches a high intensity, high energy style on both ends of the floor, and this approach aligns perfectly with what we want the Phoenix DNA to be.”

King made an immediate impact, securing a victory in his debut game as head coach on November 1, 2024, with the Phoenix defeating the defending champion Tasmania (77–75) in Launceston. Under his leadership, the team achieved a remarkable turnaround, finishing the regular season with a 16–13 record and securing fourth place on the ladder. This marked the first time in the 40-minute era that a team made the finals after starting 0–5. King’s efforts were recognised league-wide, finishing runner-up for Coach of the Year.

Derrick Walton Jr. (11.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.2 steals) featured in just 15 games for the Phoenix across the season but remained a critical piece when healthy. He finished fifth in the NBL for assists per game and provided valuable leadership at the point guard spot. A hamstring injury in October kept him out for several weeks, and a second, more severe strain on January 11 against Brisbane ruled him out for the remainder of the regular season.

Before his injury setbacks, Walton produced several standout performances. On December 21 against Adelaide, he delivered a season-high 28 points, shooting 6-of-10 from beyond the arc, and added 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal in a dynamic all-around performance. In a New Year’s Eve matchup with Illawarra, Walton posted 17 points and 11 assists, along with 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Just two days later, he added 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in a win over Sydney, converting 4-of-7 from long range.

South East Melbourne qualified for the postseason via the NBL’s new play-in format. In the single-elimination play-in game against Adelaide, the Phoenix erased a 19-point halftime deficit to secure an 85–75 win. Matt Hurt (24 points and 9 rebounds) and Joe Wieskamp (16 points) led the offense, while Jordan Hunter (10 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks) provided key stops. Walton was unavailable for the play-in but was cleared to return for the semi-finals against Illawarra.

In Game 1 at the WIN Entertainment Centre, the Phoenix fell 95–81. Illawarra controlled the pace as Gary Clark (26 points and 10 rebounds) led the way. Jordan Hunter (6 points and 5 rebounds) was limited, while Matt Hurt (20 points) led South East Melbourne in scoring. Walton saw limited minutes in his return from injury and was held scoreless.

In Game 2, the Phoenix responded with a 101–94 home win to force a decider. Matt Hurt (30 points and 8 rebounds) starred, and Nathan Sobey (18 points and 6 assists) supported him in the backcourt. Walton again logged minutes off the bench but had a minimal statistical impact as he continued his recovery.

The series concluded in Wollongong, with the Phoenix falling 92–87 in a tightly contested Game 3. Jordan Hunter (8 points and 9 rebounds) fought through foul trouble, while Matt Hurt (23 points) and Nathan Sobey (16 points) led the scoring. Gary Clark (22 points and 11 rebounds) and Sam Froling (17 points) proved decisive for the Hawks. Walton finished the game with limited scoring as he rounded out a frustrating, injury-plagued return.

Derrick Walton Jr played two seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Sydney Kings and the South East Melbourne Phoenix. He averaged 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in 48 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 33rd in assists per game.