BIO: Deng Adel was born in Juba under what is now South Sudan.

As a youth, he, his mother and five siblings fled war-torn Sudan and moved to Uganda to set up a move to Australia when Deng was 8 years of age.

He settled in Melbourne in 2004 and lived in the suburbs of Fitzroy and Sunshine.

Basketball only came into Adel’s life when his friends introduced him to it as a 14-year-old.

From there, he began playing locally for the Sunshine Longhorns, and in 2012, he joined the Waverley Falcons’ Big V team.

Growing up, Adel also played soccer and ran track.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Deng Adel made his NBL debut with the Illawarra Hawks at 23 years of age. He scored two points in his first game.

In April 2020, the Hawks’ season began with uncertainty as the club entered voluntary administration. By May, creditors voted to liquidate the Hawks, but the NBL committed to keeping the team alive. On 17 June 2020, the NBL announced that the club license was awarded to Dorry Kordahi, Bryan Colangelo, and Michael Proctor.

Under the new ownership agreement, the team was renamed “The Hawks” in an effort to broaden its appeal across New South Wales. Shortly after, the Hawks secured Brian Goorjian, a legendary Australian basketball coach, as their head coach. With all previous player contracts voided, only Sam Froling and Emmett Naar returned from the previous season’s roster, while the new ownership embarked on building a nearly new squad.

Deng Adel was among the first signings, joining after a stint with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. Cam Bairstow, returning to Australia following a season in Lithuania cut short by COVID-19, also signed on. Both players were members of the Australian Boomers national squad. The team further added Next Star Justinian Jessup, signed on a two-year deal, and imports Tyler Harvey and Justin Simon, who became the focal points of the team’s offense and defense, respectively.

The Hawks’ season began amid significant off-court drama. Fan-favorite veterans AJ Ogilvy and Tim Coenraad, key players from prior seasons, were initially left out of the roster but later rejoined as injury replacements. Additionally, a public outcry for reinstating “Illawarra” in the team’s name dominated headlines in Wollongong, overshadowing the Hawks’ impressive 4-0 start to the season.

In early February, after a successful membership and corporate support campaign by the new ownership group, the NBL reinstated the “Illawarra” name just ahead of the club’s first home game.

Injuries plagued the Hawks throughout the season. Cam Bairstow was ruled out for the rest of the year after missing nine games with a hip issue, while Daniel Grida ruptured his ACL in state league play. Deng Adel (5.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2 assists), who struggled to find his footing in the NBL, requested a release from his contract midseason to focus on preserving his NBA aspirations.

Despite these setbacks, the Hawks rallied late in the season, winning eight of their final 10 games from Round 16 onward to secure a playoff spot for the first time since 2017. Scoring was a challenge for Illawarra, whose points per game average dropped from 90.5 in the first 10 games to 81.5 by season’s end—the lowest in the league. Only four players averaged double-digit scoring: Tyler Harvey (20 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.4 steals), Justinian Jessup (13.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.2 steals), Cam Bairstow (11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists), and Sam Froling (11.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks). The Hawks also recorded the league’s worst field goal percentage (42.5%), including 47.8% from two-point range and 33.2% from deep, along with a free throw percentage of 69.4%.

Despite offensive struggles, Illawarra never fell below fifth place during the season and finished third with a 20-16 record. The Hawks advanced to their first playoff appearance in four years, facing defending champions Perth in the semifinals. During the regular season, Illawarra managed one victory against Perth, a two-point win in Round 21, while their other meetings ended in double-digit losses.

In the semifinal series, the Hawks claimed Game 1 by two points but fell in Games 2 and 3, each by eight-point margins, ending their postseason run.

Deng Adel currently plays for the Brisbane Bullets and has played 33 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 5.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists since entering the league in 2021.

CURRENT CONTRACT:

Brisbane Bullets – 1 Year Deal (2024-25)

Dan Boyce (825 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.