Australians love to claim stars that aren’t exactly true blue Aussies.  Russell Crowe was born in New Zealand, the Bee Gees started in England, and Mel Gibson only moved to Australia when he was twelve.

So, when Terrance Ferguson gave up college for a season in Australia, he became close enough to being an Aussie for basketball fans in this country to keep a close eye on his career after the Adelaide 36ers.

Judging by various mock drafts on the internet, Ferguson will be highly unlucky to miss out on a first-round selection.

He’s been tabbed to go as high as #13 to as low as #28, but most pundits place him between the 16th and 21st selection.

But are the teams selecting at those positions right for our Aussie Terrance?  Here is a rundown of who will potentially draft the Australian who hails from Tulsa.

With the 16^th selection in the NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select… Terrance Ferguson.

• Wings on roster – Dwyane Wade, Jimmy Butler, Paul Zipser

Having a current All-NBA Third Team member in Jimmy Butler and an all-time great in Wade would be a fantastic opportunity to learn the NBA for Ferguson.

Every day in training going up against those two men will improve his skills and knowledge of the game drastically.

It’s also a great place for Ferguson as the Bulls’ bench shooting guards and small forwards aren’t especially noteworthy, with guys such as Paul Zipser and Denzel Valentine not going to stop Ferguson from getting minutes.
 

With the 17^th selection in the NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks select… Terrance Ferguson.

• Wings on roster – Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Jabari Parker

There is an important Australian component in Milwaukee with Matthew Dellavedova and Thon Maker on the roster. 

Even though Ferguson isn’t a genuine Aussie, there is an automatic connection that will integrate him into the team easier.  

He won’t get as many minutes in his first season with this roster, but he will fill the important dead-eye shooter position for when Giannis drives and kicks out to the three-point shot.

With the 18^th selection in the NBA Draft, the Indiana Pacers select… Terrance Ferguson.

• Wings on roster – Paul George, Monta Ellis, CJ Miles

Just like the opportunity that playing with Giannis, playing with a superstar like Paul George would help Ferguson’s career progress.  

He would be able to learn from George as well as other veterans like Ellis and Miles.  

There isn’t a whole lot of wing depth at the Pacers so that Ferguson would get minutes right from the get-go.

With the 19^th selection in the NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks select… Terrance Ferguson.

• Wings on roster – Tim Hardaway Jr, Taurean Prince, Kent Bazemore

The Hawks are a team that could use a spot-up shooter like Ferguson, as their two big men, Dwight Howard and Paul Milsap, will need shooters around them to free up space.  

Just like how Tim Hardaway Jr succeeded in being the go-to guard, Ferguson could also have this kind of impact by receiving passes from the post for jump shots.

With the 20^th selection in the NBA Draft, the Portland Trailblazers select… Terrance Ferguson.

• Wings on roster – CJ McCollum, Evan Turner, Allen Crabbe

The team where Ferguson would have the least amount of opportunities, the Blazers are stacked with wings on long-term contracts.  

Joining the three names above, Portland also has Al-Farouq Aminu, and Mo Harkless fill up the SG and SF positions, which means it would take a few years for Ferguson even to crack the rotation, let alone succeed.

With the 21^st selection in the NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder select… Terrance Ferguson.

• Wings on roster – Victor Oladipo, Andre Roberson, Doug McDermott

Arguably the best fit for Ferguson would be falling into the Thunders hands. This outcome would see Ferguson return to his home state (he was born in Tulsa) and get to play alongside potential league MVP Russell Westbrook. 

As Westbrook is such a ball dominant player, Ferguson could thrive as a “Three and D” player where could contribute straight away as a spot up shooter whilst he is able to develop as a more complete player.

With the NBA draft still over a month away these projections may change, but it’s looking like whichever team selects our “Aussie” Terrance they will have added a talented player with a whole lot of upside to their roster.

Kyle Abbott (88 Posts)

Kyle has barracked for the North Melbourne Giants, Victoria Titans, Victoria Giants and the South Dragons. He's hoping the Melbourne United don't fold like the rest of them