While the NBA will always be king, there are a multitude of other professional options in the basketball world. Some of the more popular destinations are Spain, Turkey, Germany, China, Italy or Russia due to the salaries available and competition levels, but Australia is on the rise, particularly with G League alums.

Players who head overseas are really a mixed bag. There are plenty of guys with elite talent playing in leagues outside of the NBA, because there simply aren’t enough roster spots for everyone. Other players have yet to reach a level where their skills pique NBA teams’ interest, so they head across the pond to prove themselves, with the hope of earning a Summer League or training camp invite for the big show.

The G League is also a melting pot of wide ranging talent levels with some players holding on to their NBA dreams by a thread, while others are merely on the cusp waiting for their shot. Each and every season the turnover levels in the G League are astronomical as players use their increased exposure to leverage better deals overseas.

The Australian NBL doesn’t carry the prestige of the Spanish ACB, Turkish BSL or Russian VTB leagues but the small eight-team league is growing in popularity nonetheless.

The G League’s elephant in the room is the pay, or lack thereof. Players can only make a maximum of $26,000 currently, so overseas options provide a larger payday for guys who are perhaps too good for this league, but not good enough for the NBA — the professional basketball middle class if you will.

Australia is becoming an ideal situation for these players. Each team can sign a maximum of three imports — players born outside of Australia or New Zealand — and one source told me most American imports make anywhere from $60,000-$100,000 per season. A small handful can make even more.

So, why is this league just now becoming a hot spot for G League alums? There are many benefits and few pitfalls for starters. First, the season runs from October-February (into mid-March if their team makes the Grand Finals) which allows players to sign elsewhere, or even return to the G League for another run at the NBA.

Second, there have been absolutely zero reports from players, their agents or teams regarding players not being paid on time. Every single season there are players in Europe complaining openly about their pay not being on time in some shape or form. Obviously, having consistency with your paycheck is a huge benefit and is another pro the Aussie teams provide.

The final — and possibly the most important — benefit of playing in Australia for Americans is English being the primary language. This helps not only assimilate to a new environment, but allows for easier communication between teammates and coaches as well.

The only real con regarding the NBL is the lack of seven figure deals. In Europe and China elite players can earn in excess of $1 million per season. The NBL has a soft salary cap of $1.1 million per team and each team must have five combined players not making more than $400,000.

The two-time defending champion Perth Wildcats were led to the promise land by two G League alums in Casey Prather and Bryce Cotton last year. Prather won back-to-back championships with the club, before signing with Melbourne United for the 2017–18 season. Cotton took home Grand Finals MVP honors while Prather landed on the All-NBL First Team for his work last year.

Last year after winning the NBL Grand Finals both players signed deals in Europe with Cotton signing in Turkey with Anadolu Efes and Prather signing in Germany with Ratiopharm Ulm. That’s a massive benefit for players who have the quality of these two — play a full season, earn a great salary and still have the option for more when it’s all wrapped up.

According to sources, both players will rake in well over $100,000 for the upcoming campaign in the NBL.

They aren’t the only ones daring to tame the outback. Perry Ellis and Travis Leslie will suit up for the Sydney Kings, Ronald Roberts is playing for the Adelaide 36ers and Derek Cooke Jr. and Devondrick Walker were signed by the Perth Wildcats to try and fill the void left by Prather’s departure. Unfortunately, Walker fractured his foot during training and stands to miss a significant portion of the 2017–18 season.

In total there are 12 G League alums currently signed for the 2017–18 season, half of the allotted 24 maximum imports across the league. The Illawarra Hawks and New Zealand Breakers are the only two teams without a single G League alum on their roster currently.

The NBA G League is not meant to be a career destination, but rather a jumping off point for players who need additional exposure to earn a livable wage elsewhere. Most fans and media will focus on the players who make the NBA from the G League, but the footprint of alums from this league extends much further than our borders.

Australia is the new frontier for G League alums and they are quickly proving they can have both individual and team success in the NBL.

*An earlier version of this post incorrectly listed the NBL has having a hard cap of $1.1 million and stated the top five players could not make more than $400,000.