Zach Randolph, Al Harrington and Josh Childress are making moves off the court in Australia, with the trio investing in the National Basketball League's (NBL) newest franchise, the South East Melbourne Phoenix, which is owned by US entrepreneur Romie Chaudhari.

“We are thrilled to welcome Zach, Josh, and Al to the Phoenix family,” Chaudhari said.

“I have worked with them all in various capacities in the past, and they all have the type of qualities I would want in partners for this venture.

“When they individually expressed interest in being part of the Phoenix, I was delighted to welcome them. We look forward to introducing them to the fans as we build a great club for this exciting journey ahead.”

The trio have all enjoyed successful NBA careers, while Harrington and Childress have seen the Australian league up close for themselves. Harrington had a brief stint with the Sydney Kings, while Childress played three seasons Down Under with the Kings and Adelaide 36ers.

“Having spent three seasons playing in the NBL, I’ve seen the strides the league has made and I felt compelled to be a part of that growth,” Childress said.

“I believe there’s a tremendous opportunity for the South East Melbourne Phoenix to compete at a high level in this league and I look forward to supporting the team this season and beyond alongside Romie, Al and Zach.”

The NBL continues to make strides on the international stage, with the Next Stars program attracting a host of talented youngsters for next season, including RJ Hampton (NZ Breakers), LaMelo Ball (Illawarra Hawks), Marcos ‘Didi’ Louzada Silva (Sydney Kings) and Terry Armstrong (SEM Phoenix).

“This is a great opportunity for me to be involved in the NBL,” Randolph said.

“Seeing players like James Ennis, Torrey Craig and Terrance Ferguson come back to the NBA and make their mark made me take a little more notice to the NBL."