Pongrass backs Toohey to be first-round pick

The Sydney Kings are hopeful they won't see Alex Toohey for another 15 years, bullish that their young star will be picked up in the 2025 NBA draft and go on to a long career in America.

The 20-year-old Canberra product became the first member of this year's NBL Next Star class to confirm he would nominate for the 2025 NBA draft when he took to social media on Wednesday.

Toohey has had a productive two years at the Kings, and his development proved a bright spot for the Hoops Capital team.

He averaged 10.6 points and 1.4 steals a game as the Kings bowed out in the play-in tournament with a loss to Adelaide.

Sydney was expecting Toohey's declaration, with the athletic forward projected to be taken with a second-round pick when the draft begins on June 25.

READ MORE: KINGS' BERRE MAKES HUGE IMPACT ON BASKETBALL IN PANGLAO

Kings CEO Chris Pongrass, formerly head of basketball operations at the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies, thought the right team may even snare him earlier than that.

"I might be biased with this, but I think he's a first-round pick," he told AAP.

"It's all based on what the team needs and what they might prioritise, but I truly think he's a late first-round pick, and if he's a late first-round or early second-round, it's all semantics at that point.

"He should be picked within the first 35 picks."

Watch Alex Toohey's top plays from the NBL25 season via the Sydney Kings’ YouTube channel below. While you’re there, be sure to hit subscribe, to ensure you never miss out on any of our great videos.

Pongrass said he was "absolutely thrilled" to see Toohey closing in on his NBA dream.

While the door will always be open at the Kings, the club sees no world where Toohey goes undrafted in the NBA and returns to the NBL in the short term.

"I think the possibility of that, I'd say, is zero. He's an NBA player," Pongrass said.

Fellow Australians Andrew Bogut and Aron Baynes are among the ex-NBA players to have had NBL stints in the twilight of their own careers in recent times.

Pongrass intimated that kind of homecoming was the only scenario in which he saw Toohey playing for the Kings again.

"He's always welcome at the Kings, but I'm actually hoping we don't see him for another 15 years, as respectful as that can be," Pongrass said.

"There's no chance he's back here (next season)."