Raheim 'RJ' Brown Jr. -- one of Australia's top 2010-born prospects -- has signed with the Adelaide 36ers as a development player, he told ESPN.
With the signing, Brown Jr., who's still just 15, becomes the youngest player to sign an NBL contract in over 40 years, joining his hometown 36ers as he continues his development.
The 6'5 point guard is a member of the West Adelaide Bearcats' program, having played nine games for their NBL1 team this season while averaging 20.0 points per game in the Senior Men reserves. He's the son of Raheim Brown Sr., an American who had a 13-year professional career playing across Europe and Asia and now resides in Adelaide.
"Over the past four or five months, we've organically had some European clubs reach out, and we know a few here as well, but being home grown, and with the team that's currently constructed in Adelaide with this pedigree of coach and players, we felt it was the right fit for RJ to be here so he can focus on his school studies," Brown Sr. told ESPN.
"I just don't see a better fit, from staff on down to the players. I just think it's a great opportunity for RJ, and the right time for him to do it."
Brown Jr. has developed relationships with current 36ers players over the years - Keanu Rasmussen, who also played for West Adelaide, as well as new recruit Bul Kuol - and sees signing with the 36ers as an opportunity to expedite his development.
"I want to challenge myself," Brown Jr. told ESPN.
"The earlier I can start scrimmaging with the older guys, the better. I want to get my body stronger, and increase my IQ. I want to read plays better, read defences. I need to polish some catch-and-shoot stuff. I want to just develop my game overall."
He describes himself as a versatile point guard - "I can run an offence, and I can score when I need to," Brown Jr. said, and he didn't hesitate when asked who he models his game after.
"My favourite player is Cade Cunningham. That's no doubt my favourite player. He's a big guard. He can score, he can pass, he can do everything. He's definitely one of the guys I mould my game after."
36ers general manager Matt Weston has placed an emphasis on making sure the franchise can serve as a developmental pathway - particularly for South Australians - and was effusive about Brown Jr.'s potential. Asked about the athletic teenager, his first response says as much as anything that follows.
"I thought he was 17," Weston told ESPN, about the 15-year-old.
"What I like is his touch and feel for the game, his physical length, but mainly it's his IQ and understanding of the game that's well beyond his years. You can see it when he's playing with guys older than him; he's already more advanced than they are. That stands out to me. He can really shoot it, and he's still going to grow. Those are the transferable traits I see going past NBL level. He's got NBA potential; that's what I believe.
"Bryce Cotton, John Jenkins, [assistant coach] Marko [Marinovic] all said this guy could train with us right now. They thought he was definitely at the level."
The youngest NBL players to ever play in a game are John Horder and Craig Viney, who both debuted for the Launceston City Casino Tigers in the team's final season in the league - 1982 - at just 15 years and 8 months old. Brown Jr. is currently 15 years and 11 months old.
The excitement around Brown Jr.'s ceiling is backed up by skills trainer Reece Bray, who worked with the point guard at CourtSide and Hoop City Port Melbourne over the NBL off-season.
"He has elite size for a perimeter player," Bray, who's worked out the likes of Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels, told ESPN.
"He's got good touch around the rim, and he can finish above it, too. He picks things up quickly; I don't have to repeat myself much, which is really impressive processing for his age.
"What's intriguing is his ability to move like that at his size while he's still growing. I've been impressed by his ability to change pace; he can play fast, but he's also got that slower cadence you need as a creator. He's got pretty good touch from deep, too. We've got two lines at CourtSide, and he's always shooting from the NBA one. He's already got that range.
"It's a bit scary that his dad wears a size 18-and-a-half shoe, and RJ's still growing and can already move the way he does at his current size. If he gets to 6'8, 6'9, 6'10 while moving like this, the world's his oyster."
Brown Jr. is a one of Australia's rising point guards, with high-level athleticism and seemingly a sky-high ceiling, and the 36ers' goal is to aid his development for the next step of his basketball journey, whether that's in college or otherwise.
"I see a really big future for him," Weston said.
"Part of our job is to identify young talent, and develop and nurture them. He can see what it takes in training, preparing for training, the recovery after training. We're trying to show him all the good habits so, when he's ready to go to college, he's already ahead of other guys."