Promising guard Taran Armstrong has joined a growing band of Australians in NBA ranks after signing a two-way deal with seven-time champions the Golden State Warriors.
The deal - which could see Armstrong line up alongside superstar Steph Curry - comes on the back of the 23-year-old's outstanding second NBL season with the Cairns Taipans.
Armstrong averaged 17.1 points, 4.7 assists and 4.6 steals in 19 games for the last-placed Taipans, and scored 20 or more points on eight occasions.
This month, Armstrong turned NBA scouts' heads when he posted the first triple-double of his NBL career - 28 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds - in the Taipans' win over Brisbane.
Taipans coach Adam Forde predicted the dominant performance was a sign of things to come.
"This is just an example of what he's capable of doing and the evolution of his game from last year to this year," Forde said post-game.
"Imagine what that's going to look like five years from now, wherever he is in the world, just capitalising on his talent that he's had to work really hard for."
Armstrong's two-way deal means he can spend time with both Golden State and their G-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors.
His agent Daniel Moldovan said the Steve Kerr-coached Warriors are a perfect fit for Armstrong's development.
"Taran's stellar season saw him receive interest from multiple NBA teams towards the end of the NBL season," Moldovan told NBL Media.
"Golden State is the perfect program for him to develop from within. He has a very bright future."
Armstrong, who grew up in Burnie and attended Basketball Australia's Centre of Excellence as a teenager, is the first Tasmanian to earn an NBA deal.
