The South East Melbourne Phoenix have announced the signing of Australian guard and NBL Next Star Dash Daniels, securing one of the country's most sought-after young talents for the upcoming Hungry Jack's NBL27 Season.

After his debut Next Stars campaign with Melbourne United in NBL26, Daniels now makes the move to join the Phoenix, where he will continue his development under Head Coach Josh King and the club's high-performance program.

Regarded as one of Australia's premier emerging prospects, the 18-year-old will bring his trademark elite defensive instincts and positional versatility to the Phoenix. His arrival strengthens the club's backcourt while adding another exciting young piece to a roster the club believes can compete now and into the future.

"We're thrilled to have Dash cross over to us and we see real value in him as not only a player, but a person too," said South East Melbourne Head Coach, Josh King.

"He can play on both sides of the ball, defends extremely well and shows great maturity on court at such a young age. We're excited to get started."

South East Melbourne's General Manager of Basketball Operations, Simon Mitchell, echoed King's enthusiasm. 

"Dash has an incredibly high ceiling and continues to develop on both sides of the ball," Mitchell said.

"He has the capacity to play multiple positions, and I feel like our game style will allow him to showcase his talents. We're excited to play a role in his development and give him access to some of Australia's best basketball facilities at the State Basketball Centre and assist him in his ultimate goal of being drafted to the NBA."

Daniels said the Phoenix's up-tempo style and the opportunity to work under head coach Josh King made the decision an easy one.

"I've seen firsthand how the Phoenix play and it's a style that I'm excited to be involved with; the focus on defence and picking up 94 feet is something I'm looking forward to," Daniels said.

"They've got great facilities, great coaches and I've played with a few of the guys during my time with the Boomers, so I'm keen to get started in the Heartland."

Next Stars GM, Liam Santamaria, said Daniels' move to the Phoenix gives the talented teenager everything he needs for the next stage of his development.

"We are super excited about Dash joining South East Melbourne and the opportunity for him to play under one of the best young head coaches in global basketball," Santamaria said.

"The Phoenix are a fantastic club, on and off the court, with a world-class coaching staff and an elite high-performance team. We believe it's a great fit and are excited for Dash to have a successful second season as a Next Star, while helping South East Melbourne compete for a championship."

The Next Stars program continues to produce NBA talent, with players selected in each of the past seven NBA Drafts.

Thirteen Next Stars have now been drafted directly from the NBL since 2020, including Karim Lopez, who recently became the seventh Next Star selected in the first round.