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Find your Sport Nation frequencyPies rookie with five-year AFL deal declares for NBA draft
Lachlan Geleit • April 17th, 2025 2:53 pm
Collingwood rookie Alex Condon will declare for the 2025 NBA Draft.
While the national championship-winning Florida Gators centre is signed with the Magpies as a Category B rookie, his AFL deal will end if his NBA dream is realised.
The 20-year-old played Aussie Rules as a junior and loomed as an early pick in the 2022 AFL Draft according to experts if he didn’t decide to pursue basketball. Having not played Aussie Rules at any level for three years, he was courted by and signed by the Magpies under Category B rules in late 2024.
Condon’s father Damien, a three-time premiership player with WAFL side revealed to SEN that Alex signed a five-year deal with the Magpies, which would take him through to 2029, should his basketball dreams not come to fruition.
“Alex didn't go in the AFL draft because he went into the AIS on a scholarship in his draft year,” Condon told SEN WA Mornings.
“He spent 18 months there, but the AFL clubs were very keen on him potentially in the future if things didn't work out in America.
“Collingwood, who've been absolutely fantastic, have stepped up and given him a five-year Category B rookie contract.
“This was negotiated a couple of years ago with Collingwood and it’s a bit of an out-of-the-box one because he is an Australian boy and Category B contracts are normally for people from other sports and from other countries, so it took a while to sort of ratify it.
“But it's come through and both parties have signed it, but it was on the premise that things didn't work out in America in regard to the NBA.
“Both Alex and I are mad Collingwood supporters anyway, so he's very happy with that. There's certainly a very good relationship with Collingwood, but we're just sort of waiting to see what happens.”
While the Magpies are no doubt hoping to get their hands on the 211cm ruckman at one stage, Condon says that the Magpies are completely understanding that the NBA draft is his priority.
“Collingwood are completely open about it,” Condon said.
“Obviously, the NBA's a world forum and to get drafted into the NBA would be amazing. Only 65 boys a year from around the world to get drafted in the NBA. So, it's not an easy thing to achieve.
“I guess everyone's having a bet both ways, but we've got a very good relationship with Collingwood.”
While Condon has declared for the draft, he has kept his NCAA eligibility for next season, allowing him to return to Florida should he miss out in June.
“He was a project for the Gators, and he's ended up being one of their better players,” Condon said.
“I've got a lot of belief in him and what he can achieve. But he’s only 20 and in his second year and there are certainly parts of his game he can work on.
“He could go back to college and go back there and develop his game to see if he gets drafted in the first round the following year.
“It's a bit of a judgment call.”
Condon has been projected as a potential late first-round pick or second-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, which is set for June 26 in New York.
He has until May 28 to make a call on whether to leave his name in the draft or return for another season of college.
