Three Former LSU Basketball Standouts Headed Down Under

TIGER RAG NEWS SERVICE

Three former Tigers are headed to Australia’s National Basketball League. Skylar Mays signed a one-year deal with the South East Melbourne Phoenix, Max Mackinnon inked a two-year contract with the Brisbane Bullets and Darius Days is returning to the Illawarra Hawks on a one-year deal.

Mackinnon is a Brisbane, Australia native who played for the Bullets as a developmental player as a 17-year-old. The 6-foot-6 guard enrolled at Elon University in 2022 and spent two seasons there before transferring to Portland. He played just his senior season at LSU and averaged a career-high 15.7 points, 2.6 assists and 2.5 rebounds a game while shooting 37.6% from three.

Max Mackinnon has signed a two-year deal with the Brisbane Bullets, sources told ESPN. The 6'6 guard joins his hometown team, after averaging 15.7 ppg (37.6% 3PT), 2.6 rpg, and 2.5 apg as a senior at LSU.

— Olgun Uluc (@OlgunUluc) July 28, 2026

His dad, Sam Mackinnon, is an NBL legend. He was the 1994 Rookie of the Year, won championships in 1996 with the Melbourne Magic and 2007 with the Bullets and was named League and Grand Finals MVP in 2007. He is currently the head coach of the Southside Melbourne Flyers in the WNBL.

Mays, a 6-foot-4 guard, helped the Tigers to a Sweet 16 appearance as a junior in 2019. The Baton Rouge native played three seasons at LSU and averaged 12.4 points, 2.9 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals a game in 121 starts. Mays was named second-team All-SEC in 2019 when he started all 31 games and averaged 16.7 points on 39.4% three-point shooting.

Skylar Mays has signed a one-year deal with the South East Melbourne Phoenix, the team says. The 6’3 PG is coming off a season with KK Budućnost, where he averaged 8.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg, and 1.7 apg in all competitions; prior to that, he had a four-year NBA stint.

— Olgun Uluc (@OlgunUluc) July 27, 2026

The Atlanta Hawks selected Mays with the 50th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. He played 61 games in two seasons in Atlanta but averaged just eight minutes a game. He played brief stints with the Trail Blazers and Lakers and spent some time in the NBA G League.

He moves to Australia after playing last season in the Turkish basketball league for KK Budućnost in Montenegro. Phoenix General Manager of Basketball Operations Simon Mitchell said Mays would be a valuable addition to the roster.

“He’s a dynamic guard who can create his own shot, make plays for teammates, and defend multiple positions,” he said. “Those qualities are invaluable in our league, and we’re confident our fans will enjoy watching him compete every night.”

Days was a sharpshooting 6-foot-7 power forward at LSU. He played four years as a Tiger and started three seasons. He was a freshman on the 2019 Sweet 16 team and a veteran leader on teams that earned back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances in 2021 and 2022. Days averaged 10.3 points and 4.4 rebounds in his LSU career and shot 35.3 % from three.

Darius Days has signed a one-year deal with the Illawarra Hawks, the team says. Days – a 6’7 American forward – was a member of the Hawks team that won the 2025 NBL Championship; he averaged 10.2 ppg (33.6% 3PT) and 6.1 rpg that season in Illawarra.

— Olgun Uluc (@OlgunUluc) July 28, 2026

Days returns to Illawarra after helping the Hawks to an NBL championship in 2025. He averaged 11.4 points and 6.6 rebounds in 33 games during their championship season, but his year ended early with a hamstring injury. After leaving the Hawks, Days spent time in Japan’s B League and the Philippines’ PBA.

Hawks Chief Operations Officer, Basketball Mat Campbell said “You don’t forget a player who helped deliver a championship. Darius gave us rebounding and outside shooting when we needed it most. Subject to NBL approval, we’re looking forward to what he adds to this squad for NBL27.”