Lachlan Olbrich Bio
Lachlan Olbrich (born 30 December 2003) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Windy City Bulls of the NBA G League. A 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) center from Adelaide, South Australia, he has built his reputation as a versatile big man with strong rebounding and passing skills. Olbrich won an NBL championship with the Illawarra Hawks in 2025 before being selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2025 NBA draft and immediately traded to Chicago.
Early Life and Background
Olbrich was born in Adelaide, South Australia, and grew up in the city’s southern suburbs. He developed his love for basketball alongside his older brother Mitchell, and the two often played together with their father, Greg Olbrich, who was a respected figure in South Australian basketball. Greg had been named most valuable player of the South Australian State League in 1995, giving young Lachlan a strong basketball pedigree around the home.
Olbrich attended Reynella East College in Adelaide, where he played both basketball and volleyball. He represented South Australia at national basketball championships in 2020 and 2021, which marked him as one of the state’s most promising young prospects. His combination of size, skill, and basketball intelligence set the stage for a rapid rise through the Australian development system.
Path to Professional Basketball
Olbrich’s first taste of senior basketball came in 2021, when he played one game for the BA Centre of Excellence in the Waratah League and two games for the Southern Tigers in the NBL1 Central. In October 2021, he signed with the Adelaide 36ers of the National Basketball League (NBL) as a development player for the 2021–22 season, appearing in three games during his time with the club.
Re-joining the Southern Tigers of the NBL1 Central for the 2022 season, Olbrich was named to the All-Star Five and won the Frank Angove Award as the league’s best under-23 player, averaging 19.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 blocks across 12 games. He then moved to the United States to play college basketball for the UC Riverside Highlanders of the Big West Conference in the 2022–23 season, where he averaged 11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. He was named Big West Freshman of the Year and earned All-Big West Honorable Mention honours, becoming just the second Big West Freshman of the Year in UC Riverside history.
Lachlan Olbrich Career
Early Career (2021–2023)
After his year of college basketball, Olbrich returned to Australia and joined the West Adelaide Bearcats of the NBL1 Central for the 2023 season. He was again named to the All-Star Five and captured a second Frank Angove Award, cementing his status as one of the league’s elite young players.
Olbrich helped the Bearcats reach the NBL1 Central Grand Final, where they defeated the Forestville Eagles 106–95 to claim the championship behind his 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. He was named grand final MVP and averaged 21.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists across 18 games during the season.
Illawarra Hawks and Canterbury Rams Breakthrough (2023–2025)
On 4 April 2023, Olbrich signed a three-year deal with the Illawarra Hawks of the NBL. After a strong pre-season showing at the NBL Blitz, he struggled early in the regular season but found his footing when coach Justin Tatum took over midway through the campaign, becoming a capable back-up for captain Sam Froling. In 31 games during the 2023–24 NBL season, he averaged 3.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
Olbrich joined the Canterbury Rams of the New Zealand NBL for the 2024 season in a campaign that became both triumphant and deeply personal. On the day of his debut on 27 March, he learned that his father Greg had died in South Australia. After returning home for an extended period, Olbrich came back and scored a season-high 35 points against the Hawke’s Bay Hawks in late April. He led the Rams to a 17–3 regular season record that included a 16-game winning streak and earned league MVP, All-Star Five, Most Outstanding Forward and Youth Player of the Year honours.
In the playoffs, Olbrich delivered a 22-point, 16-rebound performance with the game-winning layup in a 112–111 double-overtime semi-final win over the Taranaki Airs. He then posted 29 points, 18 rebounds and six assists in the Grand Final, leading the Rams to a 102–87 victory over the Auckland Tuatara and earning grand final MVP. Returning to the Hawks for the 2024–25 NBL season, he set a career high with 21 points in just 13 minutes during a 109–71 win over the New Zealand Breakers on 28 November 2024, helped Illawarra claim its first-ever minor premiership with a 20–9 record, and won an NBL championship with a 114–104 series-clinching victory over Melbourne United in game five.
Chicago Bulls Era (2025–Present)
Following the NBL title, Olbrich declared for the 2025 NBA draft, where the Los Angeles Lakers selected him with the 55th overall pick before immediately trading his draft rights to the Chicago Bulls. On 3 July 2025, he signed a two-way contract with the Bulls and joined the team for the 2025 NBA Summer League. The contract runs through the 2025–26 season.
Olbrich made his NBA debut on 30 November 2025, recording two points and three rebounds in a 103–101 loss to the Indiana Pacers. He continued to develop his role with the club, scoring nine points and making his first career 3-pointer in a 134–91 loss to the Miami Heat on 1 February 2026, and on 12 April he recorded his first career triple-double with 10 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists during a 149–128 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
Playing Style and Strengths
Olbrich is a mobile, skill-oriented center whose game blends interior scoring with passing vision rarely found at his size. He excels as a rebounder and interior passer, thrives in transition, and has shown the ability to stretch the floor with his developing 3-point shot. His basketball IQ and willingness to play within a system have made him an effective role player alongside veteran big men such as Sam Froling and in Chicago’s young frontcourt.
Notable Events and Milestones
Olbrich’s career has already featured several signature moments, including his emotional 35-point performance for the Canterbury Rams shortly after his father’s passing and the game-winning layup in the NZNBL semi-final double-overtime. He became only the second Big West Freshman of the Year in UC Riverside history and lifted trophies in three different leagues (NBL1 Central, NZNBL, and NBL) within the span of two seasons.
Lachlan Olbrich Career Wins
Olbrich has won championships and individual awards across Australian, New Zealand, and American basketball. He is a two-time NBL1 Central champion at the senior level, an NZNBL champion, an NBL champion, and a former Big West Freshman of the Year. He has also been recognized as a league MVP in New Zealand and an NBL1 Central grand final MVP, establishing himself as one of Australia’s most decorated young big men.
League Highlights
Olbrich won the NBL championship with the Illawarra Hawks in 2025 after helping the club to its first-ever minor premiership. In 2024, he won the NZNBL championship with the Canterbury Rams, sweeping the league’s major individual awards as grand final MVP, league MVP, All-Star Five, Most Outstanding Forward, and Youth Player of the Year. He was also a key member of the West Adelaide Bearcats’ 2023 NBL1 Central title run.
Other Performances
Olbrich’s standout individual performances include his 35-point game for the Rams against the Hawke’s Bay Hawks, his 29-point, 18-rebound NZNBL Grand Final effort, and his 21-point outburst in 13 minutes against the New Zealand Breakers. In November 2024, he also joined the Australian Boomers for the first time to compete in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.
Lachlan Olbrich Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Basketball runs deep in the Olbrich family. Olbrich’s father, Greg Olbrich, was a notable figure in South Australian basketball and had been named most valuable player of the South Australian State League in 1995. Growing up, Lachlan played the game with his older brother Mitchell and his father, an environment that helped shape his path to the professional ranks.
Personal Life
Olbrich’s life was marked by personal tragedy in 2024, when his father Greg died in March at age 51 after suffering a cardiac arrest during a social basketball game. The loss came on the same day Lachlan debuted for the Canterbury Rams, but he returned to the court and dedicated a memorable season to his father’s memory. He is based in the United States as a member of the Chicago Bulls organization.
2025 Season Performance
Olbrich’s 2025 was defined by a championship in Australia and a transition to the NBA. With the Illawarra Hawks, he played a key supporting role during the 2024–25 NBL season, helping the club finish first on the ladder with a 20–9 record and win the NBL championship in five games over Melbourne United. He averaged 8.4 points and 3.8 rebounds across 37 games while delivering important contributions in the finals, including 13 points in game four after Sam Froling’s injury and 12 points in the title-clinching game five.
Selected 55th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2025 NBA draft and traded to Chicago on draft night, Olbrich signed a two-way contract with the Bulls on 3 July 2025 and joined the team’s Summer League roster. He debuted in the NBA on 30 November 2025 and continued to log minutes as a two-way big man, eventually recording his first career triple-double on 12 April.
Looking ahead, Olbrich’s two-way deal runs through the 2025–26 season, and his development with the Windy City Bulls will shape his long-term path with the Chicago organization. With his combination of size, passing, and basketball intelligence, he remains one of Australia’s most intriguing young NBA prospects.
