Dakota Mathias
Dakota Mathias | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 11, 1995 United States |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 2018–present |
Dakota Daniel Mathias (born July 11, 1995) is a professional basketball athlete from the United States currently playing for the Brisbane Bullets in Australia's National Basketball League (NBL). He competed at the collegiate level with the Purdue Boilermakers.
High school career
During his time at Elida High School, Mathias quickly became a key player, earning a starting position as a freshman and ultimately setting a new school record by scoring 1,902 points. In his senior year, he averaged 28 points per game and was honored twice with First Team All-Ohio selections. Mathias committed to join Purdue University in November 2013.
College career
Prior to beginning his freshman year at Purdue, Mathias faced challenges including mononucleosis and ankle injuries but managed to participate in every game. He averaged 4.8 points and 2.1 rebounds per contest while shooting 32.2% from beyond the arc. Before his sophomore season, he underwent surgery to address sinus complications. As a junior, Mathias increased his output to 9.7 points per game, led the team in three-point field goals made, started all games, and received All-Big Ten Honorable Mention along with Defensive Team recognition, gaining a reputation as an on-court leader and strategist.
In his final collegiate season, Mathias established himself as one of the premier defenders in the Big Ten Conference. He posted 23 points against Fairfield and nailed a crucial three-pointer in Purdue's NCAA Tournament Round of 32 victory over Butler. Over the season, he averaged 12.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists on a team that finished 30–7. His three-point shooting percentage was an impressive 46.6%, ranking sixth nationally, and he set the Purdue career record for made three-pointers with 250. He earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors once again and was selected for the Defensive Team.
Joventut (2018–2019)
After not being selected in the 2018 NBA draft, Mathias secured a partially guaranteed deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers and participated in their Summer League roster. On August 1, 2018, he signed with Divina Seguros Joventut competing in Spain’s top-tier Liga ACB. His season was hampered by an ankle injury that kept him out from October through December, followed by persistent discomfort that limited his court time. Consequently, on March 3, 2019, both parties agreed to terminate his contract.
Texas Legends (2019–2020)
Mathias inked a training camp contract with the Dallas Mavericks on July 26, 2019, but was waived on October 16 before the regular season began. Subsequently, he joined their NBA G League affiliate team, the Texas Legends. Throughout the season, Mathias delivered notable performances including scoring 30 points in victories against the Sioux Falls Skyforce on November 27 and the Oklahoma City Blue on December 9. He concluded the campaign averaging 18.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3 assists, and one steal per game.
Philadelphia 76ers (2020–2021)
On December 3, 2020, Mathias signed a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, splitting time between them and their G League team, the Delaware Blue Coats. After appearing in eight games and averaging 6.0 points along with 1.6 assists per game, he was waived on January 18, 2021.
Memphis Grizzlies / Texas Legends (2021–2022)
Mathias signed a hardship exception-based 10-day contract with the Memphis Grizzlies on December 30, 2021. He returned to play for the Texas Legends on January 9, 2022, before signing a second consecutive 10-day deal with Memphis on January 14. Afterward, he rejoined Texas Legends on January 24 but was released on February 10.
Memphis Hustle (2022–2023)
Mathias participated with the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2022 NBA Summer League. On November 4, 2022, he secured a position on the opening-night roster for the Memphis Hustle.
Lenovo Tenerife (2023)
Mathias inked a contract with Lenovo Tenerife of the Liga ACB on April 6, 2023.
ratiopharm Ulm (2023–2024)
On August 1, 2023, Mathias became a member of ratiopharm Ulm, competing in the Basketball Bundesliga.
Indiana Mad Ants (2024–2025)
After signing with the Indiana Pacers on August 26, 2024, Mathias was waived three days later. He then joined the Indiana Mad Ants roster on October 27.
Brisbane Bullets (2025–present)
On October 24, 2025, Mathias agreed to terms with the Brisbane Bullets, joining the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) for the remainder of the 2025–26 season.
National team career
Representing the United States at the 2017 Summer Universiade held in Taipei, Taiwan, Mathias helped secure a silver medal after a final loss to Lithuania.
In 2021, he took part in the United States national team during the qualifying rounds for the Americup qualifiers.
Personal life
Mathias is the son of Dan and Tracy and has two siblings named Dustin and Bo.
Regular season
|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia | 8 || 2 || 15.4 || .396 || .308 || .333 || .9 || 1.6 || .1 || .4 || 6.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Memphis | 6 || 0 || 2.7 || .333 || .333 || .000 || .3 || .2 || .2 || .0 || 1.0 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 14 || 2 || 9.9 || .389 || .313 || .500 || .6 || 1.0 || .1 || .2 || 3.9