A few of it’s possible you’ll be sufficiently old to recollect Josh Childress signing with Olympiacos and the scare that ensued about NBA groups doubtlessly shedding expertise to deep-pocketed European golf equipment. It might sound like that was a zillion years in the past now, nevertheless it was truly not even twenty years in the past.
It occurred in the summertime of 2008, when Childress, who had averaged 11.8 factors and 4.9 rebounds the season prior for Atlanta, selected to signal with Olympiacos on a three-year deal price as much as $20 million. In hindsight, it is smart that folks on the time believed this might result in the NBA shedding coveted expertise to huge European golf equipment, contemplating the truth that Childress made that free-agent resolution as a 25-year-old in his prime.
After all, Childress’ resolution finally didn’t result in some large exodus of NBA expertise to Europe.
And now, it appears practically unattainable {that a} participant coveted by NBA groups will select to register Europe ever once more, a minimum of not purely for monetary causes. Nikola Mirotic, a stable NBA participant within the ’10s, did select to proceed his taking part in profession in Europe as a 27-year-old in the summertime of 2019, however that had so much to do with Mirotic eager to play nearer to house, not as a result of a European staff was providing him an enormous quantity extra money than an NBA staff.
The hole has widened in a giant means between Europe and the NBA salary-wise, with fringe-y NBA gamers making Euroleague star cash now.
And when discussing NBA famous person salaries? Effectively, these guys are just about incomes in a single season what a whole Euroleague staff’s wage funds is general.
Beneath, try how NBA star salaries examine to among the budgets of Euroleague groups (supply: BasketNews).
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Actual Madrid funds: $51.29 million
Kevin Durant wage: $51.18 million
Boasting two of the ten highest-paid gamers in Euroleague in Mario Hezonja and Edy Tavares, in response to BasketNews, Actual Madrid’s total funds is only a contact over that of what Kevin Durant earned in 2024-25. That’s regardless of Actual having an elite roster by European basketball requirements.
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EA7 Milan funds: $44.45 million
Rudy Gobert wage: $43.83 million
The aforementioned Mirotic now performs his membership basketball in Milan, and is the staff’s highest-paid participant, and among the many Euroleague’s High 10 in wage. Milan as an entire, nevertheless, dishes out much less in wage than what Rudy Gobert simply earned for Minnesota in ’25.
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Panathinaikos funds: $42.17 million
Anthony Edwards wage: $42.18 million
Greek membership Panathinaikos boasts one comparatively recognized former NBA identify, Kendrick Nunn, who was a stable participant for a number of seasons in Miami and with the Lakers. Additionally they have Kostas Sloukas, a High 5 participant in Euroleague in wage. And even then, their total funds is price lower than Anthony Edwards’ 2024-25 wage.
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Olympiacos funds: $42.17 million
Anthony Edwards wage: $42.18 million
2023 Euroleague MVP Sasha Vezenkov performed 48 video games with the Sacramento Kings in 2023-24 earlier than mainly forcing his means again to Europe. He’s now Euroleague’s highest-paid participant as a member of Olympiacos. Even then, Olympiacos’ funds can also be lower than Edwards’.
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Anadolu Efes funds: $39.32 million
Ben Simmons wage: $40.34 million
Boasting only one High 10 participant in Euroleague wage this season (Darius Thompson), Anadolu Efes’ total staff funds is over $1 million lower than what Ben Simmons simply earned in 2024-25. Simmons averaged 5.0 factors and 5.6 assists in 2024-25, for what it’s price.
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Fenerbahce funds: $38.18 million
Zion Williamson wage: $36.73 million
Newly minted Euroleague champions Fenerbahce boast a wage funds of roughly $38.2 million. Led by former Wisconsin star Nigel Hayes-Davis, Fenerbahce received the Euroleague ultimate over Monaco 81-70 simply this previous weekend. And so they achieved that with a funds simply over $1 million increased than what former No. 1 decide Zion Williamson earned in 2024-25, when he appeared in 30 video games for New Orleans.
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Bayern funds: $37.61 million
Zion Williamson wage: $36.73 million
One other staff in Europe with deeper pockets, Bayern Munich had a wage funds of $37.61 million in 2024-25, roughly $120,000 over what Williamson simply earned in ’25 to seem in 30 video games for New Orleans. Bayern’s backcourt this season featured two of the perfect American school guards in current reminiscence, Shabazz Napier and Carsen Edwards.
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Barcelona funds: $36.47 million
OG Anunoby wage: $36.64 million
With two gamers – Kevin Punter and one-time NBA starter Willy Hernangomez – within the Euroleague’s High 10 in wage, Barça has an general funds under what OG Anunoby earned in 2024-25 with the New York Knicks. Cash nicely spent for the Knicks, who loved a wholesome, sturdy two-way marketing campaign by Anunoby.
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AS Monaco funds: $33.51 million
James Harden wage: $33.65 million
The staff that Fenerbahce defeated within the Euroleague championship, Monaco, has a roster that includes some gamers with an NBA historical past, most notably high-scoring guard Mike James, who’s already carried out sufficient to be thought of one of many prime Euroleague gamers in historical past. Monaco additionally boasts the likes of Daniel Theis and Nick Calathes, two different former NBA gamers. Even then, the staff’s funds is lower than James Harden’s wage in 2024-25.
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Virtus funds: $28.49 million
Tyler Herro wage: $29.00 million
Ever marvel what occurred to Marco Bellinelli and Justin Vacation? Effectively, they play for Virtus Bologna in Italy now. Virtus Bologna has a funds below Tyler Herro‘s wage in 2024-25.
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Partizan funds: $26.21 million
Andrew Wiggins wage: $26.28 million
The staff the place Frank Ntilikina and Aleksej Pokuševski
now reside, Partizan Belgrade boasts an general wage funds below than Andrew Wiggins’ in 2024-25.
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Crvena Zvezda funds: $25.07 million
Jonathan Isaac wage: $25.00 million
A membership in Serbia with not as deep pockets as a lot of its Euroleague counterparts, Crvena Zvezda has an general funds lower than Jonathan Isaac’s wage for 2024-25. That claims extra concerning the Orlando Magic than something, nevertheless, as Orlando simply paid Isaac $25 million to common 5.4 factors and 4.4 rebounds over 71 appearances. Pink Star does have some enjoyable names on its roster in the intervening time, together with Isaiah Canaan and Milos Teodosic.
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Maccabi funds: $21.65 million
De’Andre Hunter wage: $21.70 million
Maccabi Tel Aviv doesn’t have an enormous variety of tremendous well-known names in the intervening time, so far as former NBAers go, a minimum of. The membership is the place former excessive second-round decide Rokas Jokubaitis performs, although. Jokubaitis was the thirty fourth general decide within the 2021 draft by the Thunder. As an entire, the staff’s funds is lower than De’Andre Hunter’s was this season.
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Paris funds: $21.54 million
Lonzo Ball wage: $21.40 million
Boasting a roster with nary a former NBA identify, Paris Basketball nonetheless managed to have a wage funds of $21.54 million, simply north of what Lonzo Ball earned in 2024-25.
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Zalgiris funds: $20.17 million
Marcus Good wage: $20.21 million
Lithuanian membership Zalgiris Kaunas doesn’t have a pool of cash with which to construct its roster, so it must be good with its signings. Among the gamers who simply featured for the staff embody former Michigan star Ignas Brazdeikis and one-time Warriors ahead Alen Smailagić.
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ASVEL funds: $18.46 million
Collin Sexton wage: $18.35 million
That includes former NBA names like Andre Roberson, Joffrey Lauvergne and Nando de Colo, ASVEL Villeurbanne doesn’t spend an enormous sum of money on participant salaries, even by Euroleague requirements. As such, its funds was lower than Collin Sexton’s in 2024-25. Enjoyable reality: former No. 1 decide Victor Wembanyama performed for ASVEL for a yr earlier than attending to the NBA.
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ALBA funds: $16.64 million
Caris LeVert wage: $16.62 million
One-time NBA guard Matt Thomas now performs for ALBA Berlin, after 126 NBA appearances over three NBA seasons, a stretch that noticed him shoot 40.4 p.c from three. ALBA Berlin’s not an enormous spender, both, with a wage funds of $16.64 million, roughly $20,000 greater than what Caris LeVert simply made in ’25.
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Baskonia funds: $15.96 million
Klay Thompson wage: $15.87 million
Baskonia, a membership in Spain with out the cash that backs Actual Madrid and even Barcelona, had a wage funds of practically $16 million in 2024-25, not way more than Klay Thompson simply earned in Dallas. Baskonia’s roster options former Florida State standout guard Trent Forrest, in addition to Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, one other former NBAer.
