Over $1 Billion in NBA Salaries Compete in EuroLeague
There are a record 122 former NBA players among the 20 teams of the 2025–26 EuroLeague season. These players have made a total of almost $1.35 billion in the NBA. BasketNews says that almost one in four EuroLeague players used to play in the NBA.
Of the 122 players, 93 made at least $1 million throughout their NBA careers, while 29 made at least $10 million. Olympiacos star Evan Fournier tops the list with a total NBA salary of $145.4 million.
Evan Fournier Tops the List With $145.4 Million in NBA Earnings
Evan Fournier played in the NBA for 12 years, with teams in Denver, Orlando, and New York. He presently plays for Olympiacos Piraeus. His career reached its height when he signed two big contracts: a five-year, $85 million agreement with the Magic and a four-year, $73 million pact with the Knicks.
The French guard played in 704 NBA games and scored an average of 13.6 points per game. He is now the highest-paid and highest-scoring former NBA player in the EuroLeague. Fournier has already been named to the All-EuroLeague Second Team for his return to Europe in 2024.
Spencer Dinwiddie Ranks Second With $93.9 Million Career Pay
Spencer Dinwiddie is new to the EuroLeague, but he has 11 years of NBA experience and has made around $94 million in his career. Dinwiddie was known for scoring and making plays. He averaged 13 points and 5 assists per game across 621 games.
He became well-known with the Brooklyn Nets and then joined the Dallas Mavericks, where he helped them go to the 2022 Western Conference Finals. The Washington Wizards signed him to his biggest contract in 2021, which was for three years and $54 million.
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Davis Bertans Secures Third Spot With $84.7 Million
Latvian player Davis Bertans went from the NBA to Dubai’s EuroLeague entry after making $84.7 million in eight seasons. The sharpshooter has a career three-point shooting percentage of 39.6% and did quite well with the Washington Wizards.
Bertans’ largest paycheck was an $80 million, five-year deal he signed in 2020. In 2023–24, he made the most money in his career, $17 million, before moving to Europe the next year.
Richaun Holmes Follows With $61.2 Million Earned in the NBA
Richaun Holmes, a center for Panathinaikos, played in the NBA for ten years. His best season was 2020–21 with Sacramento, when he averaged 14.2 points and 8.3 rebounds. He made a total of $61.2 million in the NBA.
In 2021, the 31-year-old inked a four-year, $55 million deal with the Kings. This was the high point of his NBA career before he moved to Europe to play. Holmes’ agility and ability to rebound are still useful in the EuroLeague.
Jabari Parker Rounds Out the Top Five With $56.4 Million
Jabari Parker made $56.4 million in eight seasons in the NBA. He presently plays for Partizan Belgrade. The former No. 2 overall choice in the 2014 Draft made $20 million during the 2018–19 season, which was the most he has ever made in a season. He played for both Chicago and Washington.
Parker had a good start with the Milwaukee Bucks, but injuries cut his time in the NBA short. He’s 30 years old and rebuilding his career in Europe, where he’s becoming one of the most experienced American attackers in the league.
Former NBA Stars Redefining the EuroLeague Landscape
The fact that the EuroLeague has become a magnet for former NBA players shows that it is becoming more competitive and financially appealing. A lot of veterans are choosing Europe over China because they can get higher salaries, their teams are more stable, and the basketball environment is better.
Experts claim that the surge of NBA players has made the league more competitive and well-known throughout the world. The EuroLeague is seeing a historic rise in talent as more than a billion dollars in prior NBA salaries are now playing in Europe.
