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 probably shedding expertise to deep-pocketed European golf equipment. It could sound like that was a zillion years in the past now, but it surely 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 value as much as $20 million. In hindsight, it is sensible that folks on the time believed this might result in the NBA shedding coveted expertise to large European golf equipment, contemplating the truth that Childress made that free-agent choice as a 25-year-old in his prime.
After all, Childress’ choice in the end didn’t result in some enormous exodus of NBA expertise to Europe.
And now, it appears almost not possible {that a} participant coveted by NBA groups will select to check in Europe ever once more, no less than not purely for monetary causes. Nikola Mirotic, a strong 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 quite a bit to do with Mirotic desirous to play nearer to house, not as a result of a European workforce was providing him an enormous quantity extra money than an NBA workforce.
The hole has widened in an enormous manner between Europe and the NBA salary-wise, with fringe-y NBA gamers making Euroleague star cash now.
And when discussing NBA celebrity salaries? Nicely, these guys are just about incomes in a single season what a whole Euroleague workforce’s wage finances is total.
Beneath, take a look at how NBA star salaries evaluate to among the budgets of Euroleague groups (source: BasketNews).
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Actual Madrid finances: $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, according to BasketNews, Actual Madrid’s complete finances 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 finances: $44.45 million
Rudy Gobert wage: $43.83 million
The aforementioned Mirotic now performs his membership basketball in Milan, and is the workforce’s highest-paid participant, and among the many Euroleague’s High 10 in wage. Milan as an entire, nonetheless, dishes out much less in wage than what Rudy Gobert simply earned for Minnesota in ’25.
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Panathinaikos finances: $42.17 million
Anthony Edwards wage: $42.18 million
Greek membership Panathinaikos boasts one comparatively recognized former NBA identify, Kendrick Nunn, who was a strong participant for just a few seasons in Miami and with the Lakers. In addition they have Kostas Sloukas, a High 5 participant in Euroleague in wage. And even then, their complete finances is value lower than Anthony Edwards’ 2024-25 wage.
CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP by way of Getty Photos
Olympiacos finances: $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 manner again to Europe. He’s now Euroleague’s highest-paid participant as a member of Olympiacos. Even then, Olympiacos’ finances can also be lower than Edwards’.
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Anadolu Efes finances: $39.32 million
Ben Simmons wage: $40.34 million
Boasting only one High 10 participant in Euroleague wage this season (Darius Thompson), Anadolu Efes’ complete workforce finances 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 value.
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Fenerbahce finances: $38.18 million
Zion Williamson wage: $36.73 million
Newly minted Euroleague champions Fenerbahce boast a wage finances of roughly $38.2 million. Led by former Wisconsin star Nigel Hayes-Davis, Fenerbahce gained the Euroleague last over Monaco 81-70 simply this previous weekend. And so they completed that with a finances simply over $1 million increased than what former No. 1 choose Zion Williamson earned in 2024-25, when he appeared in 30 video games for New Orleans.
Photograph by Cathrin Mueller/Getty Photos
Bayern finances: $37.61 million
Zion Williamson wage: $36.73 million
One other workforce in Europe with deeper pockets, Bayern Munich had a wage finances 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 very best American school guards in latest reminiscence, Shabazz Napier and Carsen Edwards.
Photograph by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photos
Barcelona finances: $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 total finances under what OG Anunoby earned in 2024-25 with the New York Knicks. Cash properly spent for the Knicks, who loved a wholesome, robust two-way marketing campaign by Anunoby.
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AS Monaco finances: $33.51 million
James Harden wage: $33.65 million
The workforce 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 completed sufficient to be thought-about one of the top Euroleague players in history. Monaco additionally boasts the likes of Daniel Theis and Nick Calathes, two different former NBA gamers. Even then, the workforce’s finances is lower than James Harden’s wage in 2024-25.
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Virtus finances: $28.49 million
Tyler Herro wage: $29.00 million
Ever marvel what occurred to Marco Bellinelli and Justin Vacation? Nicely, they play for Virtus Bologna in Italy now. Virtus Bologna has a finances underneath Tyler Herro‘s wage in 2024-25.
Photograph by Justin Casterline/Getty Photos
Partizan finances: $26.21 million
Andrew Wiggins wage: $26.28 million
The workforce the place Frank Ntilikina and Aleksej Pokuševski
now reside, Partizan Belgrade boasts an total wage finances underneath than Andrew Wiggins’ in 2024-25.
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Crvena Zvezda finances: $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 total finances lower than Jonathan Isaac’s wage for 2024-25. That claims extra in regards to the Orlando Magic than something, nonetheless, 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 for the time being, together with Isaiah Canaan and Milos Teodosic.
Photograph by Megan Briggs/Getty Photos
Maccabi finances: $21.65 million
De’Andre Hunter wage: $21.70 million
Maccabi Tel Aviv doesn’t have an enormous variety of tremendous well-known names for the time being, so far as former NBAers go, no less than. The membership is the place former excessive second-round choose Rokas Jokubaitis performs, although. Jokubaitis was the thirty fourth total choose within the 2021 draft by the Thunder. As an entire, the workforce’s finances is lower than De’Andre Hunter’s was this season.
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Paris finances: $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 finances of $21.54 million, simply north of what Lonzo Ball earned in 2024-25.
Photograph by Scott Taetsch/Getty Photos
Zalgiris finances: $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 sensible with its signings. A number of the gamers who simply featured for the workforce embrace former Michigan star Ignas Brazdeikis and one-time Warriors ahead Alen Smailagić.
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ASVEL finances: $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 amount of cash on participant salaries, even by Euroleague requirements. As such, its finances was lower than Collin Sexton’s in 2024-25. Enjoyable truth: former No. 1 choose Victor Wembanyama performed for ASVEL for a 12 months earlier than attending to the NBA.
Photograph by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Photos
ALBA finances: $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 % from three. ALBA Berlin’s not an enormous spender, both, with a wage finances of $16.64 million, roughly $20,000 greater than what Caris LeVert simply made in ’25.
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Baskonia finances: $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 finances of almost $16 million in 2024-25, not rather 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.
