Jean Montero above all, but also McKinley Wright, Mfiondu Kabengele, Jordan Nwora…
Those were some of the names that emerged as the EuroLeague’s breakout players last season.
Who could be next?
There are plenty of candidates.
EuroLeague rookies with impressive résumés. Players who have already proven themselves in European basketball, though not yet in the EuroLeague. And those who have already learned what the competition is all about and now look ready to take the next big step.
Here are our six candidates.
Well, actually, more than six.
David DeJulius (Beşiktaş)
Just as he was finishing the best season of his career, DeJulius fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot.
He is expected to be ready for the start of the new season, but the injury does leave a small question mark over the 183-centimeter point guard.
Even so, what he showed with UCAM Murcia last season made it clear that he is ready for a higher level.
DeJulius spent just under four months with Maccabi during the 2024-25 season, but it quickly became clear that Tel Aviv wasn’t the right place for him. There were too many players at his position and his role was limited.
Give the explosive guard freedom and the ball in his hands, however, and you get a very different player.
During a historic season for Murcia, which finished fourth in the ACB with a 25-9 record, DeJulius averaged 17.7 points and 4.3 assists per game.
When Beşiktaş head coach Dušan Alimpijević brought him in, he knew exactly what the 26-year-old needed: a major role and the freedom to show what he can do.
Now it’s up to DeJulius to prove that he’s ready for the EuroLeague.
Kai Jones (Anadolu Efes)
Anadolu Efes wasn’t exactly an environment where anyone could thrive last season.
Fully aware of everything that was happening around the team, the Istanbul club’s management still decided to extend Kai Jones’ contract for another two years.
The Bahamian big man looks like he’s made of rubber. At times, it feels as though he could jump high enough to touch the top of the backboard.
He’s a huge lob threat as a roller, and there will be no shortage of guards capable of finding him at Efes. Mike James and Matthew Strazel have arrived to complement an already solid backcourt.
If Pablo Laso’s team can stay healthy, Jones should find himself in a much better environment to flourish. He could become an important piece for Efes – and potentially even a Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
Last season, he averaged 3.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in just over 14 minutes per game. He shot an absurd 45-of-47 from two-point range, with most of those makes coming on dunks.
He’s still only 25 and didn’t even pick up a basketball until he was 15.
There is still plenty for Laso to polish. And plenty of room for Jones to grow into one of the EuroLeague’s best centers.
Duane Washington Jr. (Bayern Munich)
When he gets hot, he’s almost impossible to stop.
Last season at Partizan, Washington showed that he is an elite scorer, averaging 14.9 points per game on excellent shooting percentages – 51.4 percent from two and 37.7 percent from three.
Those are already impressive numbers, but the 26-year-old still has another step to take at Bayern.
He needs to make the right decisions more consistently, keep his lapses in concentration to a minimum, become even more comfortable with the tactical demands of European basketball and bring his defense up to at least an average level.
If he does, Washington could prove to be an even better signing than he looks on paper.
Chris Duarte (Baskonia)
Duarte enjoyed a dream rookie season with the Indiana Pacers in 2021-22, earning NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors.
Since then, however, the 196-centimeter guard’s career has been heading in the wrong direction.
Last season with Unicaja was his first experience in European basketball. There were disciplinary issues, he wasn’t comfortable in Ibon Navarro’s system, and things came to a head when he was left out of the team for the Basketball Champions League semifinal.
“This recognition comes even though I still haven’t been able to consistently play at the level I know I can. Imagine when I cut the rope that’s holding me back,” the 29-year-old wrote after being named to the Basketball Champions League Second Team.
Everything above offers at least part of the explanation for why Duarte’s career hasn’t gone further.
But there is still time.
Baskonia has been a place where many guards have flourished, and its up-tempo style should suit a gifted Dominican scorer who can be effective both on and off the ball, who can be effective both on and off the ball.
Maybe this is the season when he finally shows why so much was expected of him in the NBA.
Théo Maledon (Real Madrid)
Two years ago with ASVEL, Maledon was one of the best players in the EuroLeague.
Last season, he put up solid numbers for Real Madrid.
So technically, even a huge season from Maledon wouldn’t qualify as a true EuroLeague breakout. Everyone already knows what kind of player he can be. But last season, he never quite found his best version in Sergio Scariolo’s system.
Will Pedro Martínez give him more freedom? And can Maledon reproduce his ASVEL form at a club where the pressure and expectations are enormous?
Facundo Campazzo isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, but he’s 35, and eventually he will. Andrés Feliz has shown he can be an excellent option off the bench.
Still, this could be Maledon’s year – the season when he takes a much firmer grip on the reins at Real Madrid.
He’s only 25. His prime is still ahead of him. Can he take another step and even put himself in the MVP conversation?
We’ll see.
T.J. Warren (Paris Basketball)
After becoming one of the stars of the NBA bubble, Warren suffered a serious foot injury in 2020 that cost him almost two full seasons.
He simply hasn’t been the same player since.
Still, the 32-year-old arrives in the EuroLeague with considerable NBA pedigree – 14.3 points per game across 385 career appearances – and with something to prove.
Strong numbers in the G League don’t necessarily tell us much, but at least the 203-centimeter forward was playing regularly again.
Warren didn’t exactly have a reputation as a team-first player even by NBA standards. Paris, however, could suit him well. They play at a high tempo and give their scorers plenty of freedom to create and hunt their own shots.
Others to Watch
Mamadi Diakite had a promising rookie EuroLeague season with Baskonia and will be expected to continue his rise in Dubai.
Marcus Bingham shined in the VTB League and has all the tools to succeed in the EuroLeague as well. The question is how quickly he can adjust to Šarūnas Jasikevičius’ system – and to what will undoubtedly be a smaller role than the one he had at UNICS.
Kessler Edwards showed flashes with Hapoel Tel Aviv last season. His athleticism and versatility on both ends make him an intriguing player to watch. His best basketball should still be ahead of him, perhaps starting this season with Virtus.
Umoja Gibson was outstanding in the EuroCup last season and has already shown that he’s a quick learner when it comes to European basketball. Don’t be surprised if he becomes Barcelona’s EuroLeague revelation.
Crvena zvezda will be hoping Patrick Baldwin can explode onto the scene, but for that to happen, he’ll need to embrace contact more and add at least some defense to go with his 213-centimeter frame and excellent shooting touch.
Lamar Stevens looks like an excellent fit for Partizan and looks ready to take another step in the EuroLeague. It will also be fascinating to see whether T.J. Shorts can enjoy a renaissance in Valencia – and whether Jonathan Motley can do the same at Crvena zvezda.
But the EuroLeague wouldn’t be the EuroLeague without someone coming out of nowhere – a player hardly anyone is talking about right now.
We’ll start finding out on September 24.