A number of EuroLeague “targets” disappeared within a matter of hours, as several of Europe’s biggest names opted to remain in the NBA.
The EuroLeague has grown significantly in recent years. The competition’s on-court product has reached new heights, while club budgets continue to rise and player contracts have reached record-breaking figures that would have seemed unimaginable just a few years ago.
Once again, several EuroLeague clubs entered the market with deep pockets, believing they could convince some of Europe’s top NBA free agents to make the trip back across the Atlantic and return to the continent.
However, the NBA’s appeal remains unmatched. European players have proven they belong among basketball’s elite and continue to earn lucrative contracts from NBA franchises, each valuing them for different roles.
As a result, within just a few days, the European market lost several high-profile targets who could have reshaped the EuroLeague landscape had they decided to return. Here are some of the most notable examples.
Kristaps Porzingis
Kristaps Porzingis would have been the perfect big man for any EuroLeague contender. His size, shooting ability and basketball IQ would have made him an ideal piece for any championship-caliber roster. But “PorzinGod” knew the time wasn’t right to return.
The Latvian power forward/center, who averaged 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists last season with the Hawks and the Warriors, agreed to remain with Golden State on a two-year, $40 million contract.
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Sandro Mamukelashvili also landed a massive payday.
The Georgian big man bet on himself last summer when he accepted Toronto’s $2.8 million offer, believing a breakout season would eventually earn him the contract he was looking for—and that’s exactly what happened.
After averaging 11.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for the Raptors, the 27-year-old secured the deal of a lifetime with the Los Angeles Lakers: four years and $52 million.
Moritz Wagner
Moritz Wagner also signed a lucrative contract after deciding to join the Brooklyn Nets.
The German center has fully recovered from the serious injury that interrupted his career and hopes to earn a bigger role in Brooklyn. According to ESPN, the 6-foot-11 big man signed a one-year deal worth $19 million.
Jusuf Nurkic & Nikola Vucevic
Jusuf Nurkic and Nikola Vucevic also deserve a place on this list. Both were heavily linked with EuroLeague clubs by numerous European media outlets over the past few weeks.
Instead, the “Bosnian Beast”—owner of career NBA averages of 11.8 points and 8.9 rebounds across 631 games—signed a two-year, $22 million contract with the Utah Jazz.
Vucevic, meanwhile, returned to the franchise where he enjoyed the best years of his career. The Montenegrin center, who has appeared in 1,036 NBA games while averaging 17.1 points and 10.3 rebounds, is back with the Orlando Magic for what feels like one final dance, signing a one-year deal worth $3.9 million.
Bogdan Bogdanovic & Simone Fontecchio
The list isn’t limited to dominant big men. It also includes elite shooters capable of lighting up any defense in Europe.
Bogdan Bogdanovic and Simone Fontecchio both attracted interest from EuroLeague clubs, but neither will be returning to Europe.
Bogdanovic, a career 14-point-per-game scorer in the NBA, signed a one-year contract with the Houston Rockets, while the Italian forward, who averaged 7.8 points last season, will remain in the league after agreeing to a one-year deal with the Miami Heat.
Europe was eagerly waiting for the return of some of its brightest stars. But competing with the NBA is simply impossible.
Whether it’s money—$20 million per season for Porzingis or $52 million overall for Mamukelashvili—career goals such as Bogdanovic entering his 10th NBA season, emotional reunions like Vucevic’s return to Orlando, or countless other factors, the outcome remained the same.
The EuroLeague ultimately missed out on a group of players whose return would have dramatically altered the balance of power across Europe’s premier competition.