The Euroleague season starts with record salaries
Vasilije Micic He is positioned as the highest paid player in the Euroleague for the 2026-27 season with an estimated annual net salary of 5.6 million euros. A recent BasketNews investigation places him at the top of the European competition, surpassing in net income a player from the NBA in league median salaries, after conversion to comparable post-tax figures.
The contract of Micic with the Hapoel Tel Aviv, signed in 2025, stipulates a base salary of 5.6 million, an amount that could be increased through performance bonuses and club shares, adding value to his contractual package. The Serbian point guard is in his second season of a three-year agreement that extends until 2028. His choice for Hapoel came after interest from various Euroleague clubs, opting for one of the most lucrative agreements in the history of European basketball.
Salary growth in Euroleaguewhose regular phase of the new season starts this Thursday, is notable. Two years ago, only three players exceeded three million net annually. Currently, almost ten have surpassed that mark, and several more are approaching. The highest annual salary in the Euroleague has increased by almost two million euros in two years.
The estimated median salary of the NBA for 2026-27 it is about six million dollars (5.2 million euros), while the average exceeds 12 million dollars (10.4 million euros). Unlike the EuroleagueNBA contracts are reported on a gross basis before taxes. A player of the NBA You can take home about half of your reported salary after taxes and deductions. The net income of the top ten of the Euroleague are comparable to those of a player with a salary in that median in the NBAand Micic along with other European stars they are close to the net income of the average salary NBA.
Zalgiris advocates controlling transfers
Gediminas Navickas, sports director of Zalgiris Kaunas, expressed concern about the difficulty of controlling transfer rules in the Euroleague. He cited the Thomas Walkup-Dubai saga and Panathinaikos’ interest in Nigel Williams-Goss as examples and stressed the need to protect players under contract.
Regarding Williams-Goss, Navickas confirmed the “definite interest” of Panathinaikos. Zalgiris did not consider selling him, because “he is an important part of the team. We built the entire team around him.” The club retained the player, adjusting his contract.
Navickas urged clearer rules in the EuroLeague transfer system, stating: “We would definitely like to see more order. We are raising this issue and we will continue to do so, and not only us, but also other EuroLeague clubs, because we see that the process is becoming a little uncontrollable.”
The Walkup case, with a contract at Olympiacos until 2027 without a clause, was alarming. Dubai contacted him, and Olympiacos rejected $600,000. Walkup notified the unilateral termination, which Olympiacos invalidated, opening a disciplinary process. Olympiacos complained to the Euroleague about the approach of Dubai, prohibited without permission. On September 7, Olympiacos and Dubai agreed to the transfer
This dizzying increase in the wage bill coincides fully with the staggered entry into force of the new Euroleague financial fair play regulations, designed to implement a spending limit for clubs. Inspired by budget control models, the framework establishes Salary Caps (LCR) linked to the collective average income of the participating teams, seeking to stop runaway payroll inflation. However, the measure has opened a debate among the directives: while the mid-budget clubs see this cap as an essential way to avoid the bankruptcy of the ecosystem, the big Europeans argue that the restrictions threaten their ability to retain talent in the face of the financial push of the NBA and new emerging actors.
The best paid
1. VASILJE MICIC: 5,600,000 euros. He leads the list in his second season with Hapoel Tel Aviv.
2. NIGEL HAYES-DAVIS: 5,000,000 euros. Joined Panathinaikos mid-2025-26, contract until 2028.
3. KENDRICK NUNN: 4,500,000 euros. He signed a three-year deal with Panathinaikos in 2025.
4. GUERSCHON YABUSELE: 4,000,000 euros. The French forward signed a three-year contract with Panathinaikos until 2029.
5. SASHA VEZENKOV: 3,700,000 euros. He returned to Olympiacos from the NBA in 2024, in his third year of a five-year contract.
6. ELIJAH BRYANT: Between 3,000,000 and 4,300,000 euros. His extension with Hapoel Tel Aviv until 2029 places him among the most lucrative.
7. SYLVAIN FRANCISCO: 3,000,000 euros. His bonuses at Panathinaikos could boost his earnings.
8. MFIONDU KABENGELE: 3,000,000 euros with Dubai Basketball.
9. EDY TAVARES: 3,000,000 euros with R. Madrid.
10. MIKE JAMES: 2,900,000 euros with Efes.
Beyond the regulatory debate, the real crack in the model lies in the lack of structural profitability of the competition. Although the salaries of stars have reached historic heights, the Euroleague continues to suffer a severe trade deficit compared to the major global leagues, with revenue from audiovisual rights and sponsorship not growing at the same pace as costs. Most European projects continue to operate in the red, depending on the patronage of owners or subsidies from professional football in the case of multi-sports clubs.
