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List of most expensive basketball transfers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The following is a list of most expensive basketball transfers, which presents the highest fees ever paid for players..

The list contains a few transfers which broke the world transfer record: those of Antonello Riva, Stefano Rusconi, Dino Rađa, Dino Meneghin, all broke the record, signing for Italian clubs and a Greek club. The list also features two players who, at the time of the transfer, broke the national record for the club they were signing for: Ricky Rubio and Milan Gurović.

Highest buy-outs

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Most high-value transfers involve clubs in the Eurozone. The order in this table is based on the transfer amount in euros. Due to exchange rate fluctuations the order is different in $ which is also shown on the table.

As of 20 September 2023;
  Fee broke the world transfer record at the time of the transfer
  Fee broke the national club record
  Fee broke the record for an American player
  Fee broke the record for a teenager
Rank Player From To Fee
(M )
Fee
(M $)
Year Notes
1 China Yao Ming China Shanghai Sharks China CBA €12.9 $15[citation needed] 2002
2 Croatia Dino Radja United States Boston Celtics Greece Panathinaikos €8.5 $10 1997 Panathnaikos paid Celtics 2,5 billion in former Greek drachma
3 Italy Stefano Rusconi Italy Pallacanestro Varese Italy Benetton Treviso €7.6 $15 1991 20 billion in former Italian lira (15 million cash plus two players: Dan Gay and Savio) or 1250 million in former Spanish peseta.
4 Italy Andrea Niccolai Italy BingoSNAI Montecatini Italy Virtus Roma €6 $12 1991 16 billion in former Italian lira or 1100 million in former Spanish peseta
5 Argentina Facundo Campazzo Spain Real Madrid United States Denver Nuggets €5.25 $6 2020 Nuggets officially paid $750k and Campazzo the rest through his contract[1]
6 Italy Carlton Myers Italy Basket Rimini Italy Fortitudo Bologna €4.5 $7.5 1995 12 billion in former Italian lira
7 Italy Riccardo Pittis Italy Olimpia Milano Italy Benetton Treviso €4.5 $8.1 1993 12 billion in former Italian lira
8 Italy Riccardo Morandotti Italy Berloni Torino Italy Scaligera Basket Verona €4 $9 1990 10 billion in former Italian lira
9 Italy Paolo Moretti Italy Scaligera Basket Verona Italy Virtus Bologna €3.8 $8 1992 9 billion in former Italian lira
10 Spain Ricky Rubio Spain Joventut Badalona Spain FC Barcelona €3.7[2] $5.1 2009
11 Italy Ferdinando Gentile Italy Juvecaserta Basket Italy Stefanel Trieste €3.3 $5.4 1993 8 billion in former Italian lira
- United States Dominique Wilkins United States Boston Celtics Greece Panathinaikos €3.3 $3.6[3] 1995
12 Italy Davide Bonora Italy Scaligera Basket Verona Italy Benetton Treviso €3.3 $5 1995 8 billion in former Italian lira
13 Italy Antonello Riva Italy Pallacanestro Cantù Italy Olimpia Milano €3.1 $5.7 1989 7.5 billion in former Italian lira
14 Italy Carlton Myers Italy Victoria Libertas Pesaro Italy Basket Rimini €3.1 $4.7 1994 7.5 billion in former Italian lira
15 Italy Alessandro Fantozzi Italy Basket Livorno Italy Virtus Roma €3.1 $6.25 1991 7.5 billion in former Italian lira
16 Italy Gianluca Basile Italy Pallacanestro Reggiana Italy Fortitudo Bologna €3.1 $3.9 1999 7.5 billion in former Italian lira
17 Serbia Milan Gurovic Greece Peristeri Spain FC Barcelona €3 $1.8 1998 600 million in Greek drachma or 500 million in former Spanish peseta
18 Serbia Nenad Krstić Russia Triumph Lyubertsy United States Oklahoma City Thunder €3 $3.7 2008 Thunder officially $500k and the rest $2,5m paid by Scola through his contract
19 Spain Sergio Rodriguez Spain Real Madrid United States Philadelphia 76ers €3 $3.3 2016
20 Serbia Darko Milicic Serbia Hemofarm United States Detroit Pistons €2.6[4] $3 2003
21 Spain Nikola Mirotić Spain Real Madrid United States Chicago Bulls €2.5 $3.25 2014
- Italy Donato Avenia Italy Viola Reggio Calabria Italy Virtus Roma €2.5 $5.4 1990 6 billion in former Italian lira
- Italy Stefano Attruia Italy Pallacanestro Pavia Italy Virtus Roma €2.5 $5.4 1990 6 billion in former Italian lira
- Italy Flavio Carera Italy Libertas Liburnia Basket Livorno Italy Virtus Bologna €2.5 $5.4 1992 6 billion in former Italian lira (4 billion plus Leonardo Conti)
26
27 Croatia Toni Kukoc Italy Benneton Treviso United States Chicago Bulls €2.35 $2.5[5] 1993 The release fee was paid by Kukoc
27 Spain Pau Gasol Spain FC Barcelona Spain Memphis Grizzlies €2.3 $2.5 2001 $2,15 million was paid by his agent and rest $350k by Grizzlies
- Argentina Luis Scola Spain Tau United States Houston Rockets €2.3 $3.2 2007 Rockets officially $500k and the rest $2,7m paid by Scola through his contract[citation needed]
27 Poland Maciej Lampe Spain Real Madrid United States New York Knicks €2.2 $2 2003 $350k was paid by the Knicks
- Bosnia and Herzegovina Mirza Teletović Spain Saski Baskonia United States Brooklyn Nets €2.2[6] $2.8 2012 Majority of the amount was paid by the player himself
29 Argentina Hugo Sconochini Italy Viola Reggio Calabria Italy Olimpia Milano €2 $3.7 1993 5.5 billion in former Italian lira
- Lithuania Šarūnas Jasikevičius United States Golden State Warriors Greece Panathinaikos Athens €2 $2.7 2007
- Croatia Mario Hezonja Spain FC Barcelona United States Orlando Magic €2[7] $2.2 2015
- Spain Victor Claver Spain Valencia Basket Spain FC Barcelona €2 $2.2 2016
- Spain Alex Abrines Spain FC Barcelona United States Oklahoma City Thunder €2 $2.2 2016
- Czech Republic Tomáš Satoranský Spain FC Barcelona United States Washington Wizards €2 $2.3 2016
35 Croatia Toni Kukoc Croatia KK Split Italy Benneton Treviso €1.9 $2[8] 1991 The 6-year contract of $4.25m per annum made Kukoc the highest-paid basketball player in the world above Patrick Ewing.
36 Greece Thodoris Papaloukas Russia CSKA Moscow Greece Olympiacos €1.8[9] $2.8 2008
- Spain Raül López Spain Joventut Badalona Spain Real Madrid €1.8 $1.9 2000 275 million in former Spanish peseta
- Italy Davide Pessina Italy Pallacanestro Cantù Italy Olimpia Milano €1.8 $3.6 1991 5 billion in former Italian lira
- Italy Nino Pellacani Italy Auxilium Pallacanestro Torino Italy Benetton Treviso €1.8 $3.6 1991 5 billion in former Italian lira
- United StatesSpain Brad Oleson Spain Baloncesto Fuenlabrada Spain Real Madrid €1.8 $2.5 2009
- Spain Carlos Jiménez Spain CB Estudiantes Spain Baloncesto Málaga €1.8 $2.3 2006
39 Spain Jorge Garbajosa Spain Baloncesto Málaga Canada Toronto Raptors €1.7 $2.25 2006 Majority of the fee was paid by the player and his agent
40 Spain Alberto Herreros Spain CB Estudiantes Spain Real Madrid €1.5 $1.6 2001 350 million in former Spanish peseta or 500 million in Greek drachma
- Spain Kostas Papanikolaou Greece Olympiacos Spain FC Barcelona €1.5 $2 2013 400 million in Greek drachma
- Spain Juan Carlos Navarro United States Memphis Grizzlies Spain FC Barcelona €1.5 $2.3 2008
- Slovenia Goran Dragic Spain Saski Baskonia United States Phoenix Suns €1.5 $2.3 2008 Suns officially paid $500k and Dragic the rest through his contract
- Spain Felipe Reyes Spain CB Estudiantes Spain Real Madrid €1.5 $1.8 2004
- Spain Iñaki de Miguel Spain CB Estudiantes Greece Olympiacos] €1.5 $1.6 1999 252 million in former Spanish peseta or 400 million in former Greek drachma
44 Spain Ricky Rubio Spain FC Barcelona United States Minnesota Timberwolves €1.4 $1.9 2011
- SloveniaItaly Gregor Fucka Italy Olimpia Milano Italy Fortitudo Bologna €1.4 $1.7 1997 3.5 billion in former Italian lira
46 Serbia Milos Teodosic Serbia Zeleznik Greece Olympiacos €1.3 $1.7 2007
- Greece Thodoris Papaloukas Greece Panionios Greece Olympiacos €1.3 $1.4 2001
- Serbia Bogdan Bogdanovic Serbia KK Partizan Turkey Fenerbahce €1.3 $1.7 2014
- Serbia Milos Teodosic Greece Olympiacos Russia CSKA Moscow €1.3 $1.8 2011
- United States Bo McCalebb Italy Siena Turkey Fenerbahce €1.3 $1.6 2012
49 United States Patrick Beverley Russia Spartak St Petersburg United States Houston Rockets €1.2 $1.6 2013 Rockets officially paid $250k and the rest $1.35m paid by Beverley through his contract[10]
- Spain José Antonio Paraíso Spain Caceres Spain Valencia Pamesa €1.2 $1.25 2001 275 million in former Spanish peseta
- Italy Andrea Meneghin Italy Pallacanestro Varese Italy Climamio Bologna €1.2 $1.5 2000 3 billion in former Italian lira
- Croatia Dario Saric Croatia KK Cibona Turkey Efes Pilsen €1.2[11] $1.5 2014
- Serbia Nemanja Bjelica Turkey Fenerbahçe United States Minnesota Timberwolves €1.2 $1.5 2015
- Argentina Pablo Prigioni Spain Tau Spain Real Madrid €1.2 $1.7 2009
- Croatia Drazen Petrovic Spain Real Madrid] United States Portland Trail Blazers €1.1 $1.15[12] 1989 Blazers paid the fee and also agreed to play two exhibition games in Spain.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Campazzo signing a two-year deal with Denver, Real Madrid to get $6 million buyout". eurohoops.com. 21 November 2020.
  2. ^ "Ricky al Barça, el traspaso más caro de la historia" (in Spanish). marca.com.
  3. ^ "Wilkins says goodbye Boston, hello Greece - Tampa Bay Times". tampabay.com. 13 August 1995.
  4. ^ "ESPN.com: NBA - Hemofarm lowers Milicic buyout request". 6 July 2003.
  5. ^ "KUKOC ANXIOUS TO START LIFE WITH THE BULLS". chicagotribune.com. 17 July 1993.
  6. ^ "How Mirza Teletovic sacrificed millions to play for the Nets". netsdaily.com. 24 July 2015.
  7. ^ "Agent: Magic draft pick Mario Hezonja, Barcelona agree to buyout". si.com. 25 June 2016.
  8. ^ "American Dream : A Star in Italy, Kukoc". The New York Times. 22 December 1992.
  9. ^ "Papaloukas leaves CSKA". cskabasket.ru.
  10. ^ "Beverly recalls buyout". fadeawayworld.net. 27 December 2022.
  11. ^ "Dario Saric' buyout tricky situation". eurohoops.com. 11 October 2014.
  12. ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Agreement on Petrovic". The New York Times. 22 August 1989.
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