List of most expensive basketball transfers

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