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 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 28 July 2026;
RankPlayer FromToFee(M €)Fee(M $)YearNotes1 Shanghai Sharks CBA€12.9 $15 20022 Pallacanestro Varese Benetton Treviso€10$15 199120 billion in former Italian lira (15 million cash plus two players: Dan Gay and Savio) or 1250 million in former Spanish peseta.3 Boston Celtics Panathinaikos€8.5$101997Panathnaikos paid Celtics 2.5 billion in former Greek drachma4 Andrea Niccolai BingoSNAI Montecatini Virtus Roma€6$12199116 billion in former Italian lira or 1100 million in former Spanish peseta5 Real Madrid Denver Nuggets€5.25$62020Nuggets officially paid $750k and Campazzo the rest through his contract 6 Basket Rimini Fortitudo Bologna€4.5$7.5199512 billion in former Italian lira7 Olimpia Milano Benetton Treviso€4.5$8.1199312 billion in former Italian lira8 Riccardo Morandotti Berloni Torino Scaligera Basket Verona€4$9199010 billion in former Italian lira9 Scaligera Basket Verona Virtus Bologna€3.8$819929 billion in former Italian lira10 Joventut Badalona FC Barcelona€3.7 $5.1200911 Juvecaserta Basket Stefanel Trieste€3.3$5.419938 billion in former Italian lira - Dominique Wilkins Boston Celtics Panathinaikos€3.3$3.6 199512 Scaligera Basket Verona Benetton Treviso€3.3$519958 billion in former Italian lira13 Pallacanestro Cantù Olimpia Milano€3.1$5.719897.5 billion in former Italian lira14 Victoria Libertas Pesaro Basket Rimini€3.1$4.719947.5 billion in former Italian lira15 Alessandro Fantozzi Basket Livorno Virtus Roma€3.1$6.2519917.5 billion in former Italian lira16 Pallacanestro Reggiana Fortitudo Bologna€3.1$3.919997.5 billion in former Italian lira17 Peristeri FC Barcelona€3$1.81998600 million in Greek drachma or 500 million in former Spanish peseta - Triumph Lyubertsy Oklahoma City Thunder€3$3.72008Thunder officially $500k and the rest $2.5m paid by Krstić through his contract - Real Madrid Philadelphia 76ers€3$3.32016 - Darko Milicic Hemofarm Detroit Pistons€2.6 $3200322 Real Madrid Chicago Bulls€2.5$3.252014 - Donato Avenia Viola Reggio Calabria Virtus Roma€2.5$5.419906 billion in former Italian lira - Stefano Attruia Pallacanestro Pavia Virtus Roma€2.5$5.419906 billion in former Italian lira - Flavio Carera Libertas Liburnia Basket Livorno Virtus Bologna€2.5$5.419926 billion in former Italian lira (4 billion plus Leonardo Conti) 27 Toni Kukoc Benneton Treviso Chicago Bulls€2.35$2.5 1993The release fee was paid by Kukoc27 Pau Gasol FC Barcelona Memphis Grizzlies€2.3$2.52001$2,15 million was paid by his agent and rest $350k by Grizzlies - - Thomaw Walkup Olympiacos Dubai B.C.€2.3 Dubai's buyout fee to Olympiacos for Thomas Walkup (2026) - basketnews.com$2.62026 Tau Houston Rockets€2.3$3.22007Rockets officially $500k and the rest $2.7m paid by Scola through his contract - Guerschon Yabusele Real Madrid Philadelphia 76ers€2.2$2.52024The 76ers officially paid $850,000 and Yabusele paid the rest through his contract 27 Maciej Lampe Real Madrid New York Knicks€2.2$22003$350k was paid by the Knicks - Saski Baskonia Brooklyn Nets€2.2 $2.82012Majority of the amount was paid by the player himself29 Hugo Sconochini Viola Reggio Calabria Olimpia Milano€2$3.719935.5 billion in former Italian lira - Cedi Osman Panathinaikos Athens PAOK B.C.€2 2026 - Golden State Warriors Panathinaikos Athens€2$2.72007 - Luka Doncic Real Madrid Dallas Mavericks€2Real Madrid net over €20M in NBA buyouts over last 10 years (2024) - basketnews.com 2018 - Jonas Valančiūnas BC Lietuvos rytas Toronto Raptors€2 $2.5 Raptors sign C Jonas Valanciunas (2012) - espn.com.au2012Excluded International Player Payment Amount (EIPPA), was set at $550,000 for 2012–13 season. - FC Barcelona Orlando Magic€2 $2.22015 - Valencia Basket FC Barcelona€2$2.22016 - FC Barcelona Oklahoma City Thunder€2$2.22016 - Tomáš Satoranský FC Barcelona Washington Wizards€2$2.3201635 Toni Kukoc KK Split Benneton Treviso€1.9$2 1991The 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 $2.82008 - Raül López Joventut Badalona Real Madrid€1.8$1.92000275 million in former Spanish peseta - Davide Pessina Pallacanestro Cantù Olimpia Milano€1.8$3.619915 billion in former Italian lira - Nino Pellacani Auxilium Pallacanestro Torino Benetton Treviso€1.8$3.619915 billion in former Italian lira - Brad Oleson Baloncesto Fuenlabrada Real Madrid€1.8$2.52009 - Carlos Jiménez CB Estudiantes Baloncesto Málaga€1.8$2.32006 - Furkan Korkmaz Efes Pilsen Philadelphia 76ers€1.8 $22017$1.35m of the fee was paid by the player through his contract39 Tarik Biberović Fenerbahçe Dallas Mavericks€1.74$2 2026$1.1m of the fee was paid by the player through his contract39 Jorge Garbajosa Baloncesto Málaga Toronto Raptors€1.7$2.252006Majority of the fee was paid by the player and his agent40 Alberto Herreros CB Estudiantes Real Madrid€1.5 Herreros, madridista por 250 millones (1996) - feb.es$1.61996250 million in former Spanish peseta or 500 million in Greek drachma. It was the highest transfer fee in Spain at the time, exceeding the previous record, the 100 million pesetas Barcelona had paid CAI Zaragoza for Quique Andreu in 1993. - Kostas Papanikolaou Olympiacos FC Barcelona€1.5$22013400 million in Greek drachma - Brancou Badio Valencia Basket Panathinaikos Athens €1.5 2026 - Juan Carlos Navarro Memphis Grizzlies FC Barcelona€1.5$2.32008 - Goran Dragic Saski Baskonia Phoenix Suns€1.5$2.32008Suns officially paid $500k and Dragic the rest through his contract - Felipe Reyes CB Estudiantes Real Madrid€1.5$1.82004 - Jaime Pradilla Pamesa Valencia Real Madrid€1.5Real Madrid reportedly set to trigger Jaime Pradilla’s €1.5 million buyout - eurohoops.net$ 2026 - Maciej Lampe Saski Baskonia FC Barcelona Bàsquet€1.5De Ramón Rivas a Adam Hanga, cronología de los traspasos entre el Baskonia y el FC Barcelona - baskonistas.com 2013 - Iñaki de Miguel CB Estudiantes Olympiacos€1.5$1.61999252 million in former Spanish peseta or 400 million in former Greek drachma 44 FC Barcelona Minnesota Timberwolves€1.4$1.92011 - Gregor Fucka Olimpia Milano Fortitudo Bologna€1.4$1.719973.5 billion in former Italian lira46 Milos Teodosic Zeleznik Olympiacos€1.3$1.72007 - Usman Garuba Real Madrid Houston Rockets€1.3 2021 - Thodoris Papaloukas Panionios Olympiacos€1.3$1.42001 - Gabriel Deck Real Madrid Oklahoma City Thunder€1.3The Kings of the NBA buyouts: how they earned over €10M in 9 months (2021) - basketnews.com 2021 - Bogdan Bogdanovic KK Partizan Fenerbahce€1.3 $1.72014 - Milos Teodosic Olympiacos CSKA Moscow€1.3$1.82011 - Bo McCalebb Siena Fenerbahce€1.3$1.6201249 Spartak St Petersburg Houston Rockets€1.2$1.62013Rockets officially paid $250k and the rest $1.35m paid by Beverley through his contract - José Antonio Paraíso Caceres Valencia Pamesa€1.2$1.252001275 million in former Spanish peseta - Vassilis Toliopoulos Panathinaikos Aris B.C.Aris and Panathinaikos reach agreement on €1.2 million Toliopoulos buyout (2026) -eurohoops.net€1.22026 - Andrea Meneghin Pallacanestro Varese Climamio Bologna€1.2$1.520003 billion in former Italian lira - Dario Saric KK Cibona Efes Pilsen€1.2 $1.52014 - Nemanja Bjelica Fenerbahçe Minnesota Timberwolves€1.2$1.52015 - Pablo Prigioni Tau Real Madrid€1.2$1.72009 - Dragan Bender Maccabi Tel Aviv Phoenix Suns€1.1 $1.3 Source: Top prospect Dragan Bender has $1.3 million buyout2016 - Drazen Petrovic Real Madrid Portland Trail Blazers€1.1$1.15 He was signed by Real Madrid in March 1987 for a 4-year contract (1988-1992) worth of 160 millions pesetas (total 960k euros for 4 years). He moved in 1988 from Cibona for 40 million pesetas ($350k).Petrovic cobrará 160 millones (1987) - elpais.com1989Blazers paid the fee and also agreed to play two exhibition games in Spain.
Historical progression The transfer fees fluctuate due to exchange rate variations and are based on the exchange rate at the time of the transfer.
YearPlayerFromTo Fee(B Italian lira)Fee(M €)Fee(M $) 1981 Domenico Zampolini Basket Rimini Scavolini Pesaro 1€516k $800k 1989 Antonello Riva Pallacanestro Cantù Olimpia Milano 7.5 €3.1 $5.7 1990 Riccardo Morandotti Berloni Torino Scaligera Basket Verona 10 €4 9$ 1991 Andrea Niccolai BingoSNAI Montecatini Virtus Roma 16€6 12$ 1991 Stefano Rusconi Pallacanestro Varese Benetton Treviso 20€10 15$
Highest transfers NBA/Europe RankPlayer FromToFee(M €)Fee(M $)Year1 Boston Celtics Panathinaikos€8.5$1019972 Real Madrid Denver Nuggets€6$62020 3 Dominique Wilkins Boston Celtics Panathinaikos€3.3$3.61995 4 Real Madrid Philadelphia 76ers€3$3.32016 5 Darko Milicic Hemofarm Detroit Pistons€2.6$320036 Real Madrid Chicago Bulls€2.5$3.2520147 Toni Kukoc Benneton Treviso Chicago Bulls€2.35$2.51993 8 Tau Houston Rockets€2.3$3.22007 - Pau Gasol FC Barcelona Memphis Grizzlies€2.3$2.52001 10 Saski Baskonia Brooklyn Nets€2.2$2.82012 - Guerschon Yabusele Real Madrid Philadelphia 76ers€2.2$2.52024 - Maciej Lampe Real Madrid New York Knicks€2.2$2200312 Tomáš Satoranský FC Barcelona Washington Wizards€2$2.32016 - Golden State Warriors Panathinaikos Athens€2$2.72007 - Luka Doncic Real Madrid Dallas Mavericks€2 2018 - FC Barcelona Oklahoma City Thunder€2$2.22016 - FC Barcelona Orlando Magic€2 $2.22015 - Jonas Valančiūnas BC Lietuvos rytas Toronto Raptors€2 $2.5 201216 Tarik Biberović Fenerbahçe Dallas Mavericks€1.74$2 202616 Furkan Korkmaz Efes Pilsen Philadelphia 76ers€1.8 $2201716 Jorge Garbajosa Baloncesto Málaga Toronto Raptors€1.7$2.252006 17 Goran Dragic Saski Baskonia Phoenix Suns€1.5$2.32008 - Juan Carlos Navarro Memphis Grizzlies FC Barcelona€1.5$2.3200818 FC Barcelona Minnesota Timberwolves€1.4$1.92011 19 Usman Garuba Real Madrid Houston Rockets€1.3 2021 - Gabriel Deck Real Madrid Oklahoma City Thunder€1.3 2021 21 Nemanja Bjelica Fenerbahçe Minnesota Timberwolves€1.2$1.52015 - Spartak St Petersburg Houston Rockets€1.2$1.62013 23 Drazen Petrovic Real Madrid Portland Trail Blazers€1.1$1.151989 - Dragan Bender Maccabi Tel Aviv Phoenix Suns€1.1 $1.3 2016 24 Miroslav Raduljica Shandong Lions Minnesota Timberwolves€975k$1.2m2026 25 Cedi Osman Anadolu Efes Cleveland Cavaliers€900k$1Efes announced Osman’s transfer to the Cavaliers (2017 ) - eurohoops.net2017 26 Mario Hezonja Real Madrid Cleveland Cavaliers€735k$850kMario Hezonja reportedly leaves Real Madrid for NBA (2026) - basketnews.com2026 26 Carl Herrera Real Madrid Houston Rockets $250k1991
Most expensive teenagers RankPlayer FromToFee(M €)Fee(M $)Year1 Joventut Badalona FC Barcelona€3.7$5.120092 Darko Milicic Hemofarm Detroit Pistons€2.6 $320033 Joel Parra Joventut Badalona FC Barcelona€1 2023
World's highest paid salaries The salaries fluctuate due to exchange rate variations and are based on the exchange rate at the time of the contract signed. Stats from 1990 onwards. The salaries are listed as annual.