By John Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
A growing number of players have pursued their options in the EuroLeague, further growing the competition in Europe’s top-tier basketball league. This ongoing trend has attracted several former NBA players, including several who were well-established in North America.
Scanning an extensive list of players who made the leap directly from the NBA to the EuroLeague over the past decade, and factoring in their international market value, Eurohoops presents the Top 10 NBA-to-EuroLeague signings of the decade.
We’ve excluded players like Pau Gasol, Ricky Rubio, and Marco Belinelli. While they returned to their former teams after long and successful NBA careers, their situations were different from those on our list.
1. Kemba Walker
After 781 games and 12 years in the NBA, Kemba Walker penned a deal with AS Monaco in July 2023. He went on to log 26 appearances in Europe’s premier club competition before calling it a day and focusing on a coaching career.
A former NCAA champion and Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 2011 with Connecticut, Walker became a household name, earning four NBA All-Star selections between 2017 and 2020. He was a franchise player for the Charlotte Hornets, but injuries slowed him toward the end of his playing career. Nevertheless, Walker is arguably one of the most popular players to join a EuroLeague club in the modern history of league.
2. Evan Fournier
This list isn’t limited to American players. European stars like Evan Fournier also made waves in the EuroLeague after a 12-year NBA career. Fournier, who played 723 games with the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, and Detroit Pistons, joined Olympiacos in September 2024.
Fournier had a significant role throughout his NBA career but was reduced to DNPs and brief showings in his final two seasons. Moving to a EuroLeague contender allowed him to rejuvenate his career, and he’s still going strong.
3. Spencer Dinwiddie
Here is the trigger for compiling this Top 10. The latest NBA star to make the jump to the EuroLeague is Spencer Dinwiddie, who inked a contract with FC Bayern Munich for the remainder of the 2025-26 season last Thursday. As with many of the players on this list, Dinwiddie’s transition from the NBA to Europe could go either way. The case of the 32-year-old combo guard is pending.
Drafted by the Detroit Pistons with the 38th overall pick in 2014, Dinwiddie played 654 NBA games across 11 years – often being a leader and a role player – with the Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, Pistons, and Washington Wizards.
4. Kendrick Nunn
From solid NBA performances to EuroLeague success, Kendrick Nunn elevated his career with a championship and a season MVP award on the other side of the Atlantic. After playing 212 NBA games in three years, including two great seasons with the Miami Heat, Nunn made the bold decision to sign with Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens in October 2023. The move proved brilliant in terms of his career and prominence, and his salary as well.
Nunn went undrafted in 2018 but worked his way into the NBA after a season in the G League. He thrived in his rookie year with the Heat but became an unrestricted free agent after his second season. A serious knee injury hampered his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, and he later played for the Washington Wizards before heading to Greece.
5. Nikola Mirotic
A two-time EuroLeague Rising Star in 2011 and 2012, Nikola Mirotic returned to Europe after playing 359 NBA games from 2014 to 2019 with the Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, and New Orleans Pelicans. Seemingly a lock for more NBA seasons, he joined FC Barcelona in July 2019, becoming Europe’s highest-paid player at the time. He went on to be named the EuroLeague MVP in the 2021-22 season, later moving to EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in 2023 and AS Monaco in July 2024.
Already packing several elements of a successful career, using his prowess both inside and outside from his initial European stage, Mirotic arrived in the NBA three years after being drafted by the Houston Rockets with the 23rd overall pick in 2011. He enjoyed several brilliant outings, expanding his fan base beyond the Old Continent for good.
6. Kenneth Faried
Known as “The Manimal,” Kenneth Faried was a very popular NBA player, particularly for his time with the Denver Nuggets, where his hustle and energy on the court earned him widespread acclaim. Faried also helped Team USA win the 2014 FIBA World Cup. After a failed attempt to secure an NBA contract, he signed with CSKA Moscow in October 2021, playing in seven EuroLeague games before parting ways with the Russian club in December 2021.
Faried’s NBA career, which spanned from 2011 to 2018, included stints with the Brooklyn Nets and Houston Rockets, but he struggled to regain the same level of fan connection and excitement after his time with the Nuggets. He currently plays in Taiwan.
7. Greg Monroe
A former Georgetown standout and the seventh overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Greg Monroe was another globally popular who took his talents to the EuroLeague. After 661 NBA games, he signed with FC Bayern Munich in July 2019. Monroe played in 28 EuroLeague games for Bayern during the 2019-20 season and made eight appearances for Khimki Moscow Region early in the 2020-21 campaign .
Monroe was especially impactful in his five years with the Detroit Pistons and two years with the Milwaukee Bucks. However, his career struggled after a trade to the Phoenix Suns, leading to brief stints with the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, and Philadelphia 76ers before finding a much better situation at Bayern. He returned to the NBA in the 2021-22 season, going on to play for the Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Washington Wizards, and Utah Jazz.
8. Serge Ibaka
FC Bayern Munich was also responsible for Serge Ibaka resurfacing in Europe’s premier club continental competition, 12 years after a brief stint with Real Madrid during the 2011 NBA lockout. Signed in September 2023, Ibaka had a brilliant 2023-24 season with the German side before reuniting with Madrid for the 2024-25 season. At 36, he is currently a free agent.
His NBA career was headlined by a 2019 championship run with the Toronto Raptors. He also suited up for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Milwaukee Bucks, and Los Angeles Clippers from 2009 to 2023 after being selected with the 24th overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. Always an important squad member, especially thanks to his defensive talents, Ibaka is a veteran of 1,071 NBA games.
9. Jabari Parker
Drafted with the second pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, Jabari Parker is a huge ‘What if’ story in the NBA, but his journey has taken an entirely different turn in the EuroLeague. After several devastating injuries threatened to derail a promising career, he signed with FC Barcelona in August 2023. After two solid seasons with the Catalan club, he inked a deal with Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade last June and is off to a hot start in the 2025-26 installment of Europe’s premier club continental competition.
In the NBA, Parker spent four years with the Milwaukee Bucks, followed by brief spells with the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards, and Sacramento Kings. Though it’s been three years since his NBA exit, Parker’s market value continues to rise as he bounces back from the setbacks of two ACL tears.
10. Amar’e Stoudemire
Our list wraps up with Amar’e Stoudemire, a six-time NBA All-Star and worldwide basketball icon who played for Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv in six EuroLeague games in 2020. Those appearances, combining with a domestic league championship as the Finals MVP in Israel, marked the end of his playing days.
Stoudemire spent 14 years in the NBA, playing 924 games with the Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, and Dallas Mavericks. Knee issues slowed him toward the end of his career, leading to his retirement in 2016. He then spent three years with Hapoel Jerusalem before finishing his playing career with Maccabi and that’s why his prestige was already a bit down since this was not a move straight from the NBA to the EuroLeague.