List of most expensive basketball transfers

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

Contents

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

  1. "Campazzo signing a two-year deal with Denver, Real Madrid to get $6 million buyout". eurohoops.com.
  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". nytimes.com. 22 December 1992.
  9. "Papaloukas leaves CSKA". cskabasket.ru.
  10. "Beverly recalls buyout". fadeawayworld.net.
  11. "Dario Saric' buyout tricky situation". eurohoops.com. 11 October 2014.
  12. "SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Agreement on Petrovic". nytimes.com. 22 August 1989.