With very few options available on the big men market in the EuroLeague, several European teams are starting to look with more attention towards the NBA market to find alternatives. Which current NBA free agent big men might make the jump to EuroLeague basketball?
The EuroLeague market, especially for big men, is extremely complicated to navigate.
There are a few truly dominant players, and obviously, the teams that have them under contract want to hold on to them.
When one of these players' contracts expires, a bidding war usually ensues to secure their services.
Just think of Nikola Milutinov. The Serbian big man was coming to the end of his contract with Olympiacos Piraeus and, until recently, seemed destined to leave the Greek club.
Milutinov had reached an agreement in principle with Olimpia Milano to join Ettore Messina's team.
However, within a few days, Olympiacos suffered a major setback when Moustapha Fall sustained a serious Achilles tendon injury that will sideline him for the entire upcoming season.
Shortly afterward, rivals Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, also in need of a big man to rotate with Lessort, made a lucrative three-year offer to Milutinov, putting additional pressure on Olympiacos, which had already lost Moses Wright to Zalgiris Kaunas.
At that point, Olympiacos made a significant three-year offer to Milutinov, convincing him to stay in Piraeus.
There are now few quality big men left on the EuroLeague market, and many have already found a home.
With many free agents in that position already signed and other names currently under contract that their respective clubs have no intention of releasing, the names available on the market are dwindling for teams looking to strengthen their frontcourt.
For this reason, several EuroLeague clubs are looking to the NBA to see which players might become available.
Let's take a look at which big men could make the move from the NBA to Europe.
Alex Len
Credit ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix
After spending last season between the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers, Alex Len is a free agent on the NBA market.
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Orazio Cauchi
Orazio Cauchi started his career in basketball at 21, having worked for several years at Sportando as the lead writer of the website. He also covered several live events, including the Euroleague Final Four, Italian Cups, Serie A league finals, and EuroBasket. He also contributed to American media, such as LibertyBallers and Def Pen Hoops. Cauchi joined BasketNews in 2021 as a Staff Writer. Holds a degree in Politics & International Relations.
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