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By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
After we presented the 10 most sought after American free agents in the Euroleague, it’s time to present the 10 most sought after Europeans as well. We are talking about players that have been tried and tested and are now targets of any team with big ambitions and whose cache is incredibly high.
In this category are inevitably included those American players that are however deemed Europeans since they are holders of community passports and of course those whose contracts are exhausted and not those who have release clauses. In addition to the Top 10, the following players deserve an honorable mention: Pau Ribas, Paulius Jankunas, Antoine Diot, Bo McCalebb, Vladimir Micov, Gal Mekel and Krunoslav Simon.
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[lptitle title=”10. Giannis Bourousis“]
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The Greek center has been sidelined in Real Madrid, is now playing a minimum of minutes and it is not too hard to tell that he doesn’t have a future in the team. Nonetheless he is the main center of the Greek national team, he has proven over many years that he is one of the best bigmen in the Euroleague and it is a given that once he is out on the market he will have very substantial propositions falling into his lap. His name has been mentioned for the ambitious AEK, however it is not at all certain whether he will return to Greece.
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[lptitle title=”9. Nikos Zisis”]
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Another experienced Greek and indeed a classic point guard, a position for which quality options are very few in Europe. The fact that Fenerbahce acquired him midseason in order to tidy things up in the team says a lot. It’s a given that he can help any team with high goals, he knows how to adapt his game according to the demands that are in place and he is always a positive presence in the locker room.
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[lptitle title=”8. Jayson Granger”]
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The Uruguayan with the Italian passport has managed to steal the show with his performances in the Euroleague and the Spanish championship, his name is already being heard as a possible target of Barcelona and he is by far Malaga’s most important player. His team will try to keep him but it’s a fact that there is interest in him from many and who will ultimately acquire him doesn’t seem like a simple matter.
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[lptitle title=”7. Kostas Sloukas“]
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The time has come for his first “big” contract, the contacts that have been made since last summer with Olympiacos did not result in a new agreement and it is a given that he will be in demand. He is a part of the core of the ‘red-and-whites’, he has shown that he can be an investment for the future and the post-Spanoulis era, and theoretically he is his team’s top priority. There have already been scenarios that involve him with other teams as well, but nothing is yet established or official.
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[lptitle title=”6. Dimitris Diamantidis”]
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In theory ‘3D’ could be at a much higher number than he is. Even now when he cannot take on everyone on his own, the best passer in the history of the Euroleague has a place on any roster. The thing is that the renewal of his contract with Panathinaikos will probably be a formality as it has always been since he joined the Athenian team.
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[lptitle title=”5. Zoran Erceg”]
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Throughout the season there were reports that wanted him leaving Galatasaray, he had an excellent season in the Euroleague and then he too was lost in the overall mediocrity and the problems of his team. There isn’t a better shooter at his height in Europe, he is an excellent power forward and he will definitely have very substantial propositions.
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[lptitle title=”4. Marcelinho Huertas”]
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He is Brazilian but he has an Italian passport. He himself has openly stated that he is looking at the NBA as well, Barcelona is considering other cases of guards, so his case has a long way until it gets somewhere. At a time when real quality playmakers are rare, Huertas is possibly the most reliable solution on the market for this particular position and this means that whoever wants someone who can lead them to the final four is going to knock on his door.
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[lptitle title=”3. Ante Tomic”]
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A player of enduring value when it comes to Euroleague centers, the best passer among the Euroleague’s post players and a player who is very likely to not be on this list. It has been written that there has already been an agreement for the renewal of his contract with Barcelona, so don’t be surprised if soon there are announcements with him definitively deciding that he is no longer interested in the NBA and the Utah Jazz.
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[lptitle title=”2. Artsiom Parakhouski”]
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One of the new stars showcased in the “Cinderella” Nizhny. The Belarusian is the player in this Top ten who has the lowest cache as the starting point, but this is expected to change soon. It has been rumored that CSKA is interested in his case – something that is quite reasonable – but it is still very early and the summer is long. He proved this year that he can stand up to any opponent.
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[lptitle title=”1. Boban Marjanovic”]
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For the first time after many years we saw a center dictating his team’s game and everything revolving around him. It was his year and despite the question marks that will follow him around when he leaves Crvena Zvezda, at the moment there isn’t a “hotter” name on the market. The negative side of this case is that he is heading to the NBA, so for the time being the Euroleague is put on ice for him.
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