By Semih Altınbaş / info@eurohoops.net
Sergio Llull is the current example of what Nikos Galis or Dejan Bodiroga were in the past. A star player, with a great career in Europe, though he decided not to play in the NBA.
With that in mind, the Draft is a great opportunity for many young players to land to the best league in the world, but for one reason or another, the following 15 players who were picked by NBA franchise after the turn of this century never made the leap. Still, they left their mark in the sport while playing in Europe. Obviously, we have left out those with options to sign for NBA franchises in the near future, such as Nikola Milutinov and Vasilije Micic.
Some of the following names have even been first-round picks, though chose to stay in the Old Continent:
Fran Vázquez
Country: Spain
NBA Draft: 2005 / 1st Round, 11th pick – Orlando Magic
Perhaps one of the most unique cases on the list. Fran Vázquez was one of the highest picks on the list and has been chosen ahead of players like Danny Green, Gerald Green, Nate Robinson, or David Lee, who had major roles in the NBA for many years.