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By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
The “European borders” for the NBA opened in the early ‘90s and after the boom in the early ‘00s, every summer many European players travel overseas and many of them have a great career in the best league in the world. So who has the best chances to play in the NBA next season among the Euroleague stars?
Eurohoops chooses the Top 10 of the Euroleague players who are closer to the NBA according to their skills, the interest from NBA teams, their age and their contract’s clauses. For example we could include to this list also Bogdan Bogdanovic but he signed with Fenerbahce last summer a contract without any NBA out clauses for this year. He has many chances to make it, but not this summer.
In our Top 10 there aren’t American players who spend their season in the Euroleague because it’s hard to predict who may get a really good offer from an NBA team and come back home. Almost every American has the return to the States in his mind, but almost everybody recognizes that they will earn more money in Europe.
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[lptitle title=”Dario Saric (Anadolu Efes)”]
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Drafted 2014 No.12 (Orlando Magic) NBA rights owners: Philadelphia 76ers
He was considered as one of the biggest European prospects since his “childhood”. Sixers picked Saric last summer, he has a great season in the highest level of the European basketball with Efes but it’s unlikely to leave Turkey earlier than the summer of 2016. The Croatian forward signed a three-year deal with Efes last June and despite his quotes about the NBA – “I will play in Philadelphia. I am not a liar. I think we can talk about that to my Turkish team after this season” – he will probably travel later overseas. He explained it clearly: “I think it was the best route for me, to stay two years in Europe, to get more experience, and bring my basketball to another level”.
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[lptitle title=”Nemanja Bjelica (Fenerbahce)”]
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Drafted 2010 No. 35 Washington Wizards NBA rights owners: Minnesota Timberwolves
Nemanja Bjelica was drafted at his 22 years of age when he was still a talent and not a top class all-around player. Wolves have his NBA rights and watched him a lot during this season. His contract with Fenerbahce ends the summer of 2016, but don’t exclude the possibility to leave Turkey if he gets a very good offer in few months. He hasn’t the usual skills that the NBA teams love in Europeans but his basketball IQ can be more than appreciated.
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[lptitle title=”Alex Abrines (Barcelona)”]
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Drafted 2013 No. 32 Oklahoma City Thunder
This is his first season as a starter in a top class Euroleague team and he is doing pretty well. He’s athletic, has the instinct of a scorer and can be compared to Rudy Fernandez. All these years with Barcelona, he has grown up steadily and at his 21 years of age, he isn’t considered any more as a prospect. He’s a starter and from now on he can start thinking the next step. His contract ends in the summer of 2016.
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[lptitle title=”Mario Hezonja (Barcelona)”]
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Undrafted
He’s just 19 years old and the only undrafted player in this list. The NBA scouts follow him during the last years but he wants to become a leader with Barcelona and then move to the NBA. This summer he’s expected to be selected and probably he will think again his career overseas. This is his first season in the top European level and he has all the skills to make a career in the NBA.
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