List of most expensive basketball transfers
Appearance
The following is a list of most expensive basketball transfers, which presents the highest fees ever paid for
players
..
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
Rank | Player | From | To | Fee ( M € )
|
Fee ( M $ )
|
Year | Notes | |
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1 | ![]() |
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€12.9 | $15[citation needed] | 2002 | ||
2 | ![]() |
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€8.5 | $10 | 1997 | Panathnaikos paid Celtics 2,5 billion in former Greek drachma | |
3 | ![]() |
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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 | ![]() |
BingoSNAI Montecatini
|
Virtus Roma
|
€6 | $12 | 1991 | 16 billion in former Italian lira or 1100 million in former Spanish peseta | |
5 | ![]() |
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€5.25 | $6 | 2020 | Nuggets officially paid $750k and Campazzo the rest through his contract[1] | |
6 | ![]() |
Basket Rimini
|
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€4.5 | $7.5 | 1995 | 12 billion in former Italian lira | |
7 | ![]() |
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Benetton Treviso
|
€4.5 | $8.1 | 1993 | 12 billion in former Italian lira | |
8 | ![]() |
Berloni Torino
|
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€4 | $9 | 1990 | 10 billion in former Italian lira | |
9 | ![]() |
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€3.8 | $8 | 1992 | 9 billion in former Italian lira | |
10 | ![]() |
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€3.7[2] | $5.1 | 2009 | ||
11 | ![]() |
Juvecaserta Basket
|
Stefanel Trieste
|
€3.3 | $5.4 | 1993 | 8 billion in former Italian lira | |
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€3.3 | $3.6[3] | 1995 | ||
12 | ![]() |
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Benetton Treviso
|
€3.3 | $5 | 1995 | 8 billion in former Italian lira | |
13 | ![]() |
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€3.1 | $5.7 | 1989 | 7.5 billion in former Italian lira | |
14 | ![]() |
Victoria Libertas Pesaro
|
Basket Rimini
|
€3.1 | $4.7 | 1994 | 7.5 billion in former Italian lira | |
15 | ![]() |
Basket Livorno
|
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€3.1 | $6.25 | 1991 | 7.5 billion in former Italian lira | |
16 | ![]() |
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Fortitudo Bologna
|
€3.1 | $3.9 | 1999 | 7.5 billion in former Italian lira | |
17 | ![]() |
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€3 | $1.8 | 1998 | 600 million in Greek drachma or 500 million in former Spanish peseta | |
18 | ![]() |
Triumph Lyubertsy
|
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€3 | $3.7 | 2008 | Thunder officially $500k and the rest $2,5m paid by Scola through his contract | |
19 | ![]() |
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€3 | $3.3 | 2016 | ||
20 | Darko Milicic
|
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€2.6[4] | $3 | 2003 | ||
21 | ![]() |
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€2.5 | $3.25 | 2014 | ||
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€2.5 | $5.4 | 1990 | 6 billion in former Italian lira | |
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€2.5 | $5.4 | 1990 | 6 billion in former Italian lira | |
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€2.5 | $5.4 | 1992 | 6 billion in former Italian lira (4 billion plus Leonardo Conti) | |
26 | ||||||||
27 | Toni Kukoc
|
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€2.35 | $2.5[5] | 1993 | The reease fee was paid by Kukoc | |
27 | ![]() |
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€2.3 | $2.5 | 2001 | $2,15 million was paid by his agent and rest $350k by Grizzlies | |
- | ![]() |
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€2.3 | $3.2 | 2007 | Rockets officially $500k and the rest $2,7m paid by Scola through his contract[citation needed] | |
27 | ![]() |
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€2.2 | $2 | 2003 | $350k was paid by the Knicks | |
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€2.2[6] | $2.8 | 2012 | Majority of the amount was paid by the player himself | |
29 | ![]() |
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€2 | $3.7 | 1993 | 5.5 billion in former Italian lira | |
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€2 | $2.7 | 2007 | ||
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€2[7] | $2.2 | 2015 | ||
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€2 | $2.2 | 2016 | ||
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€2 | $2.2 | 2016 | ||
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€2 | $2.3 | 2016 | ||
35 | Toni Kukoc
|
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€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 | Thodoris Papaloukas
|
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€1.8[9] | $2.8 | 2008 | ||
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€1.8 | $1.9 | 2000 | 275 million in former Spanish peseta | |
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€1.8 | $3.6 | 1991 | 5 billion in former Italian lira | |
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Benetton Treviso
|
€1.8 | $3.6 | 1991 | 5 billion in former Italian lira | |
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€1.8 | $2.5 | 2009 | ||
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€1.8 | $2.3 | 2006 | ||
39 | ![]() |
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€1.7 | $2.25 | 2006 | Majority of the fee was paid by the player and his agent | |
40 | ![]() |
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€1.5 | $1.6 | 2001 | 350 million in former Spanish peseta or 500 million in Greek drachma | |
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€1.5 | $2 | 2013 | 400 million in Greek drachma | |
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€1.5 | $2.3 | 2008 | ||
- | Goran Dragic
|
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€1.5 | $2.3 | 2008 | Suns officially paid $500k and Dragic the rest through his contract | |
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€1.5 | $1.8 | 2004 | ||
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€1.5 | $1.6 | 1999 | 252 million in former Spanish peseta or 400 million in former Greek drachma | |
44 | ![]() |
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€1.4 | $1.9 | 2011 | ||
- | Gregor Fucka
|
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Fortitudo Bologna
|
€1.4 | $1.7 | 1997 | 3.5 billion in former Italian lira | |
46 | Milos Teodosic
|
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€1.3 | $1.7 | 2007 | ||
- | Thodoris Papaloukas
|
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€1.3 | $1.4 | 2001 | ||
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Fenerbahce
|
€1.3 | $1.7 | 2014 | ||
- | Milos Teodosic
|
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€1.3 | $1.8 | 2011 | ||
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Siena
|
Fenerbahce
|
€1.3 | $1.6 | 2012 | ||
49 | ![]() |
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€1.2 | $1.6 | 2013 | Rockets officially paid $250k and the rest $1.35m paid by Beverley through his contract[10] | |
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€1.2 | $1.25 | 2001 | 275 million in former Spanish peseta | |
- | ![]() |
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Climamio Bologna
|
€1.2 | $1.5 | 2000 | 3 billion in former Italian lira | |
- | Dario Saric
|
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€1.2[11] | $1.5 | 2014 | ||
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€1.2 | $1.5 | 2015 | ||
- | ![]() |
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€1.2 | $1.7 | 2009 | ||
- | Drazen Petrovic
|
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€1.1 | $1.15[12] | 1989 | Blazers paid the fee and also agreed to play two exhibition games in Spain. |
See also
- List of most expensive American soccer transfers
- List of most expensive association football transfers
- List of basketball players with most career points
References
- ^ "Campazzo signing a two-year deal with Denver, Real Madrid to get $6 million buyout". eurohoops.com. 21 November 2020.
- ^ "Ricky al Barça, el traspaso más caro de la historia" (in Spanish). marca.com.
- ^ "Wilkins says goodbye Boston, hello Greece - Tampa Bay Times". tampabay.com. 13 August 1995.
- ^ "ESPN.com: NBA - Hemofarm lowers Milicic buyout request". 6 July 2003.
- ^ "KUKOC ANXIOUS TO START LIFE WITH THE BULLS". chicagotribune.com. 17 July 1993.
- ^ "How Mirza Teletovic sacrificed millions to play for the Nets". netsdaily.com. 24 July 2015.
- ^ "Agent: Magic draft pick Mario Hezonja, Barcelona agree to buyout". si.com. 25 June 2016.
- ^ "American Dream : A Star in Italy, Kukoc". The New York Times. 22 December 1992.
- ^ "Papaloukas leaves CSKA". cskabasket.ru.
- ^ "Beverly recalls buyout". fadeawayworld.net. 27 December 2022.
- ^ "Dario Saric' buyout tricky situation". eurohoops.com. 11 October 2014.
- ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Agreement on Petrovic". The New York Times. 22 August 1989.