List of most expensive basketball transfers

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
1 Yao Ming Shanghai Sharks CBA €12.9 $15 2002
2 Dino Radja Boston Celtics Panathinaikos €8.5 $10 1997 Panathnaikos paid Celtics 2,5 billion in former Greek drachma
3 Stefano Rusconi Pallacanestro Varese 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 Andrea Niccolai BingoSNAI Montecatini Virtus Roma €6 $12 1991 16 billion in former Italian lira or 1100 million in former Spanish peseta
5 Facundo Campazzo Real Madrid Denver Nuggets €5.25 $6 2020 Nuggets officially paid $750k and Campazzo the rest through his contract
6 Carlton Myers Basket Rimini Fortitudo Bologna €4.5 $7.5 1995 12 billion in former Italian lira
7 Riccardo Pittis Olimpia Milano Benetton Treviso €4.5 $8.1 1993 12 billion in former Italian lira
8 Riccardo Morandotti Berloni Torino Scaligera Basket Verona €4 $9 1990 10 billion in former Italian lira
9 Paolo Moretti Scaligera Basket Verona Virtus Bologna €3.8 $8 1992 9 billion in former Italian lira
10 Ricky Rubio Joventut Badalona FC Barcelona €3.7 $5.1 2009
11 Ferdinando Gentile Juvecaserta Basket Stefanel Trieste €3.3 $5.4 1993 8 billion in former Italian lira
- Dominique Wilkins Boston Celtics Panathinaikos €3.3 $3.6 1995
12 Davide Bonora Scaligera Basket Verona Benetton Treviso €3.3 $5 1995 8 billion in former Italian lira
13 Antonello Riva Pallacanestro Cantù Olimpia Milano €3.1 $5.7 1989 7.5 billion in former Italian lira
14 Carlton Myers Victoria Libertas Pesaro Basket Rimini €3.1 $4.7 1994 7.5 billion in former Italian lira
15 Alessandro Fantozzi Basket Livorno Virtus Roma €3.1 $6.25 1991 7.5 billion in former Italian lira
16 Gianluca Basile Pallacanestro Reggiana Fortitudo Bologna €3.1 $3.9 1999 7.5 billion in former Italian lira
17 Milan Gurovic Peristeri FC Barcelona €3 $1.8 1998 600 million in Greek drachma or 500 million in former Spanish peseta
18 Nenad Krstić Triumph Lyubertsy Oklahoma City Thunder €3 $3.7 2008 Thunder officially $500k and the rest $2,5m paid by Scola through his contract
19 Sergio Rodriguez Real Madrid Philadelphia 76ers €3 $3.3 2016
20 Darko Milicic Hemofarm Detroit Pistons €2.6 $3 2003
21 Nikola Mirotić Real Madrid Chicago Bulls €2.5 $3.25 2014
- Donato Avenia Viola Reggio Calabria Virtus Roma €2.5 $5.4 1990 6 billion in former Italian lira
- Stefano Attruia Pallacanestro Pavia Virtus Roma €2.5 $5.4 1990 6 billion in former Italian lira
- Flavio Carera Libertas Liburnia Basket Livorno Virtus Bologna €2.5 $5.4 1992 6 billion in former Italian lira (4 billion plus Leonardo Conti)
26
27 Toni Kukoc Benneton Treviso Chicago Bulls €2.35 $2.5 1993 The reease fee was paid by Kukoc
27 Pau Gasol FC Barcelona Memphis Grizzlies €2.3 $2.5 2001 $2,15 million was paid by his agent and rest $350k by Grizzlies
- Luis Scola Tau Houston Rockets €2.3 $3.2 2007 Rockets officially $500k and the rest $2,7m paid by Scola through his contract
27 Maciej Lampe Real Madrid New York Knicks €2.2 $2 2003 $350k was paid by the Knicks
- Mirza Teletović Saski Baskonia Brooklyn Nets €2.2 $2.8 2012 Majority of the amount was paid by the player himself
29 Hugo Sconochini Viola Reggio Calabria Olimpia Milano €2 $3.7 1993 5.5 billion in former Italian lira
- Šarūnas Jasikevičius Golden State Warriors Panathinaikos Athens €2 $2.7 2007
- Mario Hezonja FC Barcelona Orlando Magic €2 $2.2 2015
- Victor Claver Valencia Basket FC Barcelona €2 $2.2 2016
- Alex Abrines FC Barcelona Oklahoma City Thunder €2 $2.2 2016
- Tomáš Satoranský FC Barcelona Washington Wizards €2 $2.3 2016
35 Toni Kukoc KK Split Benneton Treviso €1.9 $2 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 CSKA Moscow Olympiacos €1.8 $2.8 2008
- Raül López Joventut Badalona Real Madrid €1.8 $1.9 2000 275 million in former Spanish peseta
- Davide Pessina Pallacanestro Cantù Olimpia Milano €1.8 $3.6 1991 5 billion in former Italian lira
- Nino Pellacani Auxilium Pallacanestro Torino Benetton Treviso €1.8 $3.6 1991 5 billion in former Italian lira
- Brad Oleson Baloncesto Fuenlabrada Real Madrid €1.8 $2.5 2009
- Carlos Jiménez CB Estudiantes Baloncesto Málaga €1.8 $2.3 2006
39 Jorge Garbajosa Baloncesto Málaga Toronto Raptors €1.7 $2.25 2006 Majority of the fee was paid by the player and his agent
40 Alberto Herreros CB Estudiantes Real Madrid €1.5 $1.6 2001 350 million in former Spanish peseta or 500 million in Greek drachma
- Kostas Papanikolaou Olympiacos FC Barcelona €1.5 $2 2013 400 million in Greek drachma
- Juan Carlos Navarro Memphis Grizzlies FC Barcelona €1.5 $2.3 2008
- Goran Dragic Saski Baskonia Phoenix Suns €1.5 $2.3 2008 Suns officially paid $500k and Dragic the rest through his contract
- Felipe Reyes CB Estudiantes Real Madrid €1.5 $1.8 2004
- Iñaki de Miguel CB Estudiantes Olympiacos] €1.5 $1.6 1999 252 million in former Spanish peseta or 400 million in former Greek drachma
44 Ricky Rubio FC Barcelona Minnesota Timberwolves €1.4 $1.9 2011
- Gregor Fucka Olimpia Milano Fortitudo Bologna €1.4 $1.7 1997 3.5 billion in former Italian lira
46 Milos Teodosic Zeleznik Olympiacos €1.3 $1.7 2007
- Thodoris Papaloukas Panionios Olympiacos €1.3 $1.4 2001
- Bogdan Bogdanovic KK Partizan Fenerbahce €1.3 $1.7 2014
- Milos Teodosic Olympiacos CSKA Moscow €1.3 $1.8 2011
- Bo McCalebb Siena Fenerbahce €1.3 $1.6 2012
49 Patrick Beverley Spartak St Petersburg Houston Rockets €1.2 $1.6 2013 Rockets officially paid $250k and the rest $1.35m paid by Beverley through his contract
- José Antonio Paraíso Caceres Valencia Pamesa €1.2 $1.25 2001 275 million in former Spanish peseta
- Andrea Meneghin Pallacanestro Varese Climamio Bologna €1.2 $1.5 2000 3 billion in former Italian lira
- Dario Saric KK Cibona Efes Pilsen €1.2 $1.5 2014
- Nemanja Bjelica Fenerbahçe Minnesota Timberwolves €1.2 $1.5 2015
- Pablo Prigioni Tau Real Madrid €1.2 $1.7 2009
- Drazen Petrovic Real Madrid] Portland Trail Blazers €1.1 $1.15 1989 Blazers paid the fee and also agreed to play two exhibition games in Spain.

See also