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Neil Paine
No summer season Olympics means no Stephen Curry clutch performances, ageless LeBron James performances or alternatives for Kevin Durant to stack up extra gold medals, however there’s nonetheless a means for NBA followers to get their worldwide repair with EuroBasket 2025.
The event, which runs Aug. 27 by means of Sept. 14, will characteristic the French and Serbian squads that Staff USA beat within the knockout rounds of the 2024 Olympics, plus 22 different groups from throughout the continent. Whereas not each European NBA star will play, the overlap between the league and this occasion has by no means been extra vital. Heavyweights like Serbia, Germany, France, Greece and Slovenia may have a number of NBA names on their roster. And with worldwide stars shaping a lot of immediately’s NBA panorama, how these gamers carry out within the league gives the most effective guides to their potential influence at this event — and vice versa.
That is what fuels our rating of the Prime 10 NBA gamers at EuroBasket 2025.
We checked out every participant’s projected efficiency for the 2025-26 NBA season utilizing estimated RAPTOR to mix particular person statistics with a participant’s crew influence for an total measure of participant worth. We then factored in a model of Basketball-Reference’s simple projection system, which accounts for age and previous manufacturing to forecast each offensive and defensive RAPTOR for any participant with NBA minutes over the previous three seasons.
Needless to say these numbers characterize a participant’s projected efficiency for your complete 2025-26 NBA season, so their type may very well be totally different now than will probably be subsequent spring, relying on the growing old curve. Older veterans is perhaps more energizing on this event than they are going to be after 82 video games, whereas youthful gamers might nonetheless be on the upswing.
Groups are nonetheless finalizing rosters, with participation for gamers similar to Giannis Antetokounmpo not yet confirmed, and this rating focuses on gamers who’re at the moment expected to appear.
In any case, the projections give us a transparent thought of who might headline EuroBasket 2025 forward of a giant NBA season, so let’s get to the rating.
Editor’s be aware: This record has been up to date to mirror the affirmation of Lauri Markkanen to Finland’s roster, bumping Nikola Jovic out of the highest 10.
2025-26 age: 30 | Denver Nuggets
2024-25 estimated projections: plus-7.1 offense | plus-1.1 protection | plus-8.2 total
Was there any doubt The Joker would rank No. 1 amongst NBA abilities who might carry the EuroBasket trophy subsequent month? Jokić had the highest RAPTOR throughout the 2024-25 common season, a distinction he has held for 5 consecutive seasons. Now he’ll lead a Serbian squad that could be a heavy favourite to win the event at ESPN BET
and certain further motivated after blowing a 13-point lead heading into the fourth quarter of final summer season’s Olympic semifinal loss to america.
Serbia hasn’t received EuroBasket since 2001, and Jokić wasn’t on the crew that made the ultimate in 2017, so a win can be an opportunity at much more {hardware} for the participant who in any other case has nearly every part else.
2025-26 age: 31 | Milwaukee Bucks
2024-25 estimated projections: plus-5.0 offense | plus-0.7 protection | plus-5.7 total
Antetokounmpo has completed no decrease than fourth in NBA MVP voting for an unbelievable seven straight seasons and has received it twice, although the Bucks have claimed solely a single championship in that span. He finds himself in an identical function with Greece on the worldwide degree: He averaged 25.8 factors on the Olympics final summer season, however his crew completed eighth. And he led all scorers with 29.3 PPG at EuroBasket 2022, however Greece completed fifth.
The crew received this occasion in 2005 and medaled once more in 2009, so, paradoxically, the emergence of the nation’s biggest NBA participant has coincided with mediocre showings at worldwide tournaments. If he will get cleared to play, Antetokounmpo ought to as soon as once more dominate individually.
2025-26 age: 26 | Los Angeles Lakers
2024-25 estimated projections: plus-4.5 offense | plus-0.7 protection | plus-5.2 total
Arguably the most important enchantment of this event for NBA followers is the possibility to see Dončić in significant motion for the primary time since his much-discussed summer season physique transformation. In fact, the statistical forecasts cannot think about these physique adjustments, however they do know that Dončić maintained a comparatively regular model of his influence after his surprising midseason commerce to the Lakers, even when he wasn’t as dominant within the first-round playoff defeat as he had been in main Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals.
After evading a significant injury throughout a current exhibition sport, EuroBasket needs to be Dončić’s typical showcase. He has been a fixture on this stage since enjoying for the gold medal-winning Slovenian crew in 2017 at age 17, and he was the most effective gamers within the 2022 event — an early signal that he was about to take his sport to a good larger degree. Slovenia follows Serbia, Germany and France on the chances board, however one other new-and-improved model of Dončić may very well be the difference-maker.
2025-26 age: 24 | Orlando Magic
2024-25 estimated projections: plus-3.1 offense | plus-0.9 protection | plus-4.0 total
Wagner has lengthy been a fixture on these RAPTOR-based lists, and his presence has aged nicely. Set to show 24 on the opening day of EuroBasket, he’s coming off the very best season of his NBA profession regardless of battling by means of a torn proper indirect at midseason. He has already had success in these worldwide tournaments: He received bronze with Germany at EuroBasket 2022, gold on the 2023 FIBA World Cup then completed fourth on the Olympics final yr.
Whereas Germany’s roster options a number of NBA gamers — and will have had extra if Isaiah Hartenstein and Franz’s brother Moritz weren’t lacking the event — Wagner is the most important motive Germany has the second-best odds to win it. And if his 3-point shot is as improved because the pre-tournament buzz would point out, this may very well be a preview of one other arrow in his quiver for the following NBA season.
2025-26 age: 23 | Houston Rockets
2024-25 estimated projections: plus-1.8 offense | plus-0.6 protection | plus-2.4 total
Şengün has stated he needs to win each EuroBasket 2025 and an NBA championship with the Rockets this season. Houston does look stable sufficient — it has the fifth-best title odds — after including Kevin Durant to a younger core headlined by Şengün and Amen Thompson. However Şengün must elevate his sport early to win the EuroBasket for a Turkish squad that’s tied for seventh to win the event and hasn’t completed higher than eighth since successful silver in 2001.
This will likely be one of many highest-profile worldwide occasions Şengün has performed in, and like with Wagner, will probably be an opportunity to showcase any developments in his taking pictures potential. After hitting solely 23.3% of his photographs from downtown final season, Şengün’s jumper is without doubt one of the few weaknesses left for him to right earlier than leaping into one other tier of younger stars.
2025-26 age: 30 | Atlanta Hawks
2024-25 estimated projections: plus-1.7 offense | plus-0.4 protection | plus-2.2 total
After a profitable stint with the Celtics that helped carry Boston the 2024 NBA title, the one-time “unicorn” turns to the following chapter of his hoops profession. Earlier than he takes the court docket for the Hawks, although, he’ll add to a EuroBasket résumé that has been dormant for almost a decade. A 21-year-old Porziņģis impressed for Latvia in 2017, averaging 23.6 factors and 6.0 rebounds as Latvia completed fifth. This yr’s roster, which additionally options former NBA gamers Dāvis and Dairis Bertāns, has decrease expectations with the ninth-best odds. However Latvia did end fifth within the 2023 FIBA World Cup and is the primary host nation for EuroBasket 2025, which ought to present a bump in Porziņģis’ efficiency.
2025-26 age: 28 | Utah Jazz
2024-25 estimated projections: plus-2.2 offense | minus-0.9 protection | plus-1.3 total
Markkanen was one of many NBA’s most spectacular gamers in each the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, even reaching the extent of efficiency that made him a doable member of a championship-contending core by historical NBA standards. However final season he skilled drops throughout almost all of his metrics, leading to a below-average estimated RAPTOR (minus-0.5). He nonetheless tasks as an above-average participant primarily based on his strengths, however he must bounce again this season to return to that star observe from earlier than. And if his efficiency in pre-tournament friendlies is any indication — he had 42 points and 12 rebounds against Poland earlier within the week — Markkanen is perhaps motivated for an additional massive efficiency within the event.
2025-26 age: 25 | Portland Path Blazers
2024-25 estimated projections: plus-0.7 offense | plus-0.4 protection | plus-1.1 total
Avdija is probably essentially the most underrated participant at this EuroBasket. He made full use of a commerce that despatched him from the Washington Wizards to the Portland Path Blazers this previous summer season, breaking out for brand spanking new profession excessive averages in factors(16.9), rebounds (7.3), assists (3.9), True Capturing share (60.5%), PER (17.7), Win Shares (5.6), estimated RAPTOR (plus-1.7) and WAR (5.1). Hints of additional progress as a shooter and ball handler would show his endurance.
He does have a historical past of massive performances on the worldwide stage: He was MVP of the 2019 FIBA U20 European Championship, hosted in his native Israel, averaging 18.4 factors, 8.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.1 steals and a pair of.4 blocks en path to gold. Although that sort of crew success is unlikely this time round (Israel is tied for the bottom odds within the area), Avdija ought to put up good particular person numbers.
2025-26 age: 25 | Memphis Grizzlies
2024-25 estimated projections: plus-0.4 offense | plus-0.5 protection | plus-0.9 total
Spain is a crew in transition, and Aldama will likely be in the course of all that upheaval. The defending champs have received 4 of the previous six EuroBaskets and completed outdoors the rostrum simply as soon as since 1997 when it completed fourth in 2005. Nonetheless, they slipped to ninth within the 2023 FIBA World Cup and tenth within the 2024 Olympics, because the veterans who powered their golden period have slowed down or been phased out.
Longtime coach Sergio Scariolo — a four-time EuroBasket champion who has largely led this crew since 2009 — will depart after the event. Meaning, with assist from Willy and Juancho Hernangómez, Aldama is without doubt one of the leaders of the following technology of Spain stars. He was some of the improved gamers within the NBA final season, rising from a RAPTOR of minus-1.7 to plus-1.8 on the power of a extra versatile offensive skillset (and with higher expertise to play with on a revitalized Grizzlies squad). Nonetheless, Spain is prone to abdicate its EuroBasket crown, rating a distant sixth on the chances board.
2025-26 age: 26 | Boston Celtics
2024-25 estimated projections: minus-0.4 offense | plus-0.7 protection | plus-0.2 total
Queta posted a powerful plus-4.6 RAPTOR in a really restricted pattern of 333 minutes (11.9 MPG) in 2023-24 however fell to minus-0.1 in an expanded function with 863 minutes in Boston’s crowded middle rotation final season. He did not precisely have the identical on-versus-off-court crew effectivity cut up (plus-9.4 per 100 possessions) he had boasted a yr earlier than. Nonetheless, league-average NBA gamers do not precisely develop on bushes, and this can be a good likelihood for Queta to enhance on a comparatively high-level worldwide stage.
Different gamers to observe: Nikola Vučević, Montenegro (Chicago Bulls); Dennis Schröder, Germany (Sacramento Kings); Moussa Diabaté, France (Charlotte Hornets); Guerschon Yabusele, France (New York Knicks); Bogdan Bogdanović, Serbia (LA Clippers); Pelle Larsson, Sweden (Miami Warmth); Luka Garza, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Boston Celtics)