List of Top Paid European Basketball Players
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:08 pm
Current list of the top 30 paid professional basketball players in Europe
When player salaries are equal per season, the players are ranked based on the length of their contracts.
Buyout amounts listed for Sarunas Jasikevicius and Vassilis Spanoulis are the amounts of money netted by the player in salary from the NBA after their contract releases. They are not an amount of money paid to the NBA team to release them.
Top 30 current salaries (players making above the full NBA MLE currently are in bold print with an asterisk, players making equal to the full NBA MLE are in bold print with no asterisk):
1. Josh Childress* (Olympiacos Piraeus): 4.5 million euros per year (3 years 13.5 million euros)
2. Sarunas Jasikevicius* (Panathinaikos Athens): 3.73 million euros per year (3 years 11.2 million euros) (3 years 10.5 million euros salary, plus 700K euros buyout salary) - third year is an option year
3. Theodoros Papaloukas* (Olympiacos Piraeus). 3.5 million euros per year (3 years 10.5 million euros)
4. Bostjan Nachbar* (Dynamo Moscow): 3 million euros per year (3 years 9 million euros)
5. Jorge Garbajosa* (Khimki): 3.0 million euros per year (2 years 6 million euros)
5. Nenad Krtsic* (Triumph): 3.0 million euros per year (2 years 6 million euros)
7. Carlos Delfino* (Khimki): 2.833 million euros per year (3 years 8.5 million euros)
8. Matjaz Smodis* (CSKA Moscow): 2.5 million euros per year (3 years 7.5 million euros)
9. Ramunas Siskauskas* (CSKA Moscow): 2.5 million euros per year (2 years 5 million euros)
10. Juan Carlos Navarro* (Barcelona): 2.4 million euros per year (5 years 12 million euros)
11. Fran Vazquez* (Barcelona): 2.333 million euros per year (3 years 7 million euros)
12. Arvydas Macijauskas* (Olympiacos Piraeus): 2.25 million euros per year (4 years 9 million euros)
13. Nikola Vujcic* (Olympiacos Piraeus). 2.25 million euros per year (2 years 4.5 million euros)
13. Lynn Greer* (Olympiacos Piraeus): 2.25 million euros per year (2 years 4.5 million euros)
15. Nikos Zisis* (CSKA Moscow): 2.2 million euros per year (3 years 6.6 million euros)
16. Earl Boykins* (Virtus Bologna): 2.2 million euros per year (1 year 2.2 million euros)
17. Vassilis Spanoulis* (Panathinaikos Athens) 2.076 million euros per year (3 years 6.230 million euros) (3 years 5.5 million euros salary, plus 730K euros buyout salary)
18. Felipe Reyes (Real Madrid): 2.0 million euros per year (5 years 10 million euros)
19. Viktor Khryapa (CSKA Moscow): 2.0 million euros per year (4.5 years 9 million euros)
20. David Andersen (Barcelona): 2.0 million euros per year (3 years 6 million euros)
20. Darjus Lavrinovic (Dynamo Moscow) 2.0 million euros per year (3 years 6 million euros)
20. Aleksey Savrasenko (CSKA Moscow) 2.0 million euros per year (3 years 6 million euros)
20. Lazaros Papadopoulos (Real Madrid): 2.0 million euros per year (3 years 6 million euros)
20. Zoran Planinic (CSKA Moscow): 2.0 million euros per year (3 years 6 million euros)
20. Sergei Monia (Dynamo Moscow): 2.0 million euros per year (3 years 6 million euros)
20. Tiago Splitter (TAU Vitoria): 2.0 million euros per year (3 years 6 million euros)
20. Ersan İlyasova (Barcelona): 2.0 million euros per year (3 years 6 million euros)
20. John Robert Holden (CSKA Moscow): 2.0 million euros per year (3 years 6 million euros)
29. Dimitris Diamantidis (Panathinaikos Athens): 1.9 million euros per year (3 years 5.7 million euros)
30. Mike Batiste (Panathinaikos Athens): 1.833 million euros per year (3 years 5.5 million euros)
It took a hell of a long time to track all of this down and to get actual amounts in some cases because of conflicting reports and also to pinpoint some issues like contract buyouts and how everything works. These are the final figures though once these guys signed contracts, which is not to be confused with some sources that list different figures, but were reporting negotiations or offers, not the actual signed amounts.
Since there is a lot of debate about this topic right now I just wanted to post this for everyone's information. Keep in mind the euro is worth about 1.6 US dollars currently and also keep in mind that these amounts are NET contracts, not gross amounts listed like NBA contracts are listed in gross amounts. A 2 million euros contract listed here is equal to the full NBA MLE. Because the exchange rate is about 1.6 dollars = 1 euro and because of the difference between net and gross salaries. Because NBA contracts are gross and these are net.
The average tax rate for state and federal taxes across all the NBA cities came to 42% tax rate for NBA player salaries. This is the federal tax bracket of the average NBA salary and the average state tax across all NBA cities. Thus, a full NBA MLE contract of about $5.5 million gross salary is about the same as a 2.0 million euros net salary.
Keep in mind many people here keep arguing that players would still pay taxes in Europe. These salaries in Europe are the after tax amount. That is all it means. The net salary. It's just the NBA reports their salaries as gross. So yes, even though a guy like Lynn Greer still has to pay US federal taxes out of his Euro salary, you do NOT deduct taxes from the amount listed here because this is his AFTER TAX salary that is listed in Europe.
28 players in Europe are currently making equal to the full NBA MLE and 17 players in Europe are currently making MORE than the full NBA MLE.
So we have these European players making equal to the full NBA MLE:
Felipe Reyes
Viktor Khryapa
David Andersen
Aleksey Savrasenko
Lazaros Papadopoulos
Zoran Planinic
Sergei Monia
Tiago Splitter
Ersan İlyasova
Darjus Lavrinovic
JR Holden
And we have these European players making more than the full NBA MLE:
Josh Childress
Sarunas Jasikevicius
Theodoros Papaloukas
Bostjan Nachbar
Jorge Garbajosa
Nenad Krstic
Carlos Delfino
Matjaz Smodis
Ramunas Siskauskas
Juan Carlos Navarro
Fran Vazquez
Arvydas Macijauskas
Nikola Vujcic
Lynn Greer
Nikos Zisis
Earl Boykins
Vassilis Spanoulis
OK, so now that we have some better grasp of the salary situation, let's debate how we all think this will affect the NBA.
When player salaries are equal per season, the players are ranked based on the length of their contracts.
Buyout amounts listed for Sarunas Jasikevicius and Vassilis Spanoulis are the amounts of money netted by the player in salary from the NBA after their contract releases. They are not an amount of money paid to the NBA team to release them.
Top 30 current salaries (players making above the full NBA MLE currently are in bold print with an asterisk, players making equal to the full NBA MLE are in bold print with no asterisk):
1. Josh Childress* (Olympiacos Piraeus): 4.5 million euros per year (3 years 13.5 million euros)
2. Sarunas Jasikevicius* (Panathinaikos Athens): 3.73 million euros per year (3 years 11.2 million euros) (3 years 10.5 million euros salary, plus 700K euros buyout salary) - third year is an option year
3. Theodoros Papaloukas* (Olympiacos Piraeus). 3.5 million euros per year (3 years 10.5 million euros)
4. Bostjan Nachbar* (Dynamo Moscow): 3 million euros per year (3 years 9 million euros)
5. Jorge Garbajosa* (Khimki): 3.0 million euros per year (2 years 6 million euros)
5. Nenad Krtsic* (Triumph): 3.0 million euros per year (2 years 6 million euros)
7. Carlos Delfino* (Khimki): 2.833 million euros per year (3 years 8.5 million euros)
8. Matjaz Smodis* (CSKA Moscow): 2.5 million euros per year (3 years 7.5 million euros)
9. Ramunas Siskauskas* (CSKA Moscow): 2.5 million euros per year (2 years 5 million euros)
10. Juan Carlos Navarro* (Barcelona): 2.4 million euros per year (5 years 12 million euros)
11. Fran Vazquez* (Barcelona): 2.333 million euros per year (3 years 7 million euros)
12. Arvydas Macijauskas* (Olympiacos Piraeus): 2.25 million euros per year (4 years 9 million euros)
13. Nikola Vujcic* (Olympiacos Piraeus). 2.25 million euros per year (2 years 4.5 million euros)
13. Lynn Greer* (Olympiacos Piraeus): 2.25 million euros per year (2 years 4.5 million euros)
15. Nikos Zisis* (CSKA Moscow): 2.2 million euros per year (3 years 6.6 million euros)
16. Earl Boykins* (Virtus Bologna): 2.2 million euros per year (1 year 2.2 million euros)
17. Vassilis Spanoulis* (Panathinaikos Athens) 2.076 million euros per year (3 years 6.230 million euros) (3 years 5.5 million euros salary, plus 730K euros buyout salary)
18. Felipe Reyes (Real Madrid): 2.0 million euros per year (5 years 10 million euros)
19. Viktor Khryapa (CSKA Moscow): 2.0 million euros per year (4.5 years 9 million euros)
20. David Andersen (Barcelona): 2.0 million euros per year (3 years 6 million euros)
20. Darjus Lavrinovic (Dynamo Moscow) 2.0 million euros per year (3 years 6 million euros)
20. Aleksey Savrasenko (CSKA Moscow) 2.0 million euros per year (3 years 6 million euros)
20. Lazaros Papadopoulos (Real Madrid): 2.0 million euros per year (3 years 6 million euros)
20. Zoran Planinic (CSKA Moscow): 2.0 million euros per year (3 years 6 million euros)
20. Sergei Monia (Dynamo Moscow): 2.0 million euros per year (3 years 6 million euros)
20. Tiago Splitter (TAU Vitoria): 2.0 million euros per year (3 years 6 million euros)
20. Ersan İlyasova (Barcelona): 2.0 million euros per year (3 years 6 million euros)
20. John Robert Holden (CSKA Moscow): 2.0 million euros per year (3 years 6 million euros)
29. Dimitris Diamantidis (Panathinaikos Athens): 1.9 million euros per year (3 years 5.7 million euros)
30. Mike Batiste (Panathinaikos Athens): 1.833 million euros per year (3 years 5.5 million euros)
It took a hell of a long time to track all of this down and to get actual amounts in some cases because of conflicting reports and also to pinpoint some issues like contract buyouts and how everything works. These are the final figures though once these guys signed contracts, which is not to be confused with some sources that list different figures, but were reporting negotiations or offers, not the actual signed amounts.
Since there is a lot of debate about this topic right now I just wanted to post this for everyone's information. Keep in mind the euro is worth about 1.6 US dollars currently and also keep in mind that these amounts are NET contracts, not gross amounts listed like NBA contracts are listed in gross amounts. A 2 million euros contract listed here is equal to the full NBA MLE. Because the exchange rate is about 1.6 dollars = 1 euro and because of the difference between net and gross salaries. Because NBA contracts are gross and these are net.
The average tax rate for state and federal taxes across all the NBA cities came to 42% tax rate for NBA player salaries. This is the federal tax bracket of the average NBA salary and the average state tax across all NBA cities. Thus, a full NBA MLE contract of about $5.5 million gross salary is about the same as a 2.0 million euros net salary.
Keep in mind many people here keep arguing that players would still pay taxes in Europe. These salaries in Europe are the after tax amount. That is all it means. The net salary. It's just the NBA reports their salaries as gross. So yes, even though a guy like Lynn Greer still has to pay US federal taxes out of his Euro salary, you do NOT deduct taxes from the amount listed here because this is his AFTER TAX salary that is listed in Europe.
28 players in Europe are currently making equal to the full NBA MLE and 17 players in Europe are currently making MORE than the full NBA MLE.
So we have these European players making equal to the full NBA MLE:
Felipe Reyes
Viktor Khryapa
David Andersen
Aleksey Savrasenko
Lazaros Papadopoulos
Zoran Planinic
Sergei Monia
Tiago Splitter
Ersan İlyasova
Darjus Lavrinovic
JR Holden
And we have these European players making more than the full NBA MLE:
Josh Childress
Sarunas Jasikevicius
Theodoros Papaloukas
Bostjan Nachbar
Jorge Garbajosa
Nenad Krstic
Carlos Delfino
Matjaz Smodis
Ramunas Siskauskas
Juan Carlos Navarro
Fran Vazquez
Arvydas Macijauskas
Nikola Vujcic
Lynn Greer
Nikos Zisis
Earl Boykins
Vassilis Spanoulis
OK, so now that we have some better grasp of the salary situation, let's debate how we all think this will affect the NBA.