# List of Serbian NBA players

The following is a list of Serbian basketball players that play or have played in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The first American player of Serbian descent to play in the NBA was Bato Govedarica, who played 23 games for the Syracuse Nationals during the 1953–54 NBA season. Dražen Dalipagić was the first player to come from Serbia to be on trial with an NBA team, with the Boston Celtics in 1976, but, despite general manager Red Auerbach calling him an "NBA star material", he wasn't signed due to his "inability to communicate with the coach and his fellow players". Center Vlade Divac and forward Žarko Paspalj were the first Serbian players to play in the NBA, in the 1989–90 season. In his second season, Divac became the first Serb to play in the NBA finals. In 2004, Darko Miličić became the first basketball player from Serbia to win an NBA championship. Since then, Predrag Stojaković, Ognjen Kuzmić, Nemanja Bjelica, and Nikola Jokić won the league in 2011, 2015, 2022, and 2023, respectively.
Nikola Jokić is the Serbian player with most NBA honours and is the first Serb, and only the third European, to win the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. In 2022, Jokić was named the NBA MVP for the second year in a row, becoming the 13th player to win the award in consecutive seasons, as well as the second European player to win the award more than once, joining Giannis Antetokounmpo. In 2024, Jokić became the first non-American player to win the MVP award three times. In 2023, he became the first Serbian to be named Finals MVP.

## Active players

The following is a list of current NBA players.
    Note: This list is correct through the start of the 2024–25 season.
| Entry Year | Player | Draft Year (Pick) | Drafted by | Current team | Former team(s) (Years) | Se. | SGP | PGP | Honours |
| 2015 | Nikola Jokić | 2014 (#41) | Denver Nuggets | Denver Nuggets (2015–present) | None | 9 | 675 | 80 | 49 honours NBA champion (2023) NBA MVP (2021, 2022, 2024) Finals MVP (2023) Conference Finals MVP (2023) All-Star (2019–2025) All-NBA First Team (2019, 2021, 2022, 2024) All-NBA Second Team (2020, 2023) Rookie First Team (2016) 8× Player of the Month 17× Player of the Week Rising Stars (2016, 2017) Skills Challenge (2017, 2019) |
| 2017 | Bogdan Bogdanović | 2014 (#27) | Phoenix Suns | Los Angeles Clippers (2025–present) | 2 teams Sacramento Kings (2017–2020) Atlanta Hawks (2020–2025) | 7 | 449 | 28 | 4 honours Rookie Second Team (2018) Rising Stars MVP (2018) Rising Stars (2018, 2019) |
| 2022 | Nikola Jović | 2022 (#27) | Miami Heat | Miami Heat (2022–present) | None | 2 | 61 | 12 | — |
| 2023 | Vasilije Micić | 2014 (#52) | Philadelphia 76ers | Phoenix Suns (2025–present) | 2 teams Oklahoma City Thunder (2023–2024) Charlotte Hornets (2024–2025) | 1 | 60 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | Tristan Vukčević | 2023 (#42) | Washington Wizards | Washington Wizards (2024–present) | None | 1 | 10 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | Nikola Topić | 2024 (#12) | Oklahoma City Thunder | Oklahoma City Thunder (2024–present) | None | – | – | – | — |
| 2024 | Nikola Đurišić | 2024 (#43) | Miami Heat | Atlanta Hawks (2024–present) | None | – | – | – | — |

## Former players

The following is a list of former NBA players.
| Years | Player | Draft Year (Pick) | Drafted by | Team(s) (Years) | Se. | SGP | PGP | Honours |
| 1989–2005 | Vlade Divac | 1989 (#26) | Los Angeles Lakers | 3 teams Los Angeles Lakers (1989–1996) Charlotte Hornets (1996–1998) Sacramento Kings (1998–2004) Los Angeles Lakers (2004–2005) | 16 | 1134 | 121 | 6 honours Hall of Fame (2019) All-Star (2001) J. Walter Kennedy Award (2000) Rookie First Team (1990) No. 21 retired by Kings 1× Player of the Week |
| 1989–1990 | Žarko Paspalj | 1988 | Undrafted | San Antonio Spurs (1989–1990) | 1 | 28 | 0 | — |
| 1990–1991 | Miloš Babić | 1990 (#50) | Phoenix Suns | 2 teams Cleveland Cavaliers (1990–1991) Miami Heat (1991) | 2 | 21 | 0 | — |
| 1992–1993 | Radisav Ćurčić | 1987 | Undrafted | Dallas Mavericks (1992–1993) | 1 | 20 | 0 | — |
| 1995–1997 | Predrag Danilović | 1992 (#43) | Golden State Warriors | 2 teams Miami Heat (1995–1997) Dallas Mavericks (1997) | 2 | 75 | 3 | — |
| 1995–1996 | Rastko Cvetković | 1992 | Undrafted | Denver Nuggets (1995–1996) | 1 | 14 | 0 | — |
| 1996 | Aleksandar Đorđević | 1989 | Undrafted | Portland Trail Blazers (1996) | 1 | 8 | 0 | — |
| 1998–2011 | Predrag Stojaković | 1996 (#14) | Sacramento Kings | 5 teams Sacramento Kings (1998–2006) Indiana Pacers (2006) New Orleans Hornets (2006–2010) Toronto Raptors (2010–2011) Dallas Mavericks (2011) | 13 | 804 | 95 | 16 honours NBA champion (2011) All-Star (2002–2004) All-NBA Second Team (2004) No. 16 retired by Kings 1× Player of the Month 2× Player of the Week Three-Point Contest champion (2002, 2003) Three-Point Contest (2001–2004, 2008) |
| 2000–2001 | Dragan Tarlać | 1995 (#31) | Chicago Bulls | Chicago Bulls (2000–2001) | 1 | 43 | 0 | — |
| 2001–2013 | Vladimir Radmanović | 2001 (#12) | Seattle SuperSonics | 7 teams Seattle SuperSonics (2001–2006) Los Angeles Clippers (2006) Los Angeles Lakers (2006–2009) Charlotte Bobcats (2009) Golden State Warriors (2009–2011) Atlanta Hawks (2011–2012) Chicago Bulls (2012–2013) | 12 | 737 | 47 | 2 honours Rookie Second Team (2002) Three-Point Contest (2005) |
| 2001–2007 | Željko Rebrača | 1994 (#54) | Seattle SuperSonics | 3 teams Detroit Pistons (2001–2004) Atlanta Hawks (2004) Los Angeles Clippers (2004–2007) | 6 | 215 | 12 | 3 honours Rookie Second Team (2002) Rising Stars (2002) 1× Rookie of the month |
| 2002–2009 | Marko Jarić | 2000 (#30) | Los Angeles Clippers | 3 teams Los Angeles Clippers (2002–2005) Minnesota Timberwolves (2005–2008) Memphis Grizzlies (2008–2009) | 7 | 447 | 0 | 2 honours Rising Stars (2003, 2004) |
| 2002–2003 | Predrag Savović | 2002 | Undrafted | Denver Nuggets (2002–2003) | 1 | 27 | 0 | — |
| 2002–2003 | Igor Rakočević | 2000 (#51) | Minnesota Timberwolves | Minnesota Timberwolves (2002–2003) | 1 | 42 | 0 | — |
| 2003–2013 | Darko Miličić | 2003 (#2) | Detroit Pistons | 6 teams Detroit Pistons (2003–2006) Orlando Magic (2006–2007) Memphis Grizzlies (2007–2009) New York Knicks (2009–2010) Minnesota Timberwolves (2010–2012) Boston Celtics (2012) | 10 | 468 | 21 | NBA champion (2004) |
| 2003–2013 | Aleksandar Pavlović | 2003 (#19) | Utah Jazz | 7 teams Utah Jazz (2003–2004) Cleveland Cavaliers (2004–2009) Minnesota Timberwolves (2009–2010) Dallas Mavericks (2011) New Orleans Hornets (2011) Boston Celtics (2011–2012) Portland Trail Blazers (2012–2013) | 10 | 567 | 52 | — |
| 2004–2011 | Nenad Krstić | 2002 (#43) | New Jersey Nets | 3 teams New Jersey Nets (2004–2008) Oklahoma City Thunder (2008–2011) Boston Celtics (2011) | 7 | 419 | 28 | 2 honours Rookie Second Team (2005) Rising Stars (2003) |
| 2006–2007 | Mile Ilić | 2005 (#43) | New Jersey Nets | New Jersey Nets (2006–2007) | 1 | 5 | 0 | — |
| 2007–2008 | Kosta Perović | 2006 (#38) | Golden State Warriors | Golden State Warriors (2007–2008) | 1 | 7 | 0 | — |
| 2015–2022 | Nemanja Bjelica | 2010 (#35) | Washington Wizards | 4 teams Minnesota Timberwolves (2015–2018) Sacramento Kings (2018–2021) Miami Heat (2021) Golden State Warriors (2021–2022) | 7 | 449 | 22 | NBA champion (2022) |
Players who are still active overseas
| Years | Player | Draft Year (Pick) | Drafted by | Team(s) (Years) | Se. | SGP | PGP | Honours | Current club |
| 2013–2014 | Nemanja Nedović | 2013 (#30) | Phoenix Suns | Golden State Warriors (2013–2014) | 1 | 24 | 1 | — | Crvena zvezda, Serbia |
| 2013–2014; 2015 | Miroslav Raduljica | 2010 | Undrafted | 2 teams Milwaukee Bucks (2013–2014) Minnesota Timberwolves (2015) | 2 | 53 | 0 | — | Maroussi, Greece |
| 2013–2015 | Ognjen Kuzmić | 2012 (#52) | Golden State Warriors | Golden State Warriors (2013–2015) | 2 | 37 | 3 | NBA champion (2015) | FMP, Serbia |
| 2015–2024 | Boban Marjanović | 2010 | Undrafted | 6 teams San Antonio Spurs (2015–2016) Detroit Pistons (2016–2018) Los Angeles Clippers (2018–2019) Philadelphia 76ers (2019) Dallas Mavericks (2019–2022) Houston Rockets (2022–2024) | 9 | 331 | 31 | — | Zhejiang Lions, China |
| 2017–2019 | Miloš Teodosić | 2009 | Undrafted | Los Angeles Clippers (2017–2019) | 2 | 60 | 0 | — | Crvena zvezda, Serbia |
| 2019–2020 | Marko Gudurić | 2017 | Undrafted | Memphis Grizzlies (2019–2020) | 1 | 44 | 0 | — | Fenerbahçe, Turkey |
| 2019–2021 | Alen Smailagić | 2019 (#39) | New Orleans Pelicans | Golden State Warriors (2019–2021) | 2 | 29 | 0 | — | Žalgiris, Lithuania |
| 2020–2024 | Aleksej Pokuševski | 2020 (#17) | Minnesota Timberwolves | 2 teams Oklahoma City Thunder (2020–2024) Charlotte Hornets (2024) | 4 | 168 | 0 | — | Partizan, Serbia |
| 2023 | Filip Petrušev | 2021 (#50) | Philadelphia 76ers | 2 teams Philadelphia 76ers (2023) Sacramento Kings (2023) | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | Crvena zvezda, Serbia |

## Drafted players

The following is a list of drafted players who have never appeared in an NBA regular season or playoff game.
| Draft Year (Pick) | Player | Drafted by | Status |
| 1985 (#97) | Ljubiša Stefanović | Seattle SuperSonics | Retired, played his entire career overseas |
| 1995 (#51) | Dejan Bodiroga | Sacramento Kings | Retired, played his entire career overseas |
| 2002 (#36) | Miloš Vujanić | New York Knicks, rights traded to the Phoenix Suns | Retired, played his entire career overseas |
| 2007 (#60) | Milovan Raković | Dallas Mavericks, rights traded to the Portland Trail Blazers | Retired, played his entire career overseas |
| 2008 (#53) | Tadija Dragićević | Utah Jazz, rights traded to the New York Knicks | Retired, played his entire career overseas |
| 2011 (#54) | Milan Mačvan | Cleveland Cavaliers | Retired, played his entire career overseas |
| 2014 (#54) | Nemanja Dangubić | Philadelphia 76ers, rights traded to the Brooklyn Nets | Currently playing for Dubai, Adriatic |
| 2015 (#26) | Nikola Milutinov | San Antonio Spurs, rights traded to the Brooklyn Nets | Currently playing for Olympiacos, Greece |
| 2015 (#57) | Nikola Radičević | Denver Nuggets, rights traded to the New York Knicks | Currently playing for Dziki Warsaw, Poland |
| 2015 (#60) | Luka Mitrović | Philadelphia 76ers, rights traded to the Los Angeles Clippers | Currently playing for Crvena zvezda, Serbia |
| 2016 (#35) | Rade Zagorac | Boston Celtics, rights traded to the Memphis Grizzlies | Currently playing for Büyükçekmece, Turkey |
| 2017 (#58) | Ognjen Jaramaz | New York Knicks | Currently playing for Saski Baskonia, Spain |
| 2019 (#60) | Vanja Marinković | Sacramento Kings, rights traded to the Brooklyn Nets | Currently playing for Partizan, Serbia |
| 2021 (#57) | Balša Koprivica | Charlotte Hornets, rights traded to the Utah Jazz | Currently playing for Partizan, Serbia |

## Undrafted Summer League players

The following is a list of undrafted players who have never appeared in an NBA regular season or playoff game, but have played in the NBA Summer League or its predecessors.
| Player | Invited by (Years) | Status |
| Dražen Dalipagić | Boston Celtics (1976) | Deceased, played his entire career overseas |
| Marko Jovanović | Detroit Pistons (2006) | Retired, played his entire career overseas |
| Ivan Radenović | Los Angeles Clippers (2007) | Retired, played his entire career overseas |
| Vladimir Golubović | Phoenix Suns (2008) | Currently free agent |
| Nikola Dragović | New Orleans Pelicans (2010) | Currently playing for Tabiat Eslamshahr, Iran |
| Andreja Milutinović | Milwaukee Bucks (2013) | Currently free agent |
| Marko Kešelj | Portland Trail Blazers (2015) | Retired, played his entire career overseas |
| Stefan Nastić | 2 teams Golden State Warriors (2015) San Antonio Spurs (2015) | Retired, played his entire career overseas |
| Vlado Janković | New Orleans Pelicans (2016) | Currently playing for Karditsas, Greece |
| Nikola Jovanović | 3 teams Detroit Pistons (2016) Los Angeles Lakers (2016) Chicago Bulls (2017) | Currently playing for Oostende, Belgium |
| Stefan Janković | Miami Heat (2017) | Currently free agent |
| Dejan Todorović | Chicago Bulls (2017) | Currently playing for Covirán Granada, Spain |
| Aleksandar Stefanović | San Antonio Spurs (2022) | Retired, played his entire career overseas |
| Boriša Simanić | Utah Jazz (2022) | Currently playing for Igokea, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Uroš Plavšić | Atlanta Hawks (2023) | Currently playing for Crvena zvezda, Serbia |

## Players with Serbian citizenship or parentage

The following is a list of players, that play or have played in the NBA, who have citizenship of Serbia or Serbian parentage or who are Serbs of former Yugoslav republics (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Slovenia).
| * | Denotes player who is still active in the NBA |
    Note: This list is correct through the start of the 2024–25 season.
| Nationality | Relation | Player | Draft Year (Pick) | Drafted by | Year(s) | Team(s) | Se. | SGP | ASP | PGP |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Bosnian Serb | Aleksandar Radojević | 1999 (#12) | Toronto | 1999–2000; 2004–2005 | Toronto, Utah | 2 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Bosnian Serb; Citizenship | Ratko Varda | 2001 | Undrafted | 2001–2002 | Detroit | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Croatia | Serbian father | Dražen Petrović | 1986 (#60) | Portland | 1989–1993 | Portland, New Jersey | 4 | 290 | 0 | 29 |
| Israel | Citizenship; Serbian father | Deni Avdija* | 2020 (#9) | Washington | 2020–present | Washington, Portland | 4 | 287 | 0 | 0 |
| Montenegro | SR Serbia-born; Citizenship | Žarko Čabarkapa | 2003 (#17) | Phoenix | 2003–2006 | Phoenix, Golden State | 3 | 150 | 0 | 0 |
| Montenegro | Citizenship; Montenegrin Serb | Nikola Peković | 2008 (#31) | Minnesota | 2010–2017 | Minnesota | 7 | 271 | 0 | 0 |
| Montenegro | Citizenship | Slavko Vraneš | 2003 (#39) | New York | 2004 | Portland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Montenegro | Serbian parents | Nikola Vučević* | 2011 (#16) | Philadelphia | 2011–present | Philadelphia, Orlando, Chicago | 13 | 899 | 2 | 16 |
| Netherlands | Serbian mother | Dan Gadzuric | 2002 (#34) | Milwaukee | 2002–2012 | Milwaukee, Golden State, New Jersey, New York | 10 | 527 | 0 | 12 |
| North Macedonia | Citizenship | Pero Antić | 2004 | Undrafted | 2013–2015 | Atlanta | 2 | 113 | 0 | 22 |
| Slovenia | Serbian father | Luka Dončić* | 2018 (#3) | Atlanta | 2018–present | Dallas, LA Lakers | 6 | 400 | 5 | 50 |
| Slovenia | Serbian father | Goran Dragić | 2008 (#45) | San Antonio | 2008–2023 | Phoenix, Houston, Miami, Toronto, Brooklyn, Chicago, Milwaukee | 15 | 946 | 1 | 62 |
| Slovenia | Serbian father | Zoran Dragić | 2011 | Undrafted | 2014–2015 | Phoenix, Miami | 1 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Slovenia | Serbian father | Marko Milič | 1997 (#33) | Philadelphia | 1997–1999 | Phoenix | 2 | 44 | 0 | 0 |
| Slovenia | Slovenian Serb | Radoslav Nesterović | 1998 (#17) | Minnesota | 1998–2010 | Minnesota, San Antonio, Toronto, Indiana | 12 | 811 | 0 | 64 |
| Slovenia | Serbian father | Sasha Vujačić | 2004 (#27) | LA Lakers | 2004–2011, 2014, 2015–2017 | LA Lakers, New Jersey, LA Clippers, New York | 10 | 581 | 0 | 65 |
| Spain | Montenegrin Serb | Nikola Mirotić | 2011 (#23) | Houston | 2014–2019 | Chicago, New Orleans, Milwaukee | 5 | 319 | 0 | 40 |
| Turkey | Serbian mother | Cedi Osman | 2015 (#31) | Minnesota | 2017–2024 | Cleveland, San Antonio | 7 | 476 | 0 | 19 |
| Turkey | SR Serbia-born; Citizenship | Mirsad Türkcan | 1998 (#18) | Houston | 1999–2000 | New York, Milwaukee | 1 | 17 | 0 | 2 |
| Turkey | Serbian parents | Hedo Türkoğlu | 2000 (#16) | Sacramento | 2000–2015 | Sacramento, San Antonio, Orlando, Toronto, Phoenix, LA Clippers | 15 | 997 | 0 | 98 |
| United States | Serbian parents | Bato Govedarica | 1951 (#24) | Syracuse | 1953–1954 | Syracuse | 1 | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| United States | Citizenship | Charles Jenkins | 2011 (#44) | Golden State | 2011–2013 | Golden State, Philadelphia | 2 | 110 | 0 | 0 |
| United States | Serbian mother | Frank Kaminsky | 2015 (#9) | Charlotte | 2015–2023 | Charlotte, Phoenix, Atlanta, Houston | 8 | 413 | 0 | 17 |
| United States | Serbian father | John Konchar* | 2019 | Undrafted | 2019–present | Memphis | 5 | 261 | 0 | 14 |
| United States | Serbian parents | Pete Lalich | — | Undrafted | 1946 | Cleveland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| United States | Serbian father | Pete Maravich | 1970 (#3) | Atlanta | 1970–1980 | Atlanta, New Orleans, Boston | 10 | 658 | 5 | 26 |
| United States | Serbian parents | Press Maravich | — | Undrafted | 1946–1947 | Pittsburgh | 1 | 51 | 0 | 0 |
| United States | Citizenship | DeMarcus Nelson | 2008 | Undrafted | 2008–2009 | Golden State | 1 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| United States | Citizenship | Marcus Paige | 2016 (#55) | Brooklyn | 2017–2018 | Charlotte | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 |