# 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;
| 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 release 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. |