With no Summer Olympics on the horizon, basketball enthusiasts can still immerse themselves in top-tier international competition at EuroBasket 2025. This eagerly awaited tournament, set to run from August 27 to September 14, will feature prominent national teams such as France and Serbia, both of whom faced off against Team USA in the knockout rounds of the 2024 Olympics, alongside 22 other European nations.
While not every European NBA star will participate, the convergence of NBA talent at this event is more significant than ever. Heavyweight teams like Serbia, Germany, France, Greece, and Slovenia are expected to field multiple NBA players. Given how much international stars are shaping today`s NBA, their performance in the league serves as an excellent predictor of their potential impact at EuroBasket – and vice versa.
This interplay is the driving force behind our comprehensive ranking of the top 10 NBA players anticipated to make a major splash at EuroBasket 2025.
Our ranking is based on each player`s projected performance for the 2025-26 NBA season, using Estimated RAPTOR. This metric effectively combines individual statistics with a player`s broader team impact to offer an overall measure of their value. We also incorporated a modified version of Basketball-Reference`s Simple Projection System, which accounts for age and historical production to forecast both offensive and defensive RAPTOR for any player with NBA minutes logged over the past three seasons.
It`s important to remember that these figures represent a player`s anticipated performance across an entire NBA season. Therefore, their current form at EuroBasket might vary slightly from what`s projected for next spring, depending on their individual aging curve. Older veterans might be in peak condition for this tournament compared to how they`ll feel after 82 grueling NBA games, while younger talents could still be on an upward trajectory in their development.
As national teams are still finalizing their rosters, and the participation of some high-profile players like Giannis Antetokounmpo is yet to be confirmed, this ranking focuses on players who are currently expected to compete.
Regardless, these projections provide a clear outlook on which players are poised to headline EuroBasket 2025, setting the stage for an exciting NBA season ahead. Let`s delve into the top contenders.
1. Nikola Jokić, Serbia
2025-26 age: 30 | Denver Nuggets
2024-25 estimated projections: plus-7.1 offense | plus-1.1 defense | plus-8.2 overall
Was there any question that “The Joker” would claim the top spot among NBA talents potentially lifting the EuroBasket trophy next month? Jokić posted the highest RAPTOR during the 2024-25 regular season, a distinction he has held for an impressive five consecutive seasons. He is now set to lead a Serbian squad that stands as a strong favorite to win the tournament, likely propelled by extra motivation after their Olympic semifinal loss to the United States last summer, where they let a 13-point lead slip away in the fourth quarter.
Serbia hasn`t secured a EuroBasket title since 2001, and Jokić was not part of the team that reached the final in 2017. A victory here would add yet another prestigious piece of hardware to the collection of a player who seemingly has achieved almost everything else.
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece
2025-26 age: 31 | Milwaukee Bucks
2024-25 estimated projections: plus-5.0 offense | plus-0.7 defense | plus-5.7 overall
Antetokounmpo has consistently finished no lower than fourth in NBA MVP voting for an incredible seven consecutive seasons, winning the award twice, despite the Bucks securing only one championship in that span. He faces a similar dynamic with Greece internationally: he averaged 25.8 points at the Olympics last summer, yet his team finished eighth. Similarly, he led all scorers at EuroBasket 2022 with 29.3 PPG, but Greece ended up in fifth place.
The Greek team won this event in 2005 and medaled again in 2009. Ironically, the emergence of the country`s greatest NBA player has coincided with somewhat mediocre performances in international tournaments. If he is cleared to play, Antetokounmpo is expected to once again deliver a dominant individual performance.
3. Luka Dončić, Slovenia
2025-26 age: 26 | Los Angeles Lakers
2024-25 estimated projections: plus-4.5 offense | plus-0.7 defense | plus-5.2 overall
Perhaps the biggest draw of this tournament for NBA fans is the opportunity to witness Dončić in meaningful action for the first time since his much-discussed summer body transformation. While statistical forecasts cannot account for these physical changes, they do acknowledge that Luka maintained a relatively consistent level of impact after his surprising midseason trade to the Lakers, even if his performance in the first-round playoff defeat wasn`t as dominant as when he guided Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals.
After avoiding a significant injury during a recent exhibition game, EuroBasket is poised to be Dončić`s typical showcase. He has been a consistent presence on this stage since playing for the gold medal-winning Slovenian team in 2017 at just 17 years old, and he was one of the standout players in the 2022 tournament – an early indication that his game was about to reach even greater heights. While Slovenia trails Serbia, Germany, and France in the odds, another improved version of Luka could prove to be the ultimate difference-maker.
4. Franz Wagner, Germany
2025-26 age: 24 | Orlando Magic
2024-25 estimated projections: plus-3.1 offense | plus-0.9 defense | plus-4.0 overall
Franz Wagner has long been a staple on these RAPTOR-based rankings, and his standing has only improved over time. Set to turn 24 on EuroBasket`s opening day, he`s coming off the best season of his NBA career despite battling a torn right oblique mid-season. He already boasts a successful track record in international tournaments: he earned bronze with Germany at EuroBasket 2022, gold at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and finished fourth at last year`s Olympics.
While Germany`s roster features multiple NBA players – and could have included more if Isaiah Hartenstein and Franz`s brother Moritz weren`t absent from the tournament – Wagner is the primary reason Germany holds the second-best odds to win. If his 3-point shot has indeed improved as much as pre-tournament buzz suggests, this EuroBasket could offer a preview of yet another potent weapon in his arsenal for the upcoming NBA season.
5. Alperen Şengün, Turkey
2025-26 age: 23 | Houston Rockets
2024-25 estimated projections: plus-1.8 offense | plus-0.6 defense | plus-2.4 overall
Alperen Şengün has publicly declared his aim to win both EuroBasket 2025 and an NBA championship with the Rockets this season. Houston does appear solid enough – holding the fifth-best title odds – after adding Kevin Durant to a young core led by Şengün and Amen Thompson. However, Şengün will need to elevate his game early for a Turkish squad that is tied for seventh in tournament odds and hasn`t finished better than eighth since winning silver in 2001.
This will be one of Şengün`s most high-profile international events, providing an opportunity, much like with Wagner, to demonstrate any advancements in his shooting ability. After hitting only 23.3% of his shots from beyond the arc last season, improving his jumper remains one of the few weaknesses Şengün needs to address before leaping into the next tier of young NBA stars.
6. Kristaps Porziņģis, Latvia
2025-26 age: 30 | Atlanta Hawks
2024-25 estimated projections: plus-1.7 offense | plus-0.4 defense | plus-2.2 overall
After a successful period with the Celtics that contributed to Boston`s 2024 NBA title, the one-time `unicorn` embarks on the next chapter of his basketball career. Before taking the court for the Hawks, however, he will contribute to a EuroBasket résumé that has been dormant for nearly a decade. A 21-year-old Porziņģis impressed for Latvia in 2017, averaging 23.6 points and 6.0 rebounds as Latvia finished fifth. This year`s roster, which also includes former NBA players Dāvis and Dairis Bertāns, faces lower expectations with the ninth-best odds. Yet, Latvia did finish fifth in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and is a main host country for EuroBasket 2025, which should provide a boost to Porziņģis`s performance.
7. Deni Avdija, Israel
2025-26 age: 25 | Portland Trail Blazers
2024-25 estimated projections: plus-0.7 offense | plus-0.4 defense | plus-1.1 overall
Deni Avdija is quite possibly the most underrated player at this EuroBasket. He fully capitalized on a trade that sent him from the Washington Wizards to the Portland Trail Blazers this past summer, breaking out with new career high averages in points (16.9), rebounds (7.3), assists (3.9), True Shooting percentage (60.5%), PER (17.7), Win Shares (5.6), Estimated RAPTOR (plus-1.7), and WAR (5.1). Any indications of further progress as a shooter and ball handler would solidify his long-term potential.
He has a history of strong performances on the international stage: he was MVP of the 2019 FIBA U20 European Championship, hosted in his native Israel, where he averaged 18.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.1 steals, and 2.4 blocks en route to a gold medal. While similar team success is unlikely this time around (Israel is tied for the lowest odds in the field), Avdija is expected to put up impressive individual statistics.
8. Santi Aldama, Spain
2025-26 age: 25 | Memphis Grizzlies
2024-25 estimated projections: plus-0.4 offense | plus-0.5 defense | plus-0.9 overall
Spain is a team in transition, and Santi Aldama will be central to this shift. The defending champions have won four of the past six EuroBaskets and only finished outside the podium once since 1997, coming in fourth in 2005. However, they slipped to ninth in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and tenth in the 2024 Olympics, as the veterans who powered their golden era have either slowed down or been phased out.
Longtime coach Sergio Scariolo – a four-time EuroBasket champion who has largely led this team since 2009 – will depart after the tournament. This means Aldama, with support from Willy and Juancho Hernangómez, is one of the leaders of Spain`s next generation of stars. He was one of the NBA`s most improved players last season, elevating his RAPTOR from minus-1.7 to plus-1.8, thanks to a more versatile offensive skillset and playing with better talent on a revitalized Grizzlies squad. Still, Spain is likely to relinquish its EuroBasket crown, ranking a distant sixth in the odds.
9. Neemias Queta, Portugal
2025-26 age: 26 | Boston Celtics
2024-25 estimated projections: minus-0.4 offense | plus-0.7 defense | plus-0.2 overall
Neemias Queta posted an impressive plus-4.6 RAPTOR in a very limited sample of 333 minutes (11.9 MPG) in 2023-24. However, his RAPTOR declined to minus-0.1 in an expanded role with 863 minutes within Boston`s crowded center rotation last season. He didn`t quite replicate the strong on-versus-off-court team efficiency split (plus-9.4 per 100 possessions) he had boasted a year prior. Nevertheless, league-average NBA players are not easily found, and this tournament presents a valuable opportunity for Queta to elevate his game on a relatively high-level international stage.
10. Nikola Jović, Serbia
2025-26 age: 22 | Miami Heat
2024-25 estimated projections: minus-0.3 offense | plus-0.4 defense | plus-0.1 overall
We`ll spare you the jokes about Jović being confused for Jokić, but the fact that the 22-year-old could be a difference-maker in his second consecutive summer playing for a Serbia team with his similarly-named idol is quite remarkable. Jović`s per-minute statistics remained somewhat consistent last NBA season, though he did increase his scoring to 10.7 PPG and achieved a career-high 25.1 MPG before recovering from a broken bone in his right hand sustained in February. Now healthy again, he seems poised for an expanded role with Serbia. At last year`s Olympics, Jović averaged just 4.2 points in 10.9 minutes per game while playing through an ankle injury. A more significant output this time around would demonstrate his potential to exceed these projections for next season and emerge as a true breakout player at the professional level.
Other Players to Watch:
- 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 Heat)
- Luka Garza, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Boston Celtics)
