Prestige used to win every tiebreaker in European basketball. Today, ambitious projects, guaranteed minutes, and aggressive budgets are luring proven EuroLeague stars away from the top flight – and into the EuroCup and FIBA Champions League.
Look no further than this summer’s moves, where players like Cedi Osman and Matt Morgan traded traditional EuroLeague powerhouses for high-stakes projects with Thessaloniki rivals PAOK and Aris.
And they aren’t the only ones who decided to take their talent elsewhere this summer. This trend is largely driven by a growing number of clubs that boast serious budgets alongside equally high ambitions. Quite a few of them are aiming to join the European elite as early as next season, and to achieve those goals, they need the caliber of players on their rosters to back it up.
1) Cedi Osman
Cedi Osman is undoubtedly the biggest name to leave the EuroLeague this summer and step down a tier, parting ways with Panathinaikos to sign a reported three-year, €9 million contract with PAOK.
The Turkish international began his career at Anadolu Efes before spending six seasons in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers and later the San Antonio Spurs. He returned to Europe in 2024 with Panathinaikos, where he established himself as a key rotation player.
In a somewhat shocking move, however, Osman opted to head to Thessaloniki this summer. PAOK is making a serious push to reach the EuroLeague, having brought in Andrea Trinchieri as head coach alongside several high-profile roster upgrades. Osman is expected to be the centerpiece of their campaign as they target the EuroCup title – and the direct EuroLeague promotion that comes with it.
| Player | Former Club | New Club | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | 2FG% | 3P% |
| Cedi Osman | Panathinaikos | PAOK | 27:18 | 12.9 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 55.8% | 38.1% |
2) Matt Morgan
PAOK won’t be the only Thessaloniki club mounting a serious push to return to the EuroLeague, as evidenced by what Aris is building on the other side of town. American guard Matt Morgan, coming off very strong seasons with Virtus, decided to sign with the Yellow-Blacks and join Vassilis Spanoulis’ squad.
Morgan was one of Virtus’s top performers last season, though even his efforts weren’t enough for a side plagued by off-court troubles that ultimately translated into poor results.
While several EuroLeague clubs expressed interest in the 28-year-old guard, he chose to step down a tier to spearhead the dawn of a new era at Aris – an ambitious project whose clear mandate is securing a promotion to the EuroLeague as early as next season, a commitment fully backed by their high-profile moves this offseason.
| Player | Former Club | New Club | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | 3P% |
| Matt Morgan | Virtus | Aris | 19:56 | 13.5 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 61% | 36.7% |
3) Willy Hernangomez
Willy Hernangomez is the first player on this list to make the leap from the EuroLeague to the FIBA Champions League, having recently signed a one-year deal with Unicaja.
Hernangomez endured three difficult seasons with Barcelona, where he struggled to replicate the form that earned him the EuroBasket 2022 MVP award. Now, he gets a fresh start at a lower level under Txus Vidorreta – a head coach renowned for unlocking big men during his successful tenure at Tenerife.
At just 32, the Spanish center’s stint in the FIBA Champions League could prove to be short-lived; a strong bounce-back season showing that he remains an elite big man could quickly see him route a path back to the EuroLeague stage.
| Player | Former Club | New Club | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | 2FG% | 3P% |
| Willy Hernangomez | Barcelona | Unicaja | 13.5 | 5.6 | 3.8 | 0.5 | 51.7% | 25% |
4) Khem Birch
Khem Birch is the second Aris player and second center on this list. The Canadian big man decided to return to Greece this summer for the first time since the 2016/17 season – when he featured for Olympiacos – by putting pen to paper with Aris.
Over the past few seasons, Birch established himself at Fenerbahce as one of the premier defensive centers in the EuroLeague, and he will now have the opportunity to translate that frontcourt dominance to the EuroCup.
Much like Morgan, Birch almost certainly had EuroLeague suitors on the table for the upcoming season. Instead, he chose to buy into an ambitious project where he will have a clear path to contend for yet another European trophy.
5) Aleksa Avramovic
After spending a single season in Dubai, Aleksa Avramovic completed a loan move to Bahcesehir this summer, where he will link up with fellow countryman Aleksandar Djordjevic, who also arrived at the club during the offseason.
Over the years, Avramovic has established himself as one of the most relentless on-ball defensive guards in Europe, instantly recognizable for his high-octane energy and knack for generating steals. At the same time, he remains a potent offensive threat capable of carrying a heavy scoring load whenever tasked with that role.
For Avramovic, whose previous campaign was derailed by injuries, this move offers a prime opportunity. With consistent minutes and a clearly defined mandate, he can quickly recapture his peak form and pave his way back to the EuroLeague next season.
7) Sehmus Hazer
Sehmus Hazer has spent recent seasons featuring for Fenerbahce and Anadolu Efes, joining Galatasaray directly from the latter in a move that will hand him a vastly different role than in years past.
At both Istanbul EuroLeague powerhouses, Hazer was primarily utilized as a bench spark – a formidable defender capable of shifting game momentum in limited minutes. Now, after reportedly signing a lucrative contract with Galatasaray, he will shoulder far greater responsibilities under head coach Gianmarco Pozzecco.
Operating as a primary option isn’t entirely foreign to the 27-year-old guard, who flourished in a similar capacity for another Istanbul club, Besiktas, during the 2020–21 season. Stepping down a tier should suit him well, offering the platform and usage to turn into a dominant force once again.
| Player | Former Club | New Club | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | 2FG% | 3P% |
| Sehmus Hazer | Anadolu Efes | Galatasaray | 13:11 | 5.6 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 47.6% | 29.5% |
8) Nicolas Laprovittola
After seven years spent playing for Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, Nicolas Laprovittola is finally returning to Joventut -the club where he produced the finest basketball of his career.
Back in the 2018/19 season, he was crowned Liga Endesa MVP, earning high-profile transfers to Spain’s premier powerhouses. In recent seasons, however, the Argentine guard has wrestled with persistent injury troubles, which accounts for his lower placement on this list.
The raw talent remains indisputable, but the core question is whether recurring health setbacks will keep him off the floor again – an outcome that would be a major disappointment for both him and Joventut.
| Player | Former Club | New Club | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | 2FG% | 3P% |
| Nicolas Laprovittola | Barcelona | Joventut | 16:50 | 8.0 | 1.1 | 3.8 | 59.5% | 35.2% |
9) Nick Calathes
Nick Calathes was one of the few bright spots for Partizan last season, earning himself a two-year contract with PAOK on the back of his performances.
Calathes remains a true wizard when it comes to playmaking and floor general duties, as well as a very solid defender, though his perimeter shooting struggles are equally well-documented.
While there is no doubt he will act as Andrea Trinchieri’s floor general on the court, his overall impact will inevitably be managed given his age.
| Player | Former Club | New Club | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | 2FG% | 3P% |
| Nick Calathes | Partizan | PAOK | 19:14 | 4.3 | 2.5 | 4.2 | 42.5% | 29.3% |
10) Ignas Brazdeikis
After spending two seasons with Zalgiris, Ignas Brazdeikis decided to continue his career in Spain this summer, joining Unicaja for their FIBA Champions League campaign.
Brazdeikis has been a shadow of the player he was during his initial comeback season in Europe, with Tomas Masiulis significantly scaling back his role last year.
In Malaga, the Lithuanian forward will attempt to rediscover the form that made him such an intriguing prospect and sought-after asset early in his career – both in the NBA and the EuroLeague.
| Player | Former Club | New Club | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | 2FG% | 3P% |
| Ignas Brazdeikis | Zalgiris | Unicaja | 14:46 | 4.8 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 38.3% | 33.8% |
