Top 10 EuroLeague players on expiring contracts / News - Basketnews.com

Kostas Sloukas, Shavon Shields and Kevin Punter headline the Top 10 EuroLeague players on the expiring contracts list.

Credit: EuroLeague Basketball via GettyImages Credit EuroLeague Basketball via GettyImages

EuroLeague is a wild west for general managers, players, coaches, and everybody who wants to have at least some tiniest future projection.

It's a league where the guaranteed contract is just relatively guaranteed for both sides.

Smaller clubs usually can't retain players on a breakout year because wealthier franchises can just come and buy out the guy in the off-season.

Also, teams can terminate the contracts without paying the entire amount (usually because the player goes to a different club and gets his estimated salary covered by another club).

On top of that, EuroLeague clubs also monitor NBA, G League, EuroCup, BCL, or other markets, so the free agency pool in the top-tier European competition is indeterminable.

But what is determinable right now is the EuroLeague players on expiring contracts.

Of course, in this wild EuroLeague market, some might reach an extension agreement in the upcoming months, and some might commit to a new club approaching the Final Four.

But at this moment, their status for the next season remains unclear, and their game-by-game performances might significantly impact their market value.

BasketNews gives an early look at the top EuroLeague players on expiring contracts (players with a +1 option for the 2023-24 season are not included).

1. Kostas Sloukas

The brain and soul of Olympiacos is on an expiring three-year contract.

Sloukas was never a high-volume scorer. He's coming off his career-high season in points (13.2 PPG), which doesn't look that special compared to the other elite guards.

But what Sloukas does best is making his teammates better.

For the second season in a row, Olympiacos' has the Top 3 offensive rating in the league (per BBallytics).

Such Olympiacos players like Sasha Vezenkov are making a case for the MVP title, also thanks to Sloukas. For instance, 78% of Vezenkov's shots are assisted.

The Greek guard is second in the EuroLeague in assists this year (7.0 APG) and remains in the Top 5 for the fourth season in a row.

Sloukas also averages 12.8 points and 19.2 PIR, which is unbelievable, considering he is only 2 of 19 beyond the arc this year.

Per BasketNews sources, he earns around €1.8M this year. Sloukas isn't getting younger and turns 33 in January. But the influence he has on Olympiacos' game is undeniable.

2. Shavon Shields

The second member of the BasketNews players ranking Top 10 definitely won't lack attention in the market.

Only Will Clyburn was ranked higher than Shields among the small forwards, but his fellow American won't be available in the free agency since his contract with Anadolu Efes goes through 2024.

Shields became a key piece of the Ettore Messina puzzle in two seasons with Milan.

He made All-EuroLeague second team in back-to-back seasons, establishing himself as one of the top wings in the competition.

Only health issues can hit his market value. He injured his left foot, which ruled him out for 6-8 weeks at the end of October. He'll be reevaluated after more than a month, and there's a possibility he'll be sidelined even for longer, sources tell BasketNews.

But when he's healthy, Shields is a game-changer for any title contender.

Don't be surprised if we see him getting an extension in Milan during the season.

3. Kevin Punter

The only EuroLeague player who scored at least 26 points in three EuroLeague games this year.

Kevin Punter is one of the best pure scorers in the league (18.5 PPG on 44.1% 3-point shooting), as his pull-up jumper makes him almost unguardable.

Even before entering the EuroLeague, he was recognized as a very skilled offensive weapon, but in his second year with Partizan, Punter has also established himself as a leader.

The 29-year-old guard became the first American captain in Partizan's history. He also created a strong bond with one of the greatest European coaches, Zeljko Obradovic. These recognitions speak for themselves.

Elite scoring and leadership make Punter a top-tier free-agency target.

According to various sources, his salary is around €1.3M. That's the minimum of what Punter could expect entering the free agency next summer.

4. Marko Guduric

Before the 2022-23 season, there were question marks around Fenerbahce camp if Marko Guduric would find chemistry with the new backcourt stars Nick Calathes and Scottie Wilbekin.

But as Guduric showed on the court, he feels happy playing alongside new floor generals.

Guduric hit 23 against Maccabi Tel Aviv and 19 vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul making 4.5 threes on average with confidence.

Guduric is the second-best scorer in Fenerbahce, posting 12.7 points (2FG: 55.6%; 3FG: 45.8%), 3.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.

He is the last man from the core of an elite Fenerbahce era under Zeljko Obradovic. It seems like Guduric embraced this responsibility to help Fener get through the rebuild.

According to BasketNews sources, Guduric makes around€1.3M. If he keeps delivering at big games and Fenerbahce goes all the way (Final Four?), a 27-year-old Serbian playmaker can expect a big paycheck.

5. Georgios Papagiannis

It seems like Georgios Papagiannis played in the EuroLeague for so long that it's hard to believe he's still only 25.

Papagiannis is set to hit the free agency as one of the best centers still on the rise.

A 2.20 m giant is averaging only 6.0 points and 5.2 rebounds this year. Injuries in the Greek national team camp and a limited role in EuroBasket slowed down his start of the season.

But when he's in his rhythm, he's close to elite.

Last season Papagiannis averaged 10.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and 17.4 PIR to make the All-Euroleague second team.

A couple of NBA franchises were seriously considering buying out Papagiannis in the summer for a reason.

His size, age, and room to improve will keep his stock high. According to BasketNews sources, his current salary is above €1M (before bonuses).

6. Zach LeDay

LeDay has already played for four different EuroLeague teams and never finished the season with less than 10.8 of PIR.

That's a solid mark because he played on a Final Four team and was on his way to making the Top 8 in an underdog club. It shows he can equally contribute to teams of a different caliber.

LeDay returns to the EuroLeague after a one-year break in the EuroCup and posts career-high numbers in points (14.3 PPG), rebounds (6.8 RPG), assists (2.2 APG), and efficiency (17.3 PIR).

His assists average makes him one of the best passing bigs in the league.

According to sources, Leday's current salary is around €1M. He's on his way to keeping his stock high.

7. Matthias Lessort

Sometimes he might have some bad reads here and there. But the impact he makes in Partizan's paint is something worth recognition.

Zalgiris visited Belgrade as the best rebounding team in the EuroLeague, climbing over the heads of many EuroLeague powerhouses.

But Partizan, thanks to Lessort, contained the physical Zalgiris frontline to a season-low nine offensive rebounds (their average was 13.5 ORP).

According to BBallytics, when Lessort is on the floor, Partizan's rebounding improves by 15.4%.

His presence also improves Partizan's defense by 7.5 points and boosts the offense by 19.3 points per 100 possessions (according to BBallytics). That combines for the best NET rating in the team.

Lessort leads the EuroLeague in offensive rebounds by a mile (5.3 ORP), ties for first place in blocked shots (2.2 BPG), and is second in PIR (22.7) behindSasha Vezenkov.

Lessort still has a lot to learn to be a reliable big on the highest EuroLeague level. But he's still 27, and Partizan might become a perfect leap for his career (and stock).

8. Pierria Henry

Sixteen months ago, Pierria Henry was one of the most desired point guards on the market. But after a bumpy 2021-22 season with Fenerbahce and an unsuccessful attempt to make it to the NBA, a 29-year-old American has to prove himself in Vitoria again.

He set the bar high by signing a deal with Fenerbahce close to €1.2M in 2021, per sources.

It won't be easy to orchestrate Baskonia as before since Darius Thompson and Markus Howard enjoy a very inspiring rookie campaign.

Henry averaged 3.5 points and five assists in less than 17 minutes of play in two EuroLeague games.

But Henry showed he could impact the game in very different ways playing his heart out on the court.

If Baskonia stays at the first part of the standings and Henry delivers, he should get solid interest in summer again.

9. Maodo Lo

If EuroLeague had the most improved player of the year honor, Maodo Lo definitely should have been one of the nominees last season.

He improved his scoring from 9.5 to 13.3 points per game, averaged 3.7 assists and 14.8 PIR (all three of his career highs), and led ALBA to a playoff race last season.

Lo also had a few remarkable nights at the EuroBasket (11.4 PPG, 2.4 APG), helping Dennis Schroder and Franz Wagner to carry Germany to the podium after 17 years.

In a dry point guard market, Lo might occur as one of the dark horses of the free agency.

Maodo's consistency was the main issue that separated him from getting a chance at the Top 8 EuroLeague team.

But Lo, 29, is at his peak right now, so it might be his last chance to test the waters and prove himself as a contributor on an elite level.

However, he feels confident playing at home, and getting him out of Germany might not be easy.

10. Luke Sikma

Luke Sikma and his ability to contribute to the title contender team is one of the biggest IFs among the EuroLeague basketball geeks.

You might think his window is closed since he's turning 34 next summer. But you can't ignore the impact that the Nikola Jokic of ALBA Berlin makes.

He owns the most colorful stat line in the EuroLeague, posting 8.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game on 14.5 PIR this season.

His versatility pushed the injury-plagued ALBA to the Top 8 after Round 5.

The problem is that Luke Sikma is extremely happy where he is, and we can easily see him retiring with an ALBA jersey one day.

How Luke Sikma's bond with ALBA turned his father Jack into a EuroLeague expert

Honorable mentions: Elijah Bryant, Darun Hilliard, Milos Teodosic, Marco Belinelli, Joel Bolomboy, Rudy Fernandez, Devin Booker, Derrick Williams, Rodrigue Beaubois, Christ Koumadje, Sertac Sanli, Kyle Kuric, Shaquille McKissic, Josh Nebo, Rokas Giedraitis, Jordan Mickey, James Nunnally, Arturas Gudaitis, Chris Jones.

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