As the summer arrives without the excitement of the Olympics, basketball enthusiasts can still find their international fix with EuroBasket 2025. This premier European basketball tournament, scheduled from August 27 to September 14, will feature prominent national teams like France and Serbia, both of whom faced Team USA in the knockout rounds of the 2024 Olympics, along with 22 other formidable squads from across the continent.
While complete participation from every European NBA star is not guaranteed, the intersection of talent between the league and this event has never been more significant. Major contenders such as Serbia, Germany, France, Greece, and Slovenia are expected to boast multiple NBA players on their rosters. Given the profound influence international athletes wield in today`s NBA landscape, their performance in the league provides invaluable insight into their potential impact at EuroBasket — and conversely, their play in the tournament can foreshadow their upcoming NBA season.
This interplay of talent and performance forms the cornerstone of our detailed ranking of the Top 10 NBA players expected to shine at EuroBasket 2025.
Our ranking is derived from each player`s projected performance for the 2025-26 NBA season. We utilized “Estimated RAPTOR,” a comprehensive metric that combines individual statistics with a player`s broader team contribution to assess overall value. Furthermore, we integrated a modified version of Basketball-Reference’s “Simple Projection System,” which considers age and historical production to forecast both offensive and defensive RAPTOR scores for all players with NBA minutes over the past three seasons.
It is important to remember that these figures represent a player`s anticipated performance across the entire 2025-26 NBA campaign. Their current form during EuroBasket may vary, influenced by their position on the aging curve; older veterans might be fresher for the tournament compared to their endurance after a grueling 82-game NBA season, while younger players could still be on an upward developmental trajectory.
As national teams are still finalizing their rosters, the confirmed participation of some key players, such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, remains pending. This ranking focuses specifically on players who are currently anticipated to take part in the event.
Nonetheless, these projections offer a clear preview of the players who are set to headline EuroBasket 2025, laying the groundwork for what promises to be an exhilarating NBA season. Let`s delve into the detailed rankings!
1. Nikola Jokić, Serbia
2025-26 Age: 30 | Denver Nuggets
2024-25 Estimated Projections: +7.1 offense | +1.1 defense | +8.2 overall
Was there ever any question that “The Joker” would claim the top spot among NBA talents aiming for the EuroBasket trophy next month? Nikola Jokić registered the highest RAPTOR score during the 2024-25 regular season, a distinction he has remarkably maintained for five consecutive seasons. He is now poised to lead a Serbian team that stands as a strong favorite to win the tournament, likely fueled by extra motivation after squandering a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter of last summer`s Olympic semifinal loss to the United States.
Serbia has not secured the EuroBasket title since 2001, and Jokić was not on the squad that reached the final in 2017. A victory this year would add yet another prestigious piece of hardware to a player who has seemingly achieved everything else in the sport.
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece
2025-26 Age: 31 | Milwaukee Bucks
2024-25 Estimated Projections: +5.0 offense | +0.7 defense | +5.7 overall
Giannis Antetokounmpo has consistently ranked no lower than fourth in NBA MVP voting for an astounding seven consecutive seasons, winning the award twice. However, his Milwaukee Bucks have only clinched one championship during that remarkable span. He faces a similar dynamic with the Greek national team on the international stage: despite averaging 25.8 points at last summer`s Olympics, his team finished eighth. Similarly, he led all scorers with 29.3 PPG at EuroBasket 2022, but Greece placed fifth.
Ironically, the emergence of the country`s greatest NBA player has coincided with modest showings at international tournaments, despite the team winning this event in 2005 and medaling again in 2009. Should he receive clearance 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: +4.5 offense | +0.7 defense | +5.2 overall
Perhaps the most compelling reason for NBA fans to tune into this tournament is the chance to see Luka Dončić in meaningful competitive action for the first time since his much-discussed summer body transformation. While statistical forecasts cannot account for such physique changes, they do confirm that Luka sustained a relatively steady impact after his surprising midseason trade to the Lakers. Although he didn`t dominate the first-round playoff defeat as he had when leading Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals, his overall performance remained strong.
After narrowly avoiding a significant injury in a recent exhibition game, EuroBasket is poised to be another showcase for Dončić. He has been a consistent presence on this stage since winning a gold medal with the Slovenian team in 2017 at just 17 years old, and he was one of the top performers in the 2022 tournament — an early indication that his game was about to ascend to an even higher level. Slovenia trails Serbia, Germany, and France in the betting odds, but a newly 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: +3.1 offense | +0.9 defense | +4.0 overall
Franz Wagner has consistently appeared on these RAPTOR-based rankings, and his inclusion has stood the test of time. Set to turn 24 on the opening day of EuroBasket, he is coming off the best season of his NBA career despite battling a torn right oblique midway through. He has already achieved significant success in international tournaments: he won bronze with Germany at EuroBasket 2022, secured gold at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and finished fourth at the Olympics last year.
While Germany`s roster features several NBA players — and could have included more if Isaiah Hartenstein and Franz’s brother Moritz were not missing the tournament — Wagner is the primary reason Germany holds the second-best odds to win. If his 3-point shot is as improved as suggested by pre-tournament buzz, this event could offer a preview of another enhanced skill for his upcoming NBA season.
5. Alperen Şengün, Turkey
2025-26 Age: 23 | Houston Rockets
2024-25 Estimated Projections: +1.8 offense | +0.6 defense | +2.4 overall
Alperen Şengün has publicly expressed his desire to win both EuroBasket 2025 and an NBA championship with the Rockets this season. Houston appears to be in solid shape, holding the fifth-best title odds after acquiring Kevin Durant to complement a young core headlined by Şengün and Amen Thompson. However, Şengün will need to elevate his game early to clinch the EuroBasket title for a Turkish squad that is tied for seventh in tournament odds and hasn`t finished higher than eighth since winning silver in 2001.
This will be one of the highest-profile international events Şengün has participated in, and much like with Wagner, it presents an opportunity to demonstrate any advancements in his shooting ability. After connecting on only 23.3% of his shots from beyond the arc last season, Şengün`s jumper remains one of his few remaining weaknesses to refine before ascending to the next tier of young stars.
6. Kristaps Porziņģis, Latvia
2025-26 Age: 30 | Atlanta Hawks
2024-25 Estimated Projections: +1.7 offense | +0.4 defense | +2.2 overall
After a successful tenure with the Celtics that culminated in Boston`s 2024 NBA title, the one-time `unicorn` is transitioning to the next phase of his professional career. Before he dons the Hawks jersey, he will add to a EuroBasket résumé that has been dormant for nearly a decade. A 21-year-old Porziņģis made a strong impression for Latvia in 2017, averaging 23.6 points and 6.0 rebounds as Latvia secured a fifth-place finish. This year`s roster, which also features former NBA players Dāvis and Dairis Bertāns, faces lower expectations, holding the ninth-best odds.
However, Latvia did achieve a fifth-place finish in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and is a main host country for EuroBasket 2025, factors that should provide a boost to Porziņģis` performance.
7. Deni Avdija, Israel
2025-26 Age: 25 | Portland Trail Blazers
2024-25 Estimated Projections: +0.7 offense | +0.4 defense | +1.1 overall
Deni Avdija is arguably the most underrated player set to compete at this EuroBasket. He fully maximized the opportunity presented by his trade from the Washington Wizards to the Portland Trail Blazers last summer, achieving 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 (+1.7), and WAR (5.1). Any further indications of progress as a shooter and ball handler would solidify his ongoing development.
He boasts a history of standout performances on the international stage: he was named 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 team success of that magnitude is unlikely this time around (Israel is tied for the lowest odds in the field), Avdija is still expected to post impressive individual statistics.
8. Santi Aldama, Spain
2025-26 Age: 25 | Memphis Grizzlies
2024-25 Estimated Projections: +0.4 offense | +0.5 defense | +0.9 overall
Spain is currently navigating a period of transition, and Santi Aldama finds himself at the heart of this transformation. The defending champions have won four of the last six EuroBaskets and only once finished outside the podium since 1997 (fourth in 2005). However, they slipped to ninth in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and tenth in the 2024 Olympics, as the veteran players who powered their golden era have either declined or been phased out.
Long-time coach Sergio Scariolo, a four-time EuroBasket champion who has predominantly led this team since 2009, will depart after the tournament. This means Aldama, alongside Willy and Juancho Hernangómez, is among the leaders of Spain`s next generation of stars. He was one of the most improved players in the NBA last season, boosting his RAPTOR from -1.7 to +1.8, thanks to a more versatile offensive skillset and an improved roster on a revitalized Grizzlies squad. Despite his growth, 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: -0.4 offense | +0.7 defense | +0.2 overall
Neemias Queta posted an impressive +4.6 RAPTOR in a very limited sample of 333 minutes (11.9 MPG) during the 2023-24 season. However, this figure decreased to -0.1 in an expanded role of 863 minutes within Boston`s competitive center rotation last season. He also didn`t quite replicate the positive on-versus-off-court team efficiency split (+9.4 per 100 possessions) he had boasted the previous year. Nevertheless, NBA players who perform at or above league average are valuable assets, and EuroBasket presents a significant opportunity for Queta to enhance his game on a relatively high-level international stage.
10. Nikola Jović, Serbia
2025-26 Age: 22 | Miami Heat
2024-25 Estimated Projections: -0.3 offense | +0.4 defense | +0.1 overall
Setting aside any potential confusion with his similarly named idol, the fact that 22-year-old Nikola Jović could be a pivotal player for Serbia for the second consecutive summer is quite remarkable. Jović’s per-minute statistics remained somewhat consistent during the last NBA season, though he did increase his scoring to 10.7 PPG and achieved a career-high 25.1 MPG before rehabilitating a broken bone in his right hand sustained in February. Now fully recovered, he appears ready for an expanded role with the Serbian national team.
At last year`s Olympics, Jović averaged only 4.2 points in 10.9 minutes per game while playing through an ankle injury. A more significant output this time around would not only demonstrate his potential to surpass these projections for the upcoming season but also establish him as a true breakout player at the professional level.
Other Key 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)
