Top European Prospects That Could Secure NIL Deals This Offseason

Kasparas Jakucionis, Egor Demin, and other top European prospects made the move from club basketball in Europe - Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively - to pursue collegiate opportunities in America via NIL deals with Illinois and BYU last summer. The two of them have largely seen their draft stock improve or stabilize depending on who you talk to based on their level of play this season.

Meanwhile, Nolan Traore and Hugo Gonzalez - two of the top European prospects for the 2025 NBA Draft class - decided to stay with their original domestic clubs and have mostly seen their draft stock drop. Traore has fallen from a top-five projected pick to potentially out of the lottery. While one season is a small sample size, this contrast has many current European prospects for future NBA Drafts considering their own futures. The expectation is that even more top European talent could swap continents this summer and sign NIL deals.

One of the top names in this regard is Italian wing, Dame Sarr. Sarr, like Jakucionis, currently plays for Barcelona. He spent the majority of this season riding the bench for Barcelona, but when the Catalan club hit a rut in form at the turn of the year, Sarr was given an opportunity to prove himself and took advantage of it. He’s solidified himself in Barcelona’s rotation, ahead of some notable EuroLeague veterans, and has accordingly caught the attention of colleges in the States who are intrigued at the prospect of bringing him over in the summer of 2025 before he enters the 2026 NBA Draft. Illinois, who also recruited Jakucionis, apparently have their eyes on Sarr. Sarr could also enter the 2025 NBA Draft.

Sarr isn’t the only young EuroLeague wing generating interest. Bayern Munich’s Ivan Kharchenkov is on NIL radars as well. Kharchenkov, similar to Sarr, started the season riding the bench but quickly developed into a role player for new head coach Gordon Herbert. He’s been a solid two-way player even though he has struggled from beyond the arc. Kharchenkov signed a multi-year deal with Bayern in May of 2024 but he is represented by Tadas Bulotas of Wasserman Sports, who also represents Jakucionis. The relationships for an NIL switch are certainly there.

Of course, the list does not stop there. Greek point forward Neoklis Avdalas is expected to stay with Greek club Peristieri given his success this season and the prominent role he has played with the club but that impressive play will likely draw some inquiries from NCAA teams. Real Madrid prospects Declan Duru and Sidi Gueye will have eyes on them following Demin’s success. Serbian guard Andrej Kostic of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet has featured sparingly at the senior level this season and thus, could be tempted by NIL opportunities.

Some of these prospects will likely stay in Europe, but if another handful goes the NIL route and we see their draft stock improve more compared to their competitors who stay in Europe this trend could potentially explode in the summer of 2026. As NCAA organizations ramp up front offices and international recruitment operations, the systems are forming for the majority of young international prospects to make the move to the States for their youth careers.

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