By Javier Molero/ jmolero@eurohoops.net
Eurobasket 2025 brings together the best European players on the planet. Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and also established talents will have their first big opportunity to shine and join the tournament’s big names.
Some are making their debut in championships at this level, while others find their niche to become important players. These are the 10 talents who can become Eurobasket stars and key players for their national team. A mix of NBA and European talents, all to be relevant in the upcoming tournaments.
Goga Bitadze (Georgia, Orlando Magic)
Bitadze’s year in Orlando has been outstanding. The Georgian, who bolsters his fearsome inside game with Shengelia and Shermadini, could be one of the best inside defenders in the entire Eurobasket. The 6’11” center, who has struggled to find his place in the NBA, is in the prime of his career.
Sought after by several teams in the American League, at 26 years old, Bitadze is averaging 7.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. His size, physique, and, above all, his intelligence under the rim make him a differentiator. He’s going to be one of the stars of the tournament thanks to his impact on his own basket.
Pelle Larsson (Sweden, Miami Heat)
In a Sweden that hopes to exceed expectations, Pelle Larsson has the opportunity to show himself to the world. Raised in Arizona and with a year with the Miami Heat under his belt, this “bully with the ball,” as Spoelstra explained, is one of the most underrated players at Eurobasket 2025.
His ability to score, combined with his versatility and ability to play multiple positions, makes him a special addition to the Swedish team. Physically strong, aggressive at the rim, and more than decent on defense, Larsson faces a crucial year in finding his role in the NBA, and the Eurobasket is the perfect stage to do so.
Alex Sarr (France, Washington Wizards)
Alex Sarr, by fate, has a great opportunity to establish himself in French basketball. The absences of Gobert, Wembanyama, Lessort, and now Poirier leave the Wizards‘ center as the only inside reference. After an uneven preparation, failing to showcase his full potential and limited to a high-post passer and defender role, the former OTE and Perth Wildcats player could shine alongside Fauthoux.
His ability to score from mid-range, his footwork to finish at the rim, and his ability to defend multiple positions with the shot-blocker as his greatest ally give him unique qualities in a France full of versatile forwards and point guards.
Nikola Jovic (Serbia, Miami Heat)
It’s Nikola Jovic’s tournament. With Jokic and Bogdanovic stealing the spotlight, the Miami Heat forward has the opportunity to establish himself on a team aiming for gold. At 22, he had his best season in his third season in Florida. Scoring over 10 points and shooting 37% from three-point range, the Leicester-born guard is something different on Pesic’s roster.
With Balkan warriors, experienced and capable of shutting down any opponent, Jovic embodies that self-sufficiency on offense, that ease of getting easy baskets, alternating between the ‘3’ and the ‘4’, which will be so useful for Jokic and company. The Nuggets star can find him in the corners, and he can create his own shots off the dribble.
Tristan da Silva (Germany, Orlando Magic)
Tristan da Silva has burst onto the scene in Germany. Oscar’s younger brother, a star at the University of Colorado, has had a sensational debut year in Orlando. The glue any team would want, the good defender and shooter who shoots close to 40%, ready to adapt to any roster.
Mumbrú’s team, vying for gold after being world champions, needs a hard worker like Tristan on the court for every possession. Generous in his efforts, with a superb physique honed in the Big 12 against the best players in the NCAA, the youngest of the da Silvas is present and future, with a greater potential than his brother and a key player for the Magic.
Neemias Queta (Portugal, Boston Celtics)
Portugal faces its fourth Eurobasket in its history and, based on what it has seen in preparation, perhaps with the highest hopes. Neemias Queta is the great leader, the benchmark of a tough and feisty team. And the Celtics center fulfills all the requirements to always appear in the best plays of the day.
His overwhelming physique, agility, and interior power make him one of the best centers in the championship. We saw against Spain in the match in Malaga how he can exploit his rebounding intelligence, footwork, and dominance in the paint.
Adem Bona (Turkey, Philadelphia 76ers)
Turkey is flying under the betting radar. Larkin himself confirmed that it’s the best roster he’s been on in recent years, and with Alperen Sengun as their leader, Ataman’s team can compete for medals at the Eurobasket. Adem Bona’s defensive advantage will be crucial to that end.
The former UCLA player, now a Sixers player, is a force of nature. His ability to play at the 4 and 5, his intimidation inside, and his increasingly confident offensive prowess (thanks to his last year with the Bruins) are the perfect combination for pairing with centers of the caliber of Sengun and Omer Yurtseven. A candidate for the tournament’s best defender, he is an excellent shot-blocker who also dominates the rebound.
Henri Drell (Estonia, Tenerife)
Drell had his moment in the previous Eurobasket, when he scored 20 points, shooting 8-of-12 from the field, with three rebounds in a blowout win against Great Britain.
He is without a doubt the biggest star of Estonia, and he is now mature enough to do something bigger than just give flashes of his talent. Ironically, since the 2022 Eurobasket, he spent most of his time in the NBA G-League, and he is finally back in Europe for Tenerife, where he is also expected to have a key role. A strong Eurobasket performance can be a sign for things to come.
Azuolas Tubelis (Lithuania, Zalgiris Kaunas)
Azuolas Tubelis will have the opportunity to showcase everything that has been said about him in recent years at Zalgiris. And also in Lithuania. One of the most promising young European players during his time in Arizona, Tubelis has signed with Kaunas for next year.
In a national team clearly in transition, without the participation of Domantas Sabonis and with several guards with points (Syrvidis, Brazdeikis), Tubelis can find his role. Physically powerful, with a good hand from the outside, and with an intelligence after dribbling that he honed last season in the Lithuanian league.
Marko Simonovic (Montenegro, Turk Telekom)
Marko Simonovic is facing his breakthrough tournament. The center, a former Bahcesehir player and a key player in the G League during his time with the Windy City Bulls (Chicago’s affiliate), is the versatile big man Nikola Vucevic so desperately needed at his side. His ability to pass from the high post, his skills near the rim, and his intelligence make him unique.
Simonovic, who will play for Turk Telekom next year, was one of the best players in the last Eurocup. Montenegro needs his talents to advance to the next round, and the former NBA player’s talent will be crucial.