By John Rammas / irammas@eurohoops.net
Omitted from the list are cases of players who have an option to renew their contract like, for example, Shane Larkin (renewal for 1+1 year in 2019), and Vassilis Spanoulis and Georgios Printezis, who will be free agents but who are expected to complete their careers in Olympiacos.
Here is the Top 10 by Eurohoops:
MIKE JAMES
CSKA Moscow | Guard | August 18, 1990 | USA
21.1 pts | 3.3 reb | 4.3 ast | 0.7 stl | 0.1 blk | 3 tov | 28:38 min | 20.9 PIR
Mike James was rewarded with a contract from the EuroLeague Champions for the season he had in Milan last year (winner of the Alphonso Ford EuroLeague Top Scorer Trophy), but it was a one-year contract. Still, in this one year, he has literally done everything in his power (3rd in the PIR) to keep the team in a leading role (5th place with 19-9) in what has been a transitional (with the departures of Nando De Colo, Sergio Rodriguez and Cory Higgins, among others) and full of injuries season, with the most serious being that of Will Clyburn (ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in the right knee).
He almost always plays against the criticism he receives as one of the most love-to-hate players, but at least he is remunerated accordingly with contracts worth over 1,500,000 euros annually.
UPDATE: Mike James and CSKA are reportedly finalizing an extension.
ALEXEY SHVED
Khimki Moscow Region | Guard | December 16, 1988 | Russia
21.4 pts | 2.7 reb | 6.2 ast | 0.9 stl | 0.4 blk | 3.9 tov | 31:10 min | 19.4 PIR
He’s a born scorer (winner of the Alphonso Ford EuroLeague Top Scorer Trophy in 2018), even with a large number of field goals, like his 16.9 this season. He also passes the ball, contrary to the beliefs of many, and he’s generally the one in Khimki who has the ball in his hands for the longest time (4th in the PIR).
He has been in the Moscow team since 2015, when he returned from the NBA, having initially signed a 3-year contract worth 3,600,000 euros a year (second highest after Nikola Mirotic’s) and in 2017 he renewed until 2020. In Europe, he has never played outside of Russia (CSKA Moscow 2006-12 and EuroLeague Champion in 2008).