By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Former NBA players pursuing overseas options and taking their talents to the EuroLeague is far from news. However, 12 active EuroLeague players being selected in the NBA draft 2017 is quite impressive.
In total, 60 players were drafted by NBA teams, with 20% of them currently in Europe’s premier continental competition!
Olympiacos announcing the addition of Monte Morris restored the unprecedented total to 12 on Wednesday. The 2017 draft class features four more current Olympiacos players in Frank Ntilikina, Tyler Dorsey, Alec Peters, and Sasha Vezenkov!
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List of active EuroLeague players from NBA draft 2017
| Player | Pick | Current Team |
| Frank Ntilikina | 8th | Olympiacos |
| T.J. Leaf | 18th | Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv |
| Semi Ojeleye | 37th | Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet |
| Dwayne Bacon | 40th | Dubai |
| Tyler Dorsey | 41st | Olympiacos |
| Sterling Brown | 46th | Partizan Mozzart Bet |
| Mathias Lessort | 50th | Panathinaikos Aktor |
| Monte Morris | 51st | Olympiacos |
| Alec Peters | 54th | Olympiacos |
| Nigel Williams-Goss | 55th | Zalgiris |
| Sasha Vezenkov | 57th | Olympiacos |
| Jaron Blossomgame | 59th | AS Monaco |
From the list, Morris stands out with the most NBA games at 477, with Ntilikina being a veteran of 336 appearances, Ojeleye of 322, Brown of 292, Bacon of 207, Leaf of 151, Dorsey of 107, Vezenkov of 42, Blossomgame of 27, Peters of 20, and Williams-Goss of 11. Only Lessort has never played an NBA game.
On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, the previous players combining a selection in the 2017 draft with EuroLeague action have been successful, more or less household names, especially former season MVP Vezenkov. Certainly a positive sign for the former Iowa State standout.
The 2017 draft features several former EuroLeague players, including Vlatko Cancar, who started the 2025-26 season with EA7 Emporio Armani Milan but departed in late October due to lingering knee issues.
Free agent Markelle Fultz was the top pick of that draft, with Lonzo Ball and Jayson Tatum following in second and third place. Finnish Lauri Markkanen was the top European selection in seventh place, one spot over Ntilikina.