The 2026–2027 NBA season gets underway with 125 international players, continuing a long-standing trend for the American professional basketball league, OA Sport reported. Of that total, 70 players hail from Europe, a much larger presence than during the league's first four decades.
Italy’s presence in the league is now limited to Simone Fontecchio, currently with the Miami Heat. This single-player status marks a sharp decline from just over a decade ago when the nation boasted four simultaneous roster spots occupied by Andrea Bargnani, Marco Belinelli, Danilo Gallinari, and Gigi Datome. By historical count, Fontecchio stands as the ninth Italian to play in the NBA. This figure excludes Paolo Banchero, who holds dual citizenship, received an approach from the Italian national team that he could not accept, and ultimately chose to represent the United States.
France and Canada Lead International Player Counts
The league-wide breakdown highlights deep talent pools across multiple continents. France leads the international contingent with 17 players, followed by Canada with 16. Australia contributes 9 players, while Germany places 7. Serbia and Nigeria each place 6 players on opening rosters, and Spain accounts for 5.
France just passed Canada 🇫🇷🏀The NBA announced today that opening-night rosters feature 125 international players from a record-tying 43 countries. France leads with 17, the first country other than Canada to top the list in 13 seasons.Canada is second with 16, then…
Several players feature club nationalities that differ from their FIBA international representation due to naturalization rules allowing one naturalized player per national squad. Kyshawn George was born and raised in Switzerland but represents Canada as of the 2025 AmeriCup. Adem Bona was born in Nigeria and has lived in Turkey since age 13, representing Turkish youth and senior national teams. Duop Reath was born in South Sudan, moved to Brisbane at age nine, and plays internationally for Australia. Pacome Dadiet played youth basketball for France before choosing the senior national team of his origin country, Côte d’Ivoire. Tarik Biberovic, born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has represented Turkey internationally since 2018.
Two-Way Contracts Allow G League Assignments
The 125-player figure includes athletes signed to two-way contracts, marked by an asterisk on league rosters. These agreements tie a player to an NBA franchise for a maximum of 50 active list appearances—regardless of whether they enter a game—while permitting assignment and recall to the franchise’s G League affiliate throughout the season without executing new contract paperwork.
Among European nations represented on standard and two-way deals, Lithuania features 2 players, including Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings and Kasparas Jakucionis of the Milwaukee Bucks. Croatia sends 3 players, featuring Ivica Zubac with the Indiana Pacers, Mario Hezonja with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Karlo Matkovic with the New Orleans Pelicans. Slovenia is represented by Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers, while Greece features Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Miami Heat, and Latvia is represented by Kristaps Porzingis of the Golden State Warriors.
Other European contributors include Finland’s Lauri Markkanen with the Utah Jazz, Georgia’s Goga Bitadze and Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Montenegro’s Nikola Vucevic with the Orlando Magic.
