August 2025

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13 NBA players to watch during 2025 EuroBasket

We’re still a month away from even NBA media days before training camp, let alone real basketball. Which is why if you’re looking for meaningful games at the end of summer, it’s time to turn your gaze toward Europe.

EuroBasket, the European championship, starts this Wednesday, Aug. 27, and will run through Sept. 14. It will feature France (the silver medal team from the Paris Olympics), Serbia (the bronze medal winners) and Germany, which won the last national European competition and finished fourth in Paris.

EuroBasket also will feature many of the NBA’s biggest stars — MVPs and players shaping and changing how the game is played.

Here are 13 NBA players to watch as play tips off this week (group play will be contested in Cyprus, Finland, Latvia and Poland, with Riga, Latvia, hosting the knockout rounds).

Nikola Jokic (Serbia)

The three-time MVP and consensus best player in the world leads a stacked Serbian squad that is the betting favorite to win the tourney. Jokic is coming off a Nuggets’ season where he averaged a triple-double — 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists a game — while being hyper efficient, even shooting 41.7% from 3. He is at the top of his game.

Serbia as a team looks ready, they went 7-0 in tune-up games including a 106–72 thumping of a dangerous Slovenian team. This is a team deep with talent and guys who know how to play the international game, allowing Jokic to play to his strengths — look for him to dominate games with his playmaking more than scoring.

Luka Doncic (Slovenia)

Doncic will be the player with the most eyes on him heading into EuroBasket because people want the answer to this question: “How good does ‘skinny’ Doncic look?” In tune-up games for the tournament, he has looked elite, with one of his teammates telling the European media that this is the most athletic they have seen Doncic in an international tournament.

A scare shot through Lakers’ nation after a teammate fell into Doncic’s knee during one of the exhibition games leading up to EuroBasket.

Fortunately, he was diagnosed with simply a knee contusion and was back practicing and playing with the Slovenian team in the following days. He is good to go for EuroBasket and will be in the mix for tournament MVP if Slovenia has a strong showing.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece)

Antetokounmpo thrives in international basketball — he was the leading scorer at the Paris Olympics last summer, averaging 25.8 points along with 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists across four games. He was the leading scorer at the 2022 EuroBasket, averaging 29.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists a game.

Last summer, Antetokounmpo and Greece advanced out of group play at the Paris Olympics but were knocked out in the quarterfinals of the knockout round by Germany. Their goals for this tournament are higher.

Kristaps Porzingis (Latvia)

Porzingis is a prototypical European stretch five, a player who can protect the rim on defense but on offense can space the floor and force other team’s bigs out of the paint. When healthy he is a force. He was a critical part of Boston’s title run in 2024 and even last season averaged 19.5 points and 6.8 rebounds a game shooting 41.2% from beyond the arc for the Celtics, but health limited him to 42 games.

Porzingis is at the heart of a remaking of the Hawks roster for this season, they will need him on the court. Which means Atlanta fans will be watching and hoping Porzingis comes out of EuroBasket unscathed.

Alperen Sengun (Turkiye)

Sengun was an NBA All-Star last season who averaged 19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists a game. That said, he didn’t seem to catch the eye of casual fans — something that may be about to change. Sengun is poised for a breakout season as the hub of a Houston Rockets attack featuring Kevin Durant and Amen Thompson. That breakout could start at EuroBasket, especially if Sengun keeps playing like he did in tune-up games.

Lauri Markkanen (Finland)

The Utah forward — who likes it in Salt Lake and isn’t looking to be traded, even if teams are calling about him and Danny Ainge is listening — had a couple of very impressive seasons for the Jazz before seeing his efficiency drop off last season on a rebuilding squad. He still averaged 19 points and 5.9 rebounds a game, but his true shooting percentage of .571 was about the league average, and well below his previous two seasons, and that was indicative of all his efficiency stats. Will we see a healthy and rejuvenated Markkanen at EuroBasket, and will that mean his efficiency bounces back?

Franz Wagner (Germany)

Brothers Franz and Mo Wagner — Orlando Magic teammates — will both suit up for Germany in this tournament, but Franz is the one ready for a breakout. He averaged 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists a game last season for the Magic, but missed out on the All-Star Game and postseason awards due to an oblique injury sidelining him for a chunk of the season. This season, as one of the offensive engines for a Magic team poised to break into the top four in the East and make a lot of noise (they are a great candidate for an Indiana-style postseason run), Franz is going to get a lot of shine. That could start at EuroBasket with a German team that is the No. 2 betting favorite to win the entire tournament.

Dennis Schroder, Germany

While the Wagner brothers may get the headlines, the rock-solid point guard play of Dennis Schroder on both ends of the court is what makes Germany so dangerous. He is going to get them in the right positions to make plays (and he may find it easier to do that with this German team than with the oddly built Sacramento Kings next season). Last season in the NBA, Schroder bounced between Brooklyn, Golden State and Detroit, and while starting for the Nets he averaged 18.4 points and 6.6 assists a game (with the Warriors he was playing behind Stephen Curry, and with the Pistons he was behind Cade Cunningham, so the roles were very different than with the Nets — his role with Germany is closer to Brooklyn).

Deni Avdija (Israel)

Not a lot of fans noticed the leap Deni Avdija made last season because not a lot of fans outside the Pacific Northwest were watching the Portland Trail Blazers. That said, he thrived in a larger role after being traded out of Washington and posted career highs in points at 16.9, rebounds (7.3) and assists (3.9). He had an impressive true shooting percentage of 60.5. Avdija has had some big games in youth international tournaments, we’ll see if he can step up on this larger stage for Israel.

Guerschon Yabusele, France

France is a little thin along the frontline for this tournament, with Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert both out for a team that won the silver medal at the Paris Olympics a year ago.

That puts a lot on Yabusele, who broke out at the Paris Olympics — 14 points and 3.3 rebounds a game — which got him back in the NBA with a contract in Philadelphia (this coming season, he will have a key bench role for New York). If you’re questioning how much Yabusele can lift the French team, just remember what he did to LeBron James in Paris.

Nikola Vucevic, Montenegro

The veteran NBA center is the kind of floor-spacing five who thrives in international basketball, he shot 40.2% from beyond the deeper NBA 3-point line last season. He averaged 18.5 points and 10.1 rebounds a game for Chicago last season and is going to put up numbers for Montenegro as their best and go-to player.

Santi Aldama, Spain

There is pressure on the Spanish side, which is the defending EuroBasket champions and has won four of the last six of these tournaments, but now is in a generational transition and may not have the talent to compete at the highest levels. A lot of that pressure falls on Aldama, one of the best players of the generation coming up (with brothers Willy and Juancho Hernangomez as the other big names). The Grizzlies’ stretch big averaged 12.5 points and 6.4 rebounds a game in the NBA last season.

Bogdan Bogdanovic, Serbia

It is the veteran wing Bogdanovic, not Jokic, who is the Serbian captain, which speaks to the level of respect for the sharpshooter. In the Paris Olympics last summer, Bogdanovic averaged 17.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game, helping lead Serbia to the bronze medal (and almost upsetting the USA in the medal round). He sets the tone for a Serbian team thinking gold this summer.

Fantasy Baseball 2-Start Pitcher Rankings: Target Yankees starters with soft matchups vs. the Nationals, White Sox

The list of two-start pitchers has a couple solid options this week, which is more than we can say about the lists that appeared in recent articles. Fantasy baseball managers with plenty of available roster moves would be wise to use the one-start streamers list this week, as there are several pitchers who are widely available and have a terrific chance for success.

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Cam Schlittler, Yankees, 46% (vs. WSH, @ CWS): A favorable schedule against two teams who sit in last place in their respective divisions makes Schlittler the top option this week. The rookie has plenty of win potential, especially since the Yankees have emerged from an early August slump. And Schlittler has been effective of late, allowing five runs while racking up 23 strikeouts across 21.2 innings during his past four starts.

Sean Manaea, Mets, 40% (vs. PHI, vs. MIA): Manaea has produced a mixed bag of results in 36.2 innings since returning from a season-opening injured list stint. His 5.15 ERA is keeping him on waivers in many leagues, but his 45:8 K:BB ratio and 1.12 WHIP suggest that the left-hander should soon have more success in preventing runs. Manaea could produce 12-15 strikeouts and hopefully his batted-ball luck (67.4% strand rate) starts to correct itself.

José Soriano, Angels, 36% (@ TEX, @ HOU): The story with Soriano never changes — his heavy ground ball lean means that he will hurt your WHIP, but he shouldn’t have much impact in either direction on your ERA. He’s a safe source of 10-12 strikeouts and has a decent chance of getting a win during a week with reasonable matchups. Because of the WHIP impact, Soriano is more appealing in points leagues.

Luis Gil, Yankees, 48% (vs. WSH, @ CWS): After giving up five runs in his 2025 debut, Gil has allowed four earned runs (five total) over 15.2 innings during his past three starts. However, walks continue to be an issue for one of the wildest starters in baseball, as he issued nine free passes in those three outings. Gil will likely do damage to a fantasy team’s WHIP next week, but his favorable schedule gives him potential to earn a win while racking up 10 whiffs.

Justin Verlander, Giants, 19% (vs. CHC, vs. BAL): Verlander has been one of the least consistent pitchers in baseball of late. In four of his past six starts, the 42-year-old has allowed one or zero runs. But in the other two outings, he surrendered a total of 12 runs. Making his two starts at home this week should help, as he has recorded a 4.14 ERA at Oracle Park this year. And he is facing the Cubs at the right time, as they rank 26th in runs scored since the All-Star break. There is risk here, but Verlander is far from the worst option on this list.

Michael McGreevy, Cardinals, 21% (vs. PIT, @ CIN): McGreevy has an awful 5.2 K/9 rate, but his lack of expected strikeouts is less of an issue during a two-start week. The right-hander opens the week with a favorable matchup against the Pirates, who are the lowest-scoring team in baseball. He wraps things up with a tougher matchup in Cincinnati, but McGreevy has rarely allowed homers this year, which should help his chances at Great American Ball Park. Those who are chasing wins will want to pick him up for the Pirates start alone.

Shane Smith, White Sox, 11% (vs. KC, vs. NYY): Smith has been solid since returning from the IL on August 1, producing a 3.54 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP across four starts. Still, he’s sitting at 3-7 this year and rarely goes past five innings, which gives him a low ceiling for two starts against teams that are still chasing postseason berths. He’s best left for those in 15-team leagues.

Andre Pallante, Cardinals, 6% (vs. PIT, @ CIN): With a 5.17 ERA, a 1.41 WHIP and 6.2 K/9 rate, Pallante has one of the lowest ceilings of any starter. He’s on this list for one reason — managers who are chasing wins without concern for their ratios can stream him for the start against the Pirates. Like his teammate McGreevy, Pallante’s heavy groundball lean gives him a fighting chance at Great American Ball Park on the weekend.

J.T. Ginn, Athletics, 3% (vs. DET, vs. TEX): Ginn has struggled when working as a starter this year (5.24 ERA). But he has potential to fare better, as his 47:17 K:BB ratio in that role is a solid mark, and he induces ground balls at an elite rate. I would normally recommend Ginn as a sneaky option, but I can’t make that call when both of his starts will come at his hitter-friendly home park, where he has logged a 6.75 ERA. He’s someone to remember for road starts in future weeks.

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In order, here are the best streamers for the week, with their start date and Yahoo roster rate in brackets.

  • Joey Wentz @ MIA (Wednesday, 6%)

  • Dustin May vs. PIT (Friday, 35%)

  • Parker Messick vs. TB (Tuesday, 7%)

  • Braxton Ashcraft @ STL (Wednesday, 11%)

  • Nestor Cortes @ MIN (Friday, 19%)

  • Ryan Bergert @ CWS (Wednesday, 22%)

  • Taijuan Walker @ NYM (Wednesday, 15%)

  • Adrian Houser @ WSH (Friday, 22%)

  • Michael Lorenzen @ CWS (Tuesday, 8%)

  • Slade Cecconi vs. TB (Wednesday, 12%)

  • Cade Cavalli @ NYY (Wednesday, 10%)

Alec Burleson, 1B/OF, Cardinals, 46%: The left-handed-hitting Burleson is in prime position for an excellent week. The Cardinals will play seven games, with six coming against right-handed starters. St. Louis will miss Paul Skenes during a four-game series against the Pirates and will wrap up the week at homer-happy Great American Ball Park. Those who don’t have access to Burleson in deeper formats can instead grab Nolan Gorman (3%).

Trent Grisham, OF, Yankees, 22%: After surging out of the gate in April, Grisham has been consistent in the subsequent four months. Working as the Yankees leadoff hitter, he should score plenty of runs in a seven-game week against the Nats and White Sox. The lefty swinger will be helped by the fact that there are five right-handed starters on the docket.

Lenyn Sosa, 1B/2B/3B, White Sox, 42%: Sosa has swung a hot bat this summer, posting a .791 OPS since the beginning of July. He should collect plenty of counting stats this week, when he plays seven home games against a mediocre group of starters. Sosa could receive plenty of help from his teammates, as the White Sox rank 4th in runs scored since the All-Star break.

Samuel Basallo, C/1B, Orioles, 27%: With Adley Rutschman on the IL, Basallo should play often during a 7-game week. The lefty slugger will enjoy five matchups against unimposing right-handed starters and could get a day off when the team faces lefty Garrett Crochet. He and fellow youngster Dylan Beavers (7%) are poised for big weeks.