The names below are not confirmed transfers. They are credible “what if” files: NBA veterans and rotation players whose contracts, age, or role could make a European return realistic as early as 2026. We tie each name to plausible EuroLeague addresses (roster need, style, budget tier)—still speculative until a club or player announces a deal.
Note: NBA roster and cap details change weekly. Treat this as a narrative and fit exercise, not reporting on active negotiations.
1. Jonas Valančiūnas — Denver Nuggets
After a 2025–26 season as a specialist big for the Nuggets, “JV” is at a crossroads. At 33, he remains one of the most efficient rebounders and post scorers in the world, but the NBA’s pace is increasingly leaving traditional centers behind in rotation pecking orders.
Landing spots
Real Madrid or AS Monaco. Madrid are long-term built around the paint identity that Walter Tavares defines; Monaco can pitch high-level minutes in a EuroLeague offence that values skilled size.
Why it’s exciting
Real Madrid is bracing for the post-Tavares era in the medium term. Valančiūnas returning to Europe would be a cheat-code profile: his physicality and touch would instantly change how opponents game-plan the paint in the EuroLeague.
Driblio angle: “The Last True Giant: Why Jonas Valančiūnas is the EuroLeague’s missing final boss.”
2. Bogdan Bogdanović — Atlanta Hawks (trade context)
Bogdan’s contract situation and age (turning 34 in August 2026) make the coming window a “now or never” discussion for a European return. He has achieved everything possible as a high-level NBA role player; for many fans, the pull of the Partizan faithful is as loud as any salary argument.
Landing spots
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (priority on emotion and fit) or Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (budget, Istanbul spotlight, backcourt culture).
Why it’s exciting
This would not be a quiet signing—it would be a cultural event in Serbia. Pairing Bogdan with Željko Obradović in a EuroLeague context would be a ratings and attendance story as much as a basketball one.
Driblio angle: “The Homecoming: Ranking the emotional impact of Bogdanović’s potential Partizan return.”
3. Dante Exum — Dallas Mavericks
Exum’s second NBA act in Dallas has had bright stretches, but injuries have again influenced his 2025–26 availability. When healthy, he profiles as an elite EuroLeague guard—long, switchable, comfortable playing on or off the ball in a high-execution offence.
Landing spots
FC Barcelona or Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens. Barcelona love multiposition guards who can defend up; Panathinaikos under Ergin Ataman have historically valued versatile, tall guards who can slot next to star creators.
Why it’s exciting
If PAO’s roster turns over in the backcourt in the next cycle, Exum is the type of “modern” profile who can defend multiple positions and keep a contender’s defence organised without sacrificing size.
Driblio angle: “The Exum Paradox: Why the NBA’s loss is always the EuroLeague’s gain.”
4. Dario Šarić — Sacramento Kings
“The Homie” has settled into a journeyman NBA rhythm. As a 2026 free-agent case, he may rationally weigh a 30-minute role in Europe against a 12-minute specialist job in the NBA—especially if the offensive system fits his point-forward skill set.
Landing spots
Anadolu Efes Istanbul or Dubai Basketball. Efes can sell a creative, high-IQ offence; Dubai’s project could use a European face with passing IQ and shooting gravity at the four/five interchange.
Why it’s exciting
Dubai have been linked in the narrative to needing a marquee European identity as they grow their EuroLeague footprint. Šarić’s basketball IQ and “connector” role are a clean stylistic match for a league that rewards skill and decision-making.
Driblio angle: “Dubai’s First Star? Analyzing Dario Šarić as the face of a new franchise.”
Bottom line
Four different profiles—paint anchor, national icon, defensive guard, point-forward—and four different “why now” windows. None of them are inevitable; all of them are fun to think about because they would reshape EuroLeague hierarchies overnight. When real news drops, it will come from the league office, the club, or the player’s agent—not from a scenario piece.
