Željko Obradović Assembles a Dream Team at Panathinaikos! Obradović to Command EuroLeague's Most Expensive Starting Five, Unrivaled by Competitors

Panathinaikos made a significant move this summer, securing the return of Željko Obradović to the Greens' bench after 14 years. Dimitris Giannakopoulos has ensured the decorated coach will have both a substantial budget and an impressive roster at his disposal.

Specifically, they've assembled the most expensive starting five in EuroLeague history, further bolstered this summer by the arrivals of Isaac Bonga and Guerschon Yabusele.

The five highest-paid Panathinaikos players will collectively earn over 18,000,000 euros, an unprecedented figure by European standards. This highlights the growing investment in European basketball and underscores PAO's ambition to reclaim the top spot in Europe.

Kendrick Nunn and Nigel Hayes-Davis account for half of that sum, each earning 4,500,000 euros annually. Guerschon Yabusele, who joined after a stint in the NBA, will command 4,000,000 euros. Mathias Lessort is the highest-paid center with a salary of 2,700,000 euros, while Isaac Bonga rounds out the ideal starting five, set to receive 2,200,000 euros in Athens. All told, that's approximately 18 million dollars.

For comparison, Hapoel Tel Aviv will field the second most expensive starting five, with a total sum of around 16 million euros, of which 4,700,000 goes to our own Vasa Micić. Olympiacos is at approximately 13 million, while Real Madrid is just under ten.

The favorites for the new season are already beginning to emerge, and it remains to be seen if Obradović can lead Panathinaikos to his tenth EuroLeague title.

VIDEO: Željko Obradović arrives at the promotion!