Only five Aussie men in the upper tier in Europe, a sign of the economic times? Or just a reflection that more are in the NBA?

Probably both Paul.

Guys like Ingles, Baynes, Delly and Bairstow may not have got in a look in at the NBA a decade ago. Times have changed.

Plus it is 4 Aussie men - Laura Hodges is definitely a female ;)

Andersen, Broekhoff, Motum, Newley and Maric.

That doesn't really explain it. Why were there significantly more Australians in Europe in recent years?

paul, what do you think guys like Trist and McCarron are on money wise?

I have heard some LEB teams only have 100k Euro budgets. This used to be much much higher a few years ago AFAIK.

McCarron could have got $60k (?) Here in his first year?

Hard to say, but my rough guess would be $US5K per month?

Interestingly, both Goulding and Jawai have stated they've come back to the NBL with the Olympics in mind.

Paul - Andersen is not in Eurocup this season. He will be playing in the FIBA Europe Cup - the competition that has replaced EuroChallenge. Dan Dillon will also be playing in this competition with his new side PGE Turow - the same team that Dan Kickert played for.

I dont get too excited about the second tier continental comps, there is a real mix of how seriously clubs take them. Andersen is playing in the French league and that's a quality competition. The Polish league is decent, and a step up for Dan from Romania, but personally I wouldn't class it with the upper level national leagues.

Don't they also have a ruling re how many imports per team are allowed, so unless they can get a European passport then that also limits the amount of Aussies that can get a gig in a good team in Europe, if the Americans are also putting their hands up for spots?

They do have limits on imports, but the vast majority of Aussies who have had careers in Europe have done so on Euro passports.

Brock Motum came up with in his Euroleague debut, a comeback win over Zielona Gora. He had a massive put-back dunk to put his side ahead for good with just over 1min to play. Make sure you watch the highlights.

Ryan Broekhoff also made his debut in Lokomotiv's impressive home win over perennial contenders Panathinaikos Athens.

Motum delivers in opening round Euroleague win

On his pre-season black eye (looks horrible):

""I needed a few stitches but it looked much worse than what it was, but I did have to have my head strapped for a week whilst training," explained Broekhoff.

Ryan Broekhoff on his pre-season and Euroleague debut

Broekhoff went head-to-head with Anatoly Kolesnikov (Bose) in the VTB United League and then made his Euroleague debut.

n a stacked Group B, Broekhoff was well aware of the importance of the opening round win.

“[It was] a very important win for us to start Euroleague, especially at home,” Broekhoff explained to The Pick and Roll.

Weekend wrap:

Madgen and Dillon star in OT thrillers

Madgen with 21p (20ppg avg now) and Dillon with a double-double.

Battle of the Boomers: Big shot Broekhoff helps sink Motum

Broekhoff had a massive three-ball and a nice transition dunk in the big win over Motum in Euroleague. Newley and Gran Canaria continue to roll.

Motum, Broekhoff and Newley all came up with good games in Euroleague and Eurocup this week.

Motum and Broekhoff shining in Euroleague

The latest on the Aussie men in Europe:

Aussies with rare quiet games; Motum the highest paid foreigner in Lithuania

EuroView: Andersen fires ASVEL to top of the table

Another week has passed in Eurocup and Euroleague competition, with the Aussies and a Kiwi doing their best to lift their respective sides to important wins.

Fotu leads Zaragoza to win in Eurocup, Motum solid in tough loss

Both Ryan Broekhoff and Brock Motum went head to head in Euroleague, with both trying to help lead their teams to a place in the top 16, while Brad Newley connected on the game-tying triple to sent his side's game into overtime in Eurocup.

Broekhoff and Motum go head-to-head in Euroleague

David Andersen and Daniel Dillon were again the leading Aussies in European domestic leagues this past week. Andersen recorded a double-double as the anchor of the ASVEL offense and in Poland, Daniel Dillon was at his aggressive best.

EuroView: Andersen doubles up in France

Brock Motum played in important role in Zalgiris Kaunas edging closer to qualifying for the next stage of Euroleague.

Motum important in big Euroleague win

Daniel Dillon led all scorers this week while over in Russia, Ryan Broekhoff put up a double-double in a double-overtime thriller.

EuroView: Dillon goes for 26, Broekhoff records a double-double

Brock Motum returned to his efficient best in Lithuania, joined by David Andersen and Mitch McCarron as members of national league-leading teams in Europe.

EuroView: Motum at his efficient best

The first stage of Euroleague and Eurocup came to a close this week, with a number of Aussies and a Kiwi progressing to the next stage. Only Aleks Maric's team missed out on moving to the next stage.

Broekhoff's defense helps top Barcelona in Euroleague

Ben Madgen scored 31 points in Belgium, picking up the Scooore League player of the week award, while Brock Motum put in a strong performance to make amends for a quiet Euroleague outing.

EuroView: Madgen Scooores big in Belgium

Also, Ater Majok and Aleks Maric rack up double-doubles.

Aussie big men Aleks Maric and David Andersen continued to wind back the clock in leading the Aussie charge in Europe over the Christmas period.

EuroView: Maric and Andersen wind back the clock

Round one of the Euroleague top 16 has been played, with Ryan Broekhoff and Brock Motum both looking to lead their respective teams to victory.

Broekhoff rides Lokomotiv to victory in Euroleague

It was another big week in Europe for the Aussie men, with dynamic guard Daniel Dillon delivering in Poland.

EuroView: Dynamic Dillon dominates in Poland

Big shot Ryan Broekhoff does it again.
This time he hit the game-winning triple for Lokomotiv Kuban in their thrilling win over Anadolu Efes in Euroleague!

Big shot Broekhoff sinks game-winning three in Euroleague

The link has all the highlights include the big shot!

Daniel Dillon and Ater Majok went head to head in Poland and both had big games, while David Andersen and Brock Motum also filled it up for their respective sides in France and Lithuania.

EuroView: Dillon, Majok, Andersen and Motum fill it up

Brock Motum looked to help Zalgiris Kaunas earn their first win in the Top 16 of Euroleague, while David Andersen exploded yet again in FIBA Europe Cup.

Motum efficient while Andersen explodes

Australian Boomer Brad Newley set the tone for the Aussie men in Europe over the past week with a big performance for Gran Canaria in their battle against traditional heavyweights FC Barcelona.

EuroView: Newley scores big against the might of FC Barcelona

Ryan Broekhoff continued to impress in Euroleague as he led Lokomotiv Kuban to yet another victory. In the Eurocup, Brad Newley also enjoyed a big game as Gran Canaria cruised to a big win.

Boomers Broekhoff and Newley in fine form

Australian big men Brock Motum and Dan Trist stood out this week in the European national leagues, while Brad Newley played his 150th Spanish ACB game in a career milestone.

EuroView: Motum's 25 points leads Zalgiris to big win

Brad Newley continued his string of excellent performances in the Eurocup, leading Gran Canaria to their third victory in the Last 32. In the FIBA Europe Cup, David Andersen had yet another dominating performance for ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne in a big win.

Andersen and Newley maintain their good form

The Australian and New Zealand men were again in action across Europe last week, with Daniel Dillon piling on a season-high 31 points in a narrow win in Poland, while Mitch McCarron earned some silverware in Spain.

EuroView: Dillon delivers in Poland

David Andersen helped ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne stamp their ticket to the FIBA Europe Cup round of 16, as they came away with a win over Krka Novo Mesto. Over in the Eurocup Isaac Fotu had a big game, leading CAI Zaragoza to a decisive win over Galatasaray Odeabank.

EuroView: Andersen leads ASVEL Basket to victory

Brad Newley was in outstanding form helping Gran Canaria to a dominating win over Hapoel Jerusalem in Eurocup. In the Euroleague, Ryan Broekhoff continued his string of excellent performances, going perfect from the field and helping Lokomotiv come out with the victory.

Newley impresses as Gran Canaria win in Eurocup

In what is boding well for the Boomers, a host of Aussie men starred in European hoops over the weekend.

EuroView: Motum Stars in Zalgiris Win

After a stellar year for Melbourne United in the NBL, Chris Goulding has signed with Italian Serie A side Auxilium Pallacanestro Torino. He joins Cameron Gliddon in heading to Europe, with the Cairns Taipan signing to play with AZS Koszalin in Poland.

Goulding follows Gliddon back to Europe

In the VTB United League, Ryan Broekhoff's double-double helped propel Lokomotiv Kuban to victory over Vita Tbilisi while Daniel Dillon and Ben Madgen also continued to flourish in Europe.

Euroview: Broekhoff, Madgen and Dillon continue to flourish

Australian Boomers Brad Newley and Ryan Broekhoff were on fire, showing off their shooting touch from behind the arc in Eurocup and Euroleague, while in the FIBA Europe Cup, David Andersen posted yet another double-double.

Boomers Broekhoff and Newley catch fire from three

Angus Brandt joins Brock Motum in Lithuania, signing with 4th placed side BC Neptunas who also played in Eurocup this season.

Angus Brandt joins Brock Motum in Lithuania

Second year NBL player Corey Maynard of the Townsville Crocodiles has signed a deal to play with Bisons Loimaa as Finland's lone representative in the VTB United League, the same competition that Ryan Broekhoff participates in with Lokomotiv Kuban.

Corey Maynard to play in VTB United League

Broekhoff continued his shot shooting in guiding Lokomotiv Kuban to a win over the league-leaders in the VTB United League, while Ben Madgen exploded in Belgium with a massive offensive display.

EuroView: Broekhoff and Madgen go on a scoring spree

Round 10 of the Euroleague top 16 saw Ryan Broekhoff light it up from behind the arc in Lokomotiv Kuban's loss to Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul, while Brock Motum didn’t get much of a run in Zalgiris Kaunas loss to Euroleague powerhouse Real Madrid.

Broekhoff impresses with his play in the Euroleague

At just 23 years old, Eilidh Simpson's basketball resume already looks like a meeting at the United Nations.

Born and raised in Australia by British parents, she holds dual citizenship, and spent four years in the US college system playing for St. Francis in Brooklyn. Simpson is enjoying her first professional stint playing for CD Zamarat in Spain’s La Liga Femenina, and has since gained international player experience. She represented Great Britain at Eurobasket 2015, and more recently, in the 2017 Eurobasket qualifiers in Manchester, England.

Eilidh Simpson still calls Australia home

Nice story.

Ryan Broekhoff hit four three-pointers to help Lokomotiv Kuban to a 71-67 win over Kalev/Cramo in the VTB United League.

EuroView: Broekhoff and Dillon impress in victories

Ryan Broekhoff 's excellent play helped Lokomotiv Kuban qualify for the top 8 in the Euroleague, while in the Eurocup Brad Newley and Herbalife Gran Canaria advanced to the semi-finals with the win over Stelmet Zielona Gora.

Newley into Eurocup semifinals, Broekhoff the Top 8 in Euroleague

It was the Aussies in Poland who led the way in Europe this past week, with Daniel Dillon, Cameron Gliddon and Ater Majok all playing starring roles for their respective sides.

a href="http://pickandroll.com.au/euroview-dillon-gliddon-majok-star-poland/" target="_blank">EuroView: Dillon, Gliddon and Majok star in Poland

Ryan Broekohoff's hot shooting helped Lokomotiv Kuban secure the second seed in the Group E Euroleague standings with their win over Unicaja Malaga, while Brock Motum was perfect from the field in Zalgiris Kaunas loss to CSKA Moscow.

Broekhoff’s hot shooting results in victory

It was another good week for Australians in Europe, with Dan Dillon, Dan Trist and David Andersen all managing to excel.

EuroView: Dillon, Trist and Andersen excelling in Europe

Australian Opals veteran Laura Hodges has added a European title to her resume after her french side, Tango Bourges Basket, claimed their first EuroCup Women's Championship after sweeping 2015 champions Villeneuve d’Ascq.

Laura Hodges adds EuroCup title to her resume

Through the first two games of action, Ryan's defense was on display as he helped Lokomotiv Kuban earn their first victory ever, in the Euroleague Playoffs.

Broekhoff’s defense sets the tone for Lokomotiv in Euroleague quarterfinals

With most leagues in Europe gearing up for the playoffs a few Aussies put in big performances to close out the regular season.

Dan Trist had a big game to close out the regular season in Spain, Ben Madgen another scoring outburst in Belgium, while Chris Goulding was quiet again in Italy.

EuroView: Trist finishes season with a bang

Ryan Broekhoff continued to show off his outstanding play on the defensive end of the floor, earning Lokomotiv Kuban their second victory in the series to force a deciding game 5 in the Euroleague quarterfinals.

Broekhoff helps Lokomotiv force game 5 in Euroleague quarterfinals

Here is some budget information from the Russian teams in the VTB United League:

CSKA (Moscow) - 2,759 billion rubles (in last season - 2 billion 277.5 million rubles)
Khimki (Moscow region) - 1 billion 634 thousand rubles (884 million rubles)
Lokomotiv-Kuban (Krasnodar) - 1,102 billion rubles (752.3 million rubles)
UNICS (Kazan) - 797.9 million rubles (530.587 million rubles)
Zenit (St. Petersburg) - 557.375 million (393.613 million rubles)
Nizhny Novgorod - 353.479 million (390.826 million rubles)
Enisey (Krasnoyarsk) - 250.147 million (213.156 million rubles)
Avtodor (Saratov) - 207.399 million (142.736 million rubles)
Krasny Oktyabr (Volgograd) - 125.275 million (164.090 million)

The budget itself VTB United League - 384.3 million rubles (last season - 375 million).

League profit was 1.1 million rubles.

Massive difference in spending between the top-end teams (Euroleague) versus that of those at the lower-end of the scale.

1.00 RUB = 0.0194583 AUD

Budgets converted into Aussie dollars:

CSKA - $53,676,561.18
Khimki - $31,790,020.28
Lokomotiv (Broekhoff's team) - $21,439,504.76
Unics - $15,502,834.41
Zenit - $10,842,948.65
Nizhny - $6,877,031.42
Enisey - $4,867,459.37
Avtodor - $4,035,502.87
Krasny - $2,437,244.03

VTB United League budget - $7,477,227.59
League Profit: $21,402.42

Kinda puts the NBL's budget into perspective. Very small league profit given the large amounts of spending (but it is a profit).

Broekhoff is going to the Euroleague Final Four!

Broekhoff's hot shooting leads Lokomotiv to the Final Four

Dan Trist might not be the first name on the lips of Aussie hoop fans, however it's about time we stopped sleeping on the man from Wahroonga, NSW.

Dan Trist: a Leopard running wild in Spain

His side is currently featuring in the first round of the playoffs, and the 6’9 forward is a big reason as to why they are there. Featuring in every game so far this season, he has been delivering 11.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in just under 23 minutes per game.

Check out this interview with Ryan Broekhoff following his team's qualification for the Euroleague Final Four.

He talks about his team's success, life in Europe, and how he is prioritising the Boomers over NBA Summer League.

Beyond Europe: Broekhoff's Rio success key to unlocking NBA career

It will be Angus Brandt's BC Neptunas Klaipeda taking on Brock Motum’s BC Zalgiris Kaunas in the Lithuanian 7-game championship series after Neptunas defeated Lietuvos Rytas 72-73 in a thrilling duel to qualify.

EuroView: Brandt to face Motum in Lithuanian finals

Four Aussies remain in European playoff contention, with three having progressed all the way to the finals. So far Angus Brandt has been flying the flag over in Lithuania, while Motum has been well-held in the first two championship games in Lithuania.

EuroView: Andersen finals bound, Brandt and Motum locked in battle

After a stellar rookie season with FMP Belgrade in Serbia, 2017 NBA Draft hopeful Jonah Bolden was named the Adriatic League's top prospect. Nathan Sobey appears to love Greece, delivering a big offensive display for PAOK Thessaloniki against Jason Cadee and Kymis.

EuroView: Jonah Bolden named top prospect as Sobey stands out

Ryan Broekhoff's EuroCup season has come to an abrupt end, however Brock Motum’s late season run with Zalgiris Kaunas in the EuroLeague has them poised for a playoff berth.

Broekhoff bows out of EuroCup, Motum poised for EuroLeague playoffs

In Lithuania, Ben Madgen's Lietkabelis took on Brock Motum’s Zalgiris Kaunas and both were in full flight. Daniel Johnson went up against fellow Aussie big man AJ Ogilvy in Iran, while Dan Trist had a big week in Horsen IC’s semifinal series in Denmark.

Madgen and Motum shoot it out in Lithuania