NBA Players from Italy: Full List (2026)
14 NBA players have come from Italy, by Wikipedia’s count (including 5 U.S.-born Italians). Our table below names 13: players born outside the United States with a tie to Italy, plus current players listed with its nationality. As of October 2026, 3 are on an NBA roster: Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic), Simone Fontecchio (Miami Heat) and Tristan Vukčević (Washington Wizards).
NBA players from Italy at a glance
| NBA players, all time | 14 (Wikipedia count); 13 named in our table |
|---|---|
| On NBA rosters, October 2026 | 3: Paolo Banchero, Simone Fontecchio, Tristan Vukčević |
| First to play in the NBA | Hank Biasatti (1946) |
| Longest NBA career | Danilo Gallinari (16 seasons) |
| Centers | 3: Stefano Rusconi, Paolo Banchero, Tristan Vukčević |
| 7-foot prospects in our database | 7 (see them) |
| Last checked | 9 October 2026 |
Every NBA player from Italy
Sorted by NBA debut, earliest first. Status is as of October 2026, before the 2026-27 regular season, so it includes players on training camp deals.
| Player | Position | NBA seasons | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hank Biasatti | Guard | 1946 | Former player | Born in Italy; listed under Canada |
| Stefano Rusconi | Forward/center | 1995-96 | Former player | |
| Vincenzo Esposito | Guard | 1995-96 | Former player | |
| Andrea Bargnani | Forward | 2006-2016 | Former player | |
| Marco Belinelli | Guard | 2007-2020 | Former player | |
| Danilo Gallinari | Forward | 2008-2024 | Former player | |
| Reggie Jackson | Guard | 2011-2025 | Former player | Born in Italy; listed under the United States |
| Gigi Datome | Forward | 2013-2015 | Former player | |
| Nicolò Melli | Forward | 2019-2021 | Former player | |
| Nico Mannion | Guard | 2020-21 | Former player | |
| Paolo Banchero | Center | 2022 to present | Orlando Magic | Also listed with the United States nationality |
| Simone Fontecchio | Forward | 2022 to present | Miami Heat | |
| Tristan Vukčević | Forward/center | 2024 to present | Washington Wizards | Born in Italy; listed under Serbia |
Players from Italy in the NBA in 2026-27
- Paolo Banchero: center, 6’10”, age 23, Orlando Magic. Entering NBA season 5; drafted in 2022, round 1, pick 1.
- Simone Fontecchio: forward, 6’7″, age 30, Miami Heat. Entering NBA season 5; undrafted.
- Tristan Vukčević: forward/center, 7’0″, age 23, Washington Wizards. Entering NBA season 4; drafted in 2023, round 2, pick 12.
NBA centers from Italy
3 of the 13 players in the table played center or forward/center: Stefano Rusconi (1995-96), Paolo Banchero (2022 to present) and Tristan Vukčević (2024 to present). Our database also lists 7 young players from Italy at 7 feet or taller.
7-Foot Prospects from Italy
7 active players from Italy are listed at 7 feet or taller and born in 2001 or later in our 7-Foot Prospect Database, last checked on 9 October 2026:
- Luigi Suigo: 7’3″ (221 cm), born in 2007, Villanova (NCAA D1)
- Alberto Mariuzzo: 7’2″ (218 cm), born around 2008, Weatherford College (NJCAA)
- Dorin Buca: 7’2″ (218 cm), born in 2002, Rutgers (NCAA D1)
- Dame Salane: 7’1″ (216 cm), born around 2007, Tulane (NCAA D1)
- Leonardo Van Elswyk: 7’1″ (216 cm), born in 2006, Stony Brook (NCAA D1)
- Leonardo Okeke: 7’0″ (213 cm), born in 2003, Acqua San Bernardo Cantu (Italian Serie A)
- Lucio Martini: 7’0″ (213 cm), born in 2004, Old Dominion (NCAA D1)
See every player, with filters by country, in the 7-Foot Prospect Database.
Player profiles from our archive
This section was first published in 2023. Teams and career details in it are as of that time; the tables above show where things stand in October 2026.
There is currently a debate over how many active Italian NBA players are currently in the league. There are two we know for certain: Marco Belinelli (retired) and Danilo Gallinari. And there is one who is certainly no longer in the league (as of now) and his name is Andrea Bargnani.
Nicolo Melli
Melli is a power forward from Reggio Emilia who was never drafted. He built his career in Europe with Olimpia Milano, Bamberg and Fenerbahçe, then signed with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019 at the age of 28. He gave them rebounding and outside shooting for a season and a half, was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in March 2021, and went back to Milan that summer.
Simone Fontecchio
Fontecchio is a small forward from Pescara. He made his name with Italy at the Tokyo Olympics and with Alba Berlin and Baskonia, then signed a two-year contract with the Utah Jazz in 2022. The Jazz traded him to the Detroit Pistons in 2024. He is a shooter first, with enough size to defend wings.
Paolo Banchero
Banchero was born in Seattle and holds Italian citizenship through his father’s family. The Orlando Magic took him with the first pick of the 2022 draft, and he was Rookie of the Year in 2023 and an All-Star in 2024. At 6’10” he handles, shoots and passes like a much smaller player. He has not played for Italy: he chose the United States for the 2023 World Cup.
Why So Few Italians in the NBA?
Well, to be fair, there is more history with Italian players in the NBA, as there are a number of decently well known players over the last few decades:
- Andrea Bargnani
- Travis Diener
- Fabricio Oberto
- Gigi Datome
- Stefano Rusconi
- Vincenzo Esposito
But the answer is probably simply because Italy is not a huge country, and there has never been much of a national focus on the NBA in Italy. Perhaps the success of Belinelli and Gallinari will change that. (Check out our related post on Lithuanian NBA players!)
Italian NBA Players from 2019 and prior:
Marco Belinelli Bio & Stats
If you need instant offense, you want Steph Curry. But there are a handful of other players out there in the NBA, including this one from Italian descent, that can provide a fascimile of instant offense, and that is Italian Marco Belinelli. There is always a place in the NBA for a guy who can run, shoot, score, and more importantly, create his own shot. Marco can do all those things. Now, he might not be the best defender, but he has a lethal shot.
Even some of the coaching greats such as Greg Popovich have had to rely on Belinelli to bail them out of games with some fast paced, helter skelter offense which won’t be found in any playbook. Marco is currently playing for the aimless Sacremento Kings, and this is probably because they gave him more money than he would have gotten elsewhere – 3 years for $22 million.
| Season | Tm | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-08 | GSW | 33 | 0 | 7.3 | 1.1 | 2.8 | .387 | 0.5 | 1.2 | .390 | .778 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 2.9 |
| 2008-09 | GSW | 42 | 23 | 21.0 | 3.3 | 7.5 | .442 | 1.2 | 3.1 | .397 | .769 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 8.9 |
| 2009-10 | TOR | 66 | 1 | 17.0 | 2.3 | 5.7 | .406 | 0.9 | 2.4 | .380 | .835 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 7.1 |
| 2010-11 | NOH | 80 | 69 | 24.5 | 3.8 | 8.6 | .437 | 1.7 | 4.1 | .414 | .784 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 10.5 |
| 2011-12 | NOH | 66 | 55 | 29.8 | 4.3 | 10.4 | .417 | 1.6 | 4.3 | .377 | .783 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 11.8 |
| 2012-13 | CHI | 73 | 27 | 25.8 | 3.3 | 8.4 | .395 | 1.1 | 3.0 | .357 | .839 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 9.6 |
| 2013-14 | SAS | 80 | 25 | 25.2 | 4.2 | 8.7 | .485 | 1.6 | 3.7 | .430 | .847 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 11.4 |
| 2014-15 | SAS | 62 | 9 | 22.4 | 3.2 | 7.6 | .423 | 1.4 | 3.7 | .374 | .848 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 9.2 |
| 2015-16 | SAC | 68 | 7 | 24.6 | 3.6 | 9.3 | .386 | 1.3 | 4.4 | .306 | .833 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 10.2 |
| 2016-17 | CHO | 36 | 0 | 24.6 | 3.6 | 8.4 | .430 | 1.6 | 3.8 | .423 | .853 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 10.4 |
| Career | 606 | 216 | 23.1 | 3.4 | 8.0 | .424 | 1.3 | 3.5 | .382 | .823 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 9.6 |
Danilo Gallinari Bio & Stats
Once hailed as the greatest shooter in NBA history by fellow Italian Mike D’Antoni (Gallinari promptly went into a shooting slump after receiving that title while on the New York Knicks), Danilo has etched himself out into a solid above average role player. While he won’t be receiving any All Star nods any time soon, he is a sweet shooter who can give you 20 points on any given night.
Most New Yorkers know him as the primary trade piece when Danilo’s current team the Denver Nuggets traded for him and a few others for Carmelo Anthony. Even Knicks fans know that Denver got the better end of that deal.
| Season | Tm | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09 | NYK | 28 | 2 | 14.7 | 2.0 | 4.5 | .448 | 1.1 | 2.6 | .444 | .963 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 6.1 |
| 2009-10 | NYK | 81 | 74 | 33.9 | 4.8 | 11.4 | .423 | 2.3 | 6.0 | .381 | .818 | 4.9 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 15.1 |
| 2010-11 | TOT | 62 | 60 | 33.9 | 4.3 | 10.3 | .414 | 1.7 | 4.7 | .352 | .862 | 4.9 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 15.6 |
| 2010-11 | NYK | 48 | 48 | 34.8 | 4.4 | 10.6 | .415 | 1.7 | 5.0 | .347 | .893 | 4.8 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 2.4 | 15.9 |
| 2010-11 | DEN | 14 | 12 | 30.9 | 3.9 | 9.4 | .412 | 1.4 | 3.9 | .370 | .772 | 5.4 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 14.7 |
| 2011-12 | DEN | 43 | 40 | 31.4 | 4.5 | 10.8 | .414 | 1.4 | 4.3 | .328 | .871 | 4.7 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 14.6 |
| 2012-13 | DEN | 71 | 71 | 32.5 | 5.1 | 12.3 | .418 | 1.9 | 5.1 | .373 | .822 | 5.2 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 16.2 |
| 2013-14 | Did Not Play | |||||||||||||||||
| 2014-15 | DEN | 59 | 27 | 24.2 | 3.9 | 9.6 | .401 | 1.8 | 5.1 | .355 | .895 | 3.7 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 12.4 |
| 2015-16 | DEN | 53 | 53 | 34.7 | 5.4 | 13.2 | .410 | 1.6 | 4.5 | .364 | .868 | 5.3 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 19.5 |
| 2016-17 | DEN | 36 | 36 | 34.1 | 4.9 | 11.6 | .428 | 1.9 | 4.9 | .382 | .887 | 4.9 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 17.0 |
| Career | 433 | 363 | 31.0 | 4.5 | 10.9 | .417 | 1.8 | 4.9 | .368 | .858 | 4.6 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 15.1 | |
Frequently asked questions
How many NBA players are from Italy?
Wikipedia counts 14 (including 5 U.S.-born Italians). Our table names 13 players with a tie to Italy.
Which players from Italy are in the NBA in 2026-27?
As of October 2026: Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic), Simone Fontecchio (Miami Heat) and Tristan Vukčević (Washington Wizards).
Who was the first NBA player from Italy?
Hank Biasatti, who debuted in 1946 (born in Italy; listed under Canada).
Which centers from Italy have played in the NBA?
Stefano Rusconi, Paolo Banchero and Tristan Vukčević.
Are there 7-foot prospects from Italy?
Yes. Our 7-Foot Prospect Database lists 7: Luigi Suigo, Alberto Mariuzzo, Dorin Buca, Dame Salane, Leonardo Van Elswyk and Leonardo Okeke and others.
More guides: NBA players by country. Scouting reports: NBA center prospects.
Sources: Wikipedia, List of NBA players born outside the United States (revision of 3 October 2026); RealGM NBA player list (9 October 2026); Low Key NBA 7-Foot Prospect Database. U.S.-born players with family ties to Italy may be missing from the table. Last checked 9 October 2026.
