Transfers, Contracts & Roster Rules

How the player market operates, the difference between domestic and foreign talent, and how to negotiate contracts.

Player Origins & Foreigner Limits

European basketball prohibits assembling lineups purely of cheap imports. Every league enforces strict personnel quotas:

Domestic Players
Citizens of the club's own country — only they count as "domestic". Essential for quotas: every league mandates a minimum number of locals on the roster.
EU Players
The market is browsed by origin (domestic / EU / foreign), but quotas ignore it: any player from another country — even an EU one — occupies a foreigner slot. There is no “Bosman” exemption.
Foreigner Quota
Your roster shows foreigners as “X/Y” (the cap is set by your league). Once the cap is hit, offers are blocked. Before signing several foreigners in a row, count your locals and foreigners first.

Transfer Windows & Release Clauses

  • Free Agents (FA): Players without clubs. No acquisition fee is needed; only negotiate seasonal wages.
  • Release Clauses (Buyouts): Under-contract athletes can be bought out from the selling club — paying the release clause forces the sale. But the deal only closes if the player accepts your new contract offer (wage, length); he can still refuse.
  • Transfer Deadline: The inter-club market (Transfer List) stays open through the regular season (until D44) and closes for the playoffs and offseason (D45–68). Free agents and academy call-ups remain available all season.

Negotiations: Patience, Morale & Loyalty

Contract negotiations are never guaranteed. Athletes weigh three critical factors before signing:

Loyalty
Loyal players often accept team-friendly discounts to stay with their franchise.
Morale & Role
Disgruntled bench warmers will refuse extensions and test the summer market.
Agent Patience
A limited number of attempts applies per window: after repeated low-ball offers, the agent walks away until next season.

The dominant lever is money: your offer must meet the player’s wage expectations, while role, prestige and contract terms shift how much he demands. Loyalty and morale only tilt the decision.