Latvian Players Currently in the NBA
Kristers Zoriks signed a two-way contract with the New Orleans Pelicans ahead of the 2024 NBA Summer League, joining the roster as the latest Latvian guard to receive an NBA contract. Zoriks, a combo guard, previously played for BC Prometey in the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League and the EuroCup, where he averaged 14.2 points and 4.1 assists per game over two seasons.
Davis Bertans remains the most prominent Latvian NBA veteran, currently a free agent after his contract with the Washington Wizards expired following the 2023-24 season. Bertans, a sharpshooting forward, has appeared in 468 NBA regular-season games across the San Antonio Spurs, Charlotte Hornets, and Wizards, shooting 38.9 percent from three-point range over his career.
Career Stats and NBA Performance
Bertans holds the NBA records for Latvian players in career three-pointers made, with 612 over eight seasons, and his highest single-season scoring output came in 2019-20 with the Spurs, where he averaged 10.4 points per game. Zoriks has yet to appear in a regular-season NBA game but is projected to compete for a roster spot during the 2024-25 training camp based on his Summer League performance.
Latvian players in the NBA have combined for 512 regular-season games as of the end of the 2023-24 season, with Bertans accounting for over 90 percent of those appearances. The NBA salary cap for the 2024-25 season is set at $140.6 million, and two-way contracts like the one held by Zoriks pay a pro-rated salary based on days spent with the NBA team versus its G-League affiliate.
Latvian Basketball Development and NBA Pipeline
Latvia's basketball infrastructure centers on VEF Rīga and BC Prometey in the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League, which serves as the primary development league for Latvian prospects aiming for the NBA. The Latvian Basketball Association oversees youth national teams that feed into European club systems, with Bertans and Zoriks both developing through Latvian junior programs before moving to professional leagues.
The NBA's global scouting network identifies Latvian talent through events like the Basketball Champions League and the FIBA Europe Cup, where Latvian clubs face EuroLeague and NBA-affiliated competition. For current contract structures and salary figures, the NBA's official collective bargaining agreement details are available at nba.com, and historical Latvian player data can be cross-referenced with the Basketball-Reference page for Latvian NBA players at basketball-reference.com.