Starting point
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan enter the 2026/27 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season with a deep roster overhaul. After a summer defined by key departures and contrasting additions, the Italian club present a new-look group that combines selective continuity with fresh bets across almost every position.
The project still rests on Olimpia identity: a team aiming to compete at Europe's top level through defensive solidity, perimeter versatility and Italian presence on the roster. The editorial question for this campaign is how far a rebuilt Milan can climb without surrendering the ambition that usually defines Mediolanum Forum.
Changes and roster
The summer has been busy. Notable exits include Lorenzo Brown, Vlatko Cancar, Bryant Dunston, Quinn Ellis, Armoni Brooks —to Valencia Basket—, Zach LeDay —to Hapoel Tel Aviv—, Shavon Shields —to Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul— and Josh Nebo —to Barça. Those moves reshape the locker-room experience and leadership balance.
On the incoming side, the club added Darius Thompson from Valencia Basket, Alec Peters from Olympiacos BC, Devon Hall from Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, Moses Wright from Zalgiris Kaunas and Nicola Akele from Virtus Bologna. R.J. Cole, Jason Burnell and Garrison Mathews were signed as free agents. The current roster lists fifteen players according to the official EuroLeague register.
Among the returnees, Leandro Bolmaro and Marko Guduric provide competitive continuity. Bolmaro averaged 9.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 29 EuroLeague games in 2025/26; Guduric posted 9.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists across 35 outings. Stefano Tonut, Giampaolo Ricci, Diego Flaccadori and Nicola Akele complete the Italian core, with several having just returned from FIBA World Cup duty.
Thompson's arrival strengthens playmaking in a backcourt that lost Brown and Brooks, two key pieces of the previous scheme. His fit with Cole and Flaccadori will shape the offensive rhythm early on.
Identity and strengths
The new Milan profile points to a deeper and more physical rotation inside. Moses Wright, Ousmane Diop and Devin Booker in the paint, together with the versatility of Alec Peters and Jason Burnell, suggest a team ready to compete on the glass and create edge from the interior.
On the perimeter, the mix of Darius Thompson, R.J. Cole, Devon Hall and Marko Guduric offers ball-handling and shooting options. Thompson and Cole bring direction; Hall and Guduric bring elite continental experience. Bolmaro can remain an offensive connector in transition and pick-and-roll actions.
Peters adds outside shooting and four-man versatility, a profile that fits the current EuroLeague trend towards stretch bigs who can space the floor without giving up interior contact.
Risks
The main unknown is integration. Many pieces arrive from different contexts and Milan have lost locker-room references with recent club pedigree. With no prior EuroLeague stats for several signings —including Peters, Hall, Wright, Cole and Burnell— the early weeks will depend on tactical adaptation and stylistic fit.
Depth at point guard and offensive continuity in decisive moments will be variables to monitor. A rebuilt roster needs time to lock in defensive habits and to define who takes leadership in close games.
Expectations and reasonable forecast
From an editorial standpoint, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan start as a plausible playoff contender, but with a ceiling still to be confirmed. The individual quality of several signings is clear; what remains to be proven is collective chemistry against established EuroLeague rivals.
A reasonable scenario places the team in the upper-middle tier of the regular season, with room to rise if interior defence delivers and outside shooting finds consistency. A slow start, however, could complicate the play-in race or direct playoff qualification. Any forecast at this stage should be read as editorial analysis, not sporting certainty.
Guduric may be one of the project's thermometers: his ability to organize and score in key moments will show whether Milan are ready to sustain the pace against the elite.
Opening games
EuroLeague 2026/27 opens for Milan on 25 September in Belgrade against Partizan Mozzart Bet. It will be a demanding road debut and the first real test for the new project.
The weeks that follow blend manageable fixtures and high-voltage dates: Virtus Bologna at home on 29 September, Kosner Baskonia away on 2 October, Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv away on 8 October, Real Madrid at home on 13 October, Dubai Basketball at home on 15 October, Barça at home on 22 October and Panathinaikos BC away on 27 October. The early stretch, with several games at Mediolanum Forum, will be key to building confidence before the tougher road sequence.