Kosner Baskonia enter the 2026/27 season with a largely reshaped roster and the challenge of competing in both Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and Liga Endesa. The Vitoria-Gasteiz club start the campaign without consolidated previous-season data in our records, but after an active summer that moved key pieces and reinforced the core with profiles that have already shown recent form in FIBA windows.
The off-season has been busy. Notable departures include Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot to Real Madrid, Trent Forrest to Fenerbahçe Beko Istanbul, Mamadi Diakite to Dubai Basketball and Eugene Omoruyi to Beşiktaş Istanbul, along with multiple contract expirations. On the incoming side, the club added DJ Stewart, Chris Duarte, Damion Baugh and A.J. Lawson, and brought back Kenneth Faried from Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens. On paper, Baskonia retain references such as Markus Howard, Kobi Simmons, Rodions Kurucs, Tadas Sedekerskis, Matteo Spagnolo, Clement Frisch and Stefan Joksimovic, outlining a deep, perimeter-oriented rotation.
The project's identity points toward dynamic basketball with spacing, transition and three-point volume. Markus Howard and Kobi Simmons provide known outside threat; Duarte, Baugh and Stewart add creation and scoring from the perimeter; and Faried can supply energy, offensive rebounding and interior presence without a classic post profile. In EuroLeague, that profile fits a team that has traditionally prioritised pace and aggression at Buesa Arena. In ACB, the same roster must sustain consistency across an equally demanding schedule from day one.
Recent data support part of that narrative. Damion Baugh averaged 14.3 points and 7.0 assists in three games with DR Congo at the 2026/27 FIBA World Cup; Chris Duarte posted 15.0 points and 5.8 rebounds with the Dominican Republic; Kobi Simmons scored 11.7 points with Ivory Coast; Matteo Spagnolo averaged 7.3 points with Italy; and Stefan Joksimovic recorded 10.2 points with Slovenia. These are small samples, but they confirm several newcomers arrive with competitive rhythm.
The risks are clear. The rotation is large and heterogeneous, with several wings and guards competing for minutes; chemistry will take time. The lack of full previous-season statistics makes it harder to gauge the real step forward from 2025/26, and the exits of players such as Luwawu-Cabarrot or Forrest leave experience gaps in decisive stretches. The dual calendar will also demand physical management from week one, with European and domestic games arriving in quick succession.
From an editorial standpoint, Baskonia should aim to fight for playoff positions in EuroLeague and for the upper half in Liga Endesa, provided rotation choices compensate for the summer's lack of continuity. On roster profile alone, they do not look like a candidate for the absolute elite of the continental competition, but they can trouble any opponent at home and pick up road wins if Duarte, Baugh and Faried settle into stable roles. In ACB, a reasonable target is to remain inside the top eight and avoid slips against mid-table sides.
The schedule offers no respite. The first European game arrives on 24 September 2026 against Olympiacos BC at Buesa Arena; four days later, Liga Endesa opens in Burgos. Valencia Basket away, home dates with EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, Beşiktaş Istanbul and Dubai Basketball follow, interspersed with domestic games against FIATC Girona and Asisa Joventut. It is a demanding start that will immediately measure how far this 2026/27 Kosner Baskonia can go.
