WHERE'S THE MONEY THIS WEEK

March is one of the most underrated signing windows in overseas basketball. Everyone is watching March Madness right now, and I get it, but while you're filling out brackets, teams across Europe are filling roster spots. Playoff pushes are happening, injuries are piling up, and clubs are making mid-season moves with real urgency. If you're available and in shape, this is your window.

Spain is active right now. Tenerife just signed Patty Mills, Joventut Badalona brought in Jabari Parker, and Gran Canaria added Chimezie Metu coming off an Achilles rehab. Those are BCL level moves, but when big names rotate in, it creates a trickle down effect across the ACB and LEB leagues. The ACB pays anywhere from €100,000 to over €1 million depending on the club and your role. Drop down to the LEB Oro, Spain's second division, and even a top earner is unlikely to clear $50K for the season. That is a massive gap, but the LEB is where a lot of Americans build the film and reputation that gets them to the next level.

Turkey is another market to watch. Galatasaray just signed Boogie Ellis from Dubai, and Trabzonspor picked up Joseph Girard III. The BSL allows up to eight foreign players per roster with six active on game day, which means there is always movement. Import salaries in the BSL generally range from $250,000 to $450,000, and some go above $1 million. The lower Turkish divisions are more accessible but pay in the $1,000 to $3,000 per month range, similar to the lower tiers across most of Europe.

Italy is making moves too. Napoli just added to their roster, and the Serie A regular season is in full swing. Germany's ProA and ProB leagues are also deep into their seasons with Americans scattered throughout. Mid-level European markets like Germany ProA/B, Romania, Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, and Iceland tend to pay €1,000 to €6,000 per month, which is not glamorous, but when housing, food, and car are covered on top of that, you are living rent free and getting paid to hoop. That math adds up faster than people think.

For first-year imports just breaking in, the realistic range is €800 to €2,500 per month. I know that number stings for some of you, but I spent years in that range early in my career and it was still the best decision I ever made. You are not getting rich your first year overseas. You are investing in your career. The guys who understand that and show up professional, in shape, and coachable are the ones whose contracts double and triple by year two and three.

The move right now if you are unsigned: get your film tight, get your passport ready, make sure your agent is actually working the phones and not just posting on Instagram. Clubs trust verified combine data and real game film far more than YouTube mixtapes. March through May is when European teams are most desperate for replacements, and desperate teams pay faster and negotiate less.

Anyone played in Spain's LEB leagues? Drop your experience below. What was the reality vs. the expectation?