Alpha Diallo Signs with Denver Nuggets After Historic EuroLeague Defender of the Year Season

After a season that cemented his status as the top defensive player on the European continent, Alpha Diallo is heading to the NBA. ESPN‘s Shams Charania broke the news on July 12, 2026, confirming the deal in his own words: « EuroLeague Defender of the Year Alpha Diallo has agreed to a one-year, $1.4 million deal to sign with the Denver Nuggets. »

The 2.01m forward, who holds both American and Guinean nationality, exercised an NBA exit clause included in a multi-year contract he had initially signed with a Dubai-based project. With the clause valid until July 15, Diallo moved quickly to make his NBA dream a reality, choosing the defending champions as his destination.

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A Historic Season in Monaco

The 2025-2026 campaign was nothing short of extraordinary for Diallo. Playing for AS Monaco, he was the defensive backbone of a team that swept the French basketball landscape, winning the SuperCoupe, the Leaders Cup, the Coupe de France, and the Betclic ÉLITE title — a historic quadruple for the Monegasque club.

His individual accolades matched the team’s collective success. Diallo became the first player to win both the EuroLeague Defender of the Year and the Betclic ÉLITE Defender of the Year in the same season — an unprecedented double that underlined just how dominant he was on that end of the floor across all competitions.

EuroLeague Defender of the Year Alpha Diallo has agreed to a one-year, $1.4 million deal to sign with the Denver Nuggets, agents Jared Mucha and Javon Phillips of Excel Sports Management tell ESPN. The former Providence standout and Euro star makes the NBA jump at 29 years old on… pic.twitter.com/aaN5t7AIFi

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 12, 2026

In the Betclic ÉLITE Finals against Paris, he also proved he could deliver offensively when it mattered most, scoring 22 crucial points in Game 4 while maintaining his trademark defensive intensity.

Next Challenge: The NBA

Diallo’s path to the NBA has been a long one. A former standout at Providence, he wrapped up his college career six years ago before heading to Europe in 2021. He spent the bulk of that time with Monaco, steadily building his reputation as one of the most reliable defenders on the continent.

Now 29, he arrives in Denver with a clear identity and a defined role. Joining a roster built around Nikola Jokic and the infrastructure of a championship-caliber team, Diallo will have every opportunity to showcase his defensive skills against the best offensive players in the world.

The move is the natural conclusion to a breakout European campaign. After years of quietly becoming one of the best defenders in the game, Alpha Diallo now gets his shot at the highest level.