Korean Basketball League (KBL)

Import / foreign player rules

2026-27: 2 foreign players per team on free contracts; combined after-tax cap $1,000,000 (max $700,000 for one); 1 on court in Q1 and Q4, 2 in Q2 and Q3. Asian-quota players are separate from these two slots (secondary source). source: kbl.or.kr source: basketkorea.com

Reported import salary

$250k–$400k per season (cap $700k for two imports) source: europrobasket.com

Reported range for experienced import players, compiled by EuroProBasket (a paid camp operator) from its network; not official league data. Verified Sept 2026 per the source.

Season

October – early April (regular season) source: en.wikipedia.org

Signing windows / registration deadlines

Not yet verified. Know it? Send a source →

FIBA has no single global transfer window. International moves need a FIBA Letter of Clearance (Internal Regulations Book 3); the origin federation must respond within 6 days. Each league sets its own registration deadlines. source: assets.fiba.basketball

Official site

kbl.or.kr

National federation

Korea Basketball Association · national teams, FIBA ranking, eligibility

Agents known to place here

Known placements from public sources; not complete. Counts are each agency's listed clients (from its own client page) who have played in this league, using club history from Wikidata. Browse agents by league →

First-contract view

Tier within country

Tier 1 in South Korea (top division)

Teams

10 source: en.wikipedia.org

Entry-friendliness estimate

2/5 · Hard

ESTIMATE (formula: level + import slots). Weighs level, import slots and how clubs usually recruit.

How players typically get in

Usually through agents and coach contacts at this level (general pattern; not league-specific).

Housing estimate

Usually (estimate for this level)

Quick answers

How many foreign players can a Korean Basketball League team have?

2026-27: 2 foreign players per team on free contracts; combined after-tax cap $1,000,000 (max $700,000 for one); 1 on court in Q1 and Q4, 2 in Q2 and Q3. Asian-quota players are separate from these two slots (secondary source).

How much do import players make in the Korean Basketball League?

Reported range: $250k–$400k per season (cap $700k for two imports). Reported range for experienced import players, compiled by EuroProBasket (a paid camp operator) from its network; not official league data. Verified Sept 2026 per the source.

When is the Korean Basketball League season?

October – early April (regular season)

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Basketball_League
• https://www.kbl.or.kr/rule/player
• https://www.basketkorea.com/news/newsview.php?ncode=1065593433323957
• https://europrobasket.com/overseas-basketball-salaries/
• https://www.kbl.or.kr
• https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings_by_country.jsp?title=2026
• https://travel.state.gov/content/tsg_aem/us/en/home/international-travel/travel-advisories/destination.kor.html