the best rookies. At current exchange rates, this would be about $80-85k. Regardless of what they pay in lower-division Italian leagues, this would represent a likely ceiling or best-case scenario for Mika. If there has been some salary inflation in Italian basketball the last 5 years, despite the very weak economy and very low inflation, then maybe that number is a few thousand bucks higher.

Meanwhile, there's the fact that Mika didn't sign with a top team, or even a mid-tier team, within the Italian Serie A. He joined a small team in a small town with a small fanbase and little or no history or tradition. And he is unlikely to be a top rookie (at least ahead of his rookie season), compared to players who were actually drafted by the NBA, but end up in Europe. IOW, he is unlikely to be at the ceiling or top end of the rookie salary range within Italian basketball.

Then there's the datapoint where the best player and highest scorer on the team last year left for another Italian team, and signed for about $200k there. If this is the salary paid to the best player on the team coming off a great season, it stands to reason that an unproven rookie would earn much less.

These are the data points I have to offer.