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Sport5 reports that Hapoel Tel Aviv are in negotiations with Guerschon Yabusele over a potential deal. The forward is described as a high-profile target, with multiple European clubs keeping close tabs on his case. The report frames it as a “big move” Hapoel want to complete in the next few days. It also notes Panathinaikos AKTOR among the teams linked to the former Real Madrid Baloncesto player.
Matteo Andreani: Hapoel Tel Aviv - Guerschon Yabusele. If the player decides to comeback to EuroLeague, Hapoel is ready to make a big offer. Hapoel offer to Yabusele is 2,5m $ until the end of the seasoN and 5 m $ for next year I'm told.
“I’m an athlete. I don’t really get into politics, because it’s not my job,” Avdija said. “I obviously stand for my country, because that’s where I’m from. It’s frustrating to see all the hate. Like, I have a good game or get All-Star votes, and all the comments are people connecting me to politics. Like, why can’t I just be a good basketball player? Why does it matter if I’m from Israel, or wherever in the world, or what my race is? Just respect me as a basketball player. “You don’t have to love what I stand for or how I look, but if I’m a good player, give props. All this hate … for no reason. Like, I’m deciding things in the world.”
“I’ll be honest: What do people expect me to do?” Avdija said. “This is my country, where I was born, where I grew up. I love my country; there are a lot of great things about my country. But obviously, not everyone is educated and knows what is going on, and that’s what pisses me off. Because if you are educated and know what is going on, it’s fine to say what you think and say who you think is right or wrong. But if you are not educated and you are not part of the Middle East, and you don’t understand how long this goes back and understand the consequences and everything … just don’t say anything. “I’m from there, and I respect my country and I stand behind it. I’m a proud Israeli, because that’s where I grew up. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for Israel and the support the people and fans gave me. But all the extra stuff around it? It’s just unnecessary.”
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Caboclo has yet to play this season after undergoing back surgery in the summer. He is now working to return to full fitness, but sources close to him say he wants to stay at Hapoel Tel Aviv and fight for his spot.
Also, while speaking about the markets with permanent franchises, he named seven countries. “In phase one, our plan is Spain, UK, France, Italy, Germany, maybe Turkey, and maybe Greece. But there will be some open spots in the ecosystem, so in the early phase, they will be able to qualify,” he replied to a question about NBA Europe featuring teams from Israel and the Middle East, which, for the moment, can’t aim for a permanent spot.
With rookies Danny Wolf and Ben Saraf, the Nets became the first NBA team with two Israelis on the roster. That means Saturday’s tilt vs. Hapoel Jerusalem isn’t just the preseason opener, but likely to attract added attention, for better or worse. With some angered by Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, there is a chance for protests or demonstrations outside Barclays Center. But both Wolf and Saraf will look to block out any distractions and focus on making their NBA debuts successful. “Yeah, I mean, that’s all it’s about. It’s keeping the main thing, the main thing,” Wolf replied to a question from the Post. “I only can control what I can control, and I don’t have any say or thought as to really what’s going to happen outside of the game. And I’ll leave that to be, and I’ll just focus on the game as best I can.”
Wolf, 21, holds both U.S. and Israeli passports. Saraf, 19, was born in South Africa but raised in Israel. Neither have served in the Israeli military, though sources told the Post that the latter’s sister does. It’s that ongoing military action on the other side of the world — and the presence of an Israeli team in Barclays — that could conceivably spark some protests outside the building. “We do expect some,” one highly-placed Nets source familiar with their security apparatus told the Post. “We’re approaching the game like any other preseason event, but are prepared for any disruptions.”
There's a possibility that the EuroLeague may not complete its 2025-26 season with all 20 teams. Following Israel's actions in Gaza against Palestine, the United Nations already deemed it a genocide, urging football's governing body UEFA to suspend Israel and its teams from the European competitions. The Times has reported that UEFA members are in favour of suspending Israel, so is the EuroLeague considering taking a similar action? The EuroLeague CEO, Paulius Motiejunas, didn't jump to conclusions, but didn't rule it out, saying that the league is monitoring the current events.
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It was well-known that Micic wanted to be the highest-paid player in Europe and got exactly that with a three-year contract that is valued at 14M euros net. The exact clauses and details of the contract are unknown and complicated, with Hapoel owner Ofer Yannay insisting that his team gave the same money that Micic was offered by other clubs, which is not the case, per Eurohoops sources. Also, the most puzzling quote is that Micic also got shares presumably of the club, which raises the question of how much they are valued. Still, according to sources close to the situation, Micic’s annual salary translates to $5,6M net, putting him on top of the Top 10 list, as he wanted.
Beverley hasn't played basketball since mid-last season, when he parted ways with the Israeli club Hapoel Tel Aviv. Now, still a free agent, he believes he may be forced to call it quits and retire from the game. "If I don’t play basketball soon, I’m going to retire. It’s the truth," Beverley said on his podcast.
Deni Avdija talking about dealing with the rise in antisemitism, in a morning show in Israel - a week since Israel last played in the EuroBasket 2025, losing to Greece in the Round of 16 (translation from Hebrew to English - by myself): Deni: "I don’t pay attention to all the noise around me. People say things like that, send negative messages, and I see the hatred directed at us—toward me—but everything is alright. I choose to ignore it and focus on loving the people who do love me, amplifying that positivity. I wish I could have beaten Poland with a last-second shot, but we still achieved something great. We really silenced a lot of mouths (i.e: silnced a lot of critics, so to speak, as Israel reached the Round of 16.)"
Deni Avdija talking about dealing with the rise in antisemitism, in a morning show in Israel - a week since Israel last played in the EuroBasket 2025, losing to Greece in the Round of 16 (translation from Hebrew to English - by myself):
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) September 19, 2025
Deni: "I don’t pay attention to all the… pic.twitter.com/2qIfcnAOuS
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Greek national team to a 84-79 victory over Israel, setting up a quarterfinal clash with Lithuania in the 2025 EuroBasket. As expected, the Milwaukee Bucks star shone brightly, guiding Vassilis Spanoulis’ team to victory with a double-double of 37 points and 10 rebounds. He shot an impressive 18/23 from the field, finishing the game with a PIR of 37.