Olimpia Milano bets on renewal with eight signings

The Olimpia Milano has opted for a radical change. After finishing fourteenth in the 2025-26 season with seventeen wins and twenty-one losses, the Italian club faces a turning point. It is not a complete rebuild or minor adjustment: it is a re-founding that seeks to escape the gray area where the team is too good to start from scratch but not good enough to compete for real goals. Two consecutive years in that uncomfortable position have prompted a structural response.

The past season was marked by injuries. Vlatko Cancar, signed as a key reinforcement, played only two games before injuring his knee, which affected the entire season. With no real options even for the play-in, the Milan management decided that the change needed to be profound.

Departures: Josh Nebo and the Void in the Paint

The most significant departure is Josh Nebo, the starting center who is leaving for Barcelona, creating a significant gap in the interior game. Zach LeDay and Vlatko Cancar are also departing, the latter having been signed by San Pablo Burgos, where he has already suffered another injury that will keep him out for several months. Veteran reference Bryant Dunston became a free agent and is currently on monthly contracts with Olympiacos.

Nebo's departure represents more than just the loss of a player: it is a symbol of a change in model. Losing the starting center and replacing him with Moses Wright and Alec Peters is a bet on a different style of basketball. More mobility, more shooting, less physical presence in the paint. A rethinking, not a direct replacement.

Eight Signings with Depth and Specialization

The new signings clearly illustrate the club's vision: external depth, shooting, and proven role players rather than big names that consume the budget. RJ Cole and Darius Thompson join in the backcourt, with Thompson coming from Valencia Basket, where he was an important part of the team that reached the Final Four. He is likely the most solid signing of the Milan summer.

In the perimeter, three distinct profiles complement the rotation. Garrison Mathews is a shooting guard with NBA experience and shooting expertise. Devon Hall returns to a club where he has played before and has described it as his home. Jason Burnell, named the best sixth man in the Italian league, brings versatility and experience in role player situations.

In the interior game, Moses Wright arrives from Zalgiris after a season of offensive breakout. Alec Peters adds outside shooting from Panathinaikos, a key element in the new model. Nicola Akele signs a multi-year contract to reinforce the rotation of tall forwards.

Italian Continuity and International Presence

The continuity block is distinctly Italian. Stefano Tonut, Diego Flaccadori, Pippo Ricci, and Ousmane Diop, the latter renewed, will stay. Marko Guduric continues after playing in the FIBA window with Serbia, and Devin Booker remains in the paint.

Leandro Bolmaro brings the international touch that will resonate with Spanish fans. The Argentine was a standout in the world qualifiers in August, where he scored nineteen points against Puerto Rico while also serving as the primary defender. His presence adds defensive versatility and offensive capability on the perimeter.

The Challenges for Peppe Poeta

Peppe Poeta, at forty years old, faces his first complete season at the helm of Olimpia Milano. He was an assistant at the club and with the Italian national team, having directed just one season in Brescia before taking over the first team in the middle of last season. His capability is not in doubt; his experience at the front of a Euroleague project, however, is.

The Milan coach faces immediate challenges. With eight new signings, integration will be crucial. The margin for error at the start is narrow: a poor start in Europe along with parallel demands in the Italian league is the combination that has cost many coaches at this club.

Another challenge is managing minutes on the perimeter. Cole, Thompson, Mathews, Hall, Tonut, Guduric, Flaccadori, and Bolmaro make eight players for three positions. Distributing playing time without losing anyone along the way will be one of Poeta's most delicate tasks.

Realistic Prospects

Olimpia Milano has built a more balanced and deeper squad than last season, but without a star who can win games on their own. That profile usually allows for a fight for the play-in in a competition where there are six or seven clearly superior projects at the top.

The realistic goal is to return to the postseason after two years absent. With eight signings and a novice coach, the team has the material to compete, but also vulnerabilities to exploit. The upcoming season will be decisive in confirming whether the Milan re-foundation puts the club back on the right path or if the radical change proves insufficient.

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