Hapoel Tel Aviv strengthens its project with ten signings

The Hapoel Tel Aviv experienced an atypical season in its European debut. Forced to play most of its home games outside Israel—eleven matches in Sofia, four in Botevgrad, and one in Jerusalem—only five were played in its pavilion in Tel Aviv. Despite these logistical adversities, the team finished with 23 wins and 15 losses, placed sixth among twenty participants, and qualified directly for the quarter-finals. In the playoff round, they fell 3-1 to Real Madrid, although they managed to win the third game of the series.

This first experience left valuable lessons. With an average attendance below 5,000 spectators for the games played in Bulgaria, few teams have competed under worse conditions and reached the top six. Elijah Bryant was the emblem of the project: included in the EuroLeague’s best five, he averaged 19.6 points and was the second most valued player in the competition. Meanwhile, Hapoel dominated the Israeli league with a record of 22-4 in the regular season, although they lost the final against Maccabi.

Changes in the roster: what is leaving and what is arriving

The structure does not crumble. Seven players are leaving, but none necessitate rethinking the project. The most notable departure is that of Johnathan Motley, the pivot who was the cornerstone of the team and is moving to Red Star, where point guard Chris Jones is also joining him. They are joined by Yam Madar to Maccabi, Kessler Edwards to Virtus Bologna, Collin Malcolm to Anadolu Efes, Levi Randolph to the Japanese Nagasaki Velca, and Keandre Cook to Aliaga Petkim.

In contrast, ten new additions arrive to strengthen each line. The most significant signing is Tomas Satoransky, who leaves Barcelona after three seasons to support and relieve Vasilije Micic in directing the game. Alongside him are Tamir Blatt, an Israeli international point guard from Maccabi, and Khadeen Carrington from Hapoel Jerusalem. The perimeter is completed with Eugene German, coming from the Indios de Mayagüez, Frederic Bourdillon from Bnei Herzliya, and Max Heidegger after a campaign in the Israeli league.

In the interior game, Zach LeDay arrives from Olimpia Milan with extensive experience at the highest European level. Bruno Caboclo adds height from Dubai. From the NBA come forward Amir Coffey from Phoenix and power forward Jacob Toppin. The strategy is clear: it is not a reinvention, but a team that doubles each position to manage the load better.

The long-term commitment: contracts until 2030

Here lies the real difference compared to other projects from the European summer. Hapoel does not renew its players for just one year: it ties them long-term. Elijah Bryant signs until 2029, as do Antonio Blakeney, Dan Oturu, and Tai Odiase. Captain Tomer Ginat extends his contract until 2030. Micic has a contract until 2028. Also remaining are Ish Wainright, Tyler Ennis, Bar Timor, Yiftach Ziv, Guy Palatin, Oz Blayzer, and Itay Segev. On the bench, Dimitris Itoudis continues, having arrived in November 2024 and still holding his active agreement.

This decision to secure the roster with multi-year commitments reflects the conviction of club president Ofer Yannay in its project. It is not a short-term bet, but a structure designed to compete sustainably in the EuroLeague while simultaneously contending on two fronts.

The challenges of a roster with twenty-three players

The roster is huge. With twenty-three players, Hapoel has built a team designed so that the Israeli league does not wear down its key EuroLeague players. However, this breadth also presents management challenges. Dimitris Itoudis will have to explain each week to four or five players why they are not included in the lineup, a task that is not exactly the strength of the Greek coach, known for his temperament in tense moments.

In the paint, the departure of Motley is covered by the arrival of LeDay and Caboclo, while Oturu, Odiase, and Segev remain. There are available inches, but the starting five is the least defined position on the team. Several of those taller forwards, particularly Wainright, will end up playing as fours out of necessity.

The direction of play presents another complexity. Micic and Satoransky are two high-level playmakers who require the ball in their hands. With Bryant and Blakeney looking for shots and LeDay demanding possessions in the high post, the distribution is not automatic. An excellent offense may emerge, or a team with too many hierarchies that steps on each other’s toes.

Prospects for the upcoming season

Hapoel has already proven the difficult part: that its first season in the EuroLeague was not a coincidence. Now begins the challenging part: repeating. The roster is deeper than last season’s, retains the core intact, and has a coach who knows the project from the inside. Returning to the playoffs is a reasonable goal, and if Micic and Satoransky fit as expected, the upper range of the standings is within reach.

What this team does not yet seem to be is a Final Four candidate. It lacks that player capable of winning a game on his own in May. But the club has been demonstrating for two summers that it knows how to wait, and the contracts until 2029 and 2030 say exactly that: this is just the beginning of a longer story.

One pending aspect is where it will play its home games. Last year that was its biggest challenge, and it still managed to finish sixth. Resolving this uncertainty will be key for the project to advance smoothly in the upcoming campaign.

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