Valencia Basket expects to strengthen its interior on October 19

The Valencia Basket does not close the door to new signings and remains attentive to market movements with the aim of putting the finishing touch on a project that has already started the season. The club has several options open in the coming weeks, especially focused on reinforcing an interior area that still raises doubts in Xavi Albert's scheme. The weaknesses detected in the paint game have led the sports management to keep the radar on, both in European basketball and in potential opportunities that may arise from the NBA.

The NBA market as the main opportunity

Valencia Basket keeps its radar on the NBA market looking for opportunities to strengthen its interior game. The initial performance of Yankuba Sima and Mo Gueye, with a secondary role in the rotations of the coach, makes the club remain alert to movements happening across the Atlantic. The strategy is clear: wait for the last cuts from U.S. franchises to assess the addition of a player who could definitively complete the interior area.

The key date will be October 19, when NBA franchises must have their rosters almost finalized before the season starts. The last cuts may free up players who initially aimed to continue in the United States but might consider making the jump to Europe. If Valencia Basket ultimately decides to add someone to reinforce its interior game, the signing would come from the NBA, which would mean a substantial change in the team's interior rotation.

The three open situations of Valencia Basket

Valencia Basket keeps the market open due to different situations within its current roster that require monitoring and decisions in the coming weeks. One of them is that of Yankuba Sima, whose future could be away from the Roig Arena due to interest from Unicaja. The Malaga team has already inquired about his situation, but a possible exit is not straightforward since the player is under contract with Valencia Basket, and reaching a financial agreement among all three parties would be necessary to close the deal.

Mo Gueye and the lack of adaptation

This situation is joined by that of Mo Gueye, who has yet to fully adapt to European basketball and is having a limited role at the start of this season. The Senegalese power forward has accumulated less than a minute on the court in the first three official competitive matches between ACB and EuroLeague. He is behind other options in Xavi Albert's rotation, and his performance has not yet met the expectations placed on him when he joined the club. This situation creates uncertainty about his continuity in the taronja project.

Jasiel Rivero and the interior stability

Meanwhile, Jasiel Rivero will continue until the end of the season after Valencia Basket decided in recent hours to extend his contract. The Cuban has gained weight in the rotation and is contributing minutes in the paint, although his profile was not exactly what the club initially sought to reinforce that position. His continuity brings stability to the interior area, but does not close the door on Valencia continuing to evaluate adding a player who can definitively complete the interior game.

The decision to keep Rivero reflects the club's intention not to leave the paint area unattended while waiting for opportunities to open up in the market. The Cuban, despite not being the ideal solution according to the club's initial parameters, offers guarantees of consistency and playing time in games. This commitment to continuity contrasts with the uncertainty surrounding other interior players on the roster, such as Sima and Gueye.

Valencia Basket finds itself at a market crossroads where decisions made in the coming days will be crucial in defining the final composition of its roster. The wait until October 19 will be decisive in determining whether the club ultimately manages to secure the reinforcement it seeks from the NBA or if it must settle for the current roster. What is clear is that the sports management does not want to miss the opportunity to improve an aspect that has been identified as weak at the start of the league.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Valencia Basket espera el 19 de octubre para reforzar su interior