Big names are always on the move in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, whether it’s superstars joining new teams or talented newcomers making their arrivals. Here are some of the most-important signings from the past week.
The week in EuroLeague signings
Stars returned to former clubs
Two game-changing guards retraced their steps back to teams they had played with in the past to start second stints with each of them. Tomas Satoransky is back to FC Barcelona after signing a new four-year deal. Satoransky had played two previous seasons with Barca, between 2014 and 2016. Six years later, at age 30, he is set to play again for Barca right in the prime of his career. Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade brought back Nemanja Nedovic, who penned a three-year contract with the club in which he started his professional career. It took Nedovic a full decade to return to Zvezda. In the meantime, he won a 7DAYS EuroCup title with Unicaja Malaga and played in USA, Lithuania Greece, Italy and Spain.
Bench moves
Change and stability both were at play in EuroLeague bench moves last week. Real Madrid let go longtime head coach and club legend Pablo Laso, 54, who had coached Real for the last 11 seasons, winning EuroLeague titles in 2015 and 2018. After suffering a heart attack in the Spanish League semifinals in early June, Laso did not return to the bench. Assistant Chus Mateo, who replaced him during the team's Spanish League final victory, was appointed head coach through the 2023-24 season. Meanwhile, a pair of young bench bosses will continue leading their teams in the foreseeable future. Israel Gonzalez and ALBA Berlin extended their working collaboration through the 2024-25 season. Gonzalez, 47, led ALBA to the German double – league and cup titles – last season. He joined ALBA in 2017 as an assistant to Aito Garcia Reneses. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne and TJ Parker, 38, inked a new contract extension that will keep him on the bench until the 2025-26 season. ASVEL has won back-to-back French League titles with Parker at the helm.
2021-22 rookies found new homes
Two players who opened a lot of eyes with their EuroLeague debuts last season will be wearing different jerseys in the new one. Mid-season pickup Dante Exum, who made it all the way to the Final Four with Barca, has signed to play with Partizan NIS Belgrade in the team's return to the EuroLeague, giving fans in the Serbian capital a chance to enjoy the author of last season's top dunk. Meanwhile, Barca filled a backcourt roster spot with forward Oscar da Silva, who made a lot of noise during his first EuroLeague season with ALBA Berlin.
Bayern shored up inside
FC Bayern Munich made sure to keep the core of a frontcourt that led the team to the EuroLeague Playoffs last season. First, Bayern announced a new one-year deal with Othello Hunter, who is set to start his 10th campaign in the competition. Bayern also reached an agreement with power forward Augustine Rubit to keep working together until the end of the 2022-23 season. Bayern also moved well in the off-season market, inking top prospect Danko Brankovic to a long-term contract. Brankovic, a 2.16-meter center, arrives from Cibona Zagreb.
More frontcourt moves
Olympiacos bolstered its big-man rotation with a pair of players who are well-known to EuroLeague fans. Joel Bolomboy arrives from CSKA Moscow to offer his defensive skills and spectacular plays. Alec Peters makes his way to Piraeus from Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz with the promise of adding depth at the power forward spot. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv added physicality and athleticism to its roster by inking forward Jarrell Martin, who arrives from Sydney Kings to make his EuroLeague debut with his new squad. And power forward Amine Noua is back to ASVEL. He grew up with the team, signed his first professional contract there in 2015, and returns after a season split between MoraBanc Andorra and Strasbourg.