Hapoel Jerusalem has agreed to sign guard Jalin Smith to a three-year contract, making him the first major addition for new coach Sasha Obradovic. The 31-year-old is expected to earn about $600,000 per season and become a key piece of the rebuilt roster.
The move comes after a disappointing season for Jerusalem, which ended with a semifinal playoff exit. The club is preparing major squad changes, and most of its foreign players are expected to leave before next season.
Smith is an American-Croatian guard, 1.93 meters tall, who arrives from Turkey's Turk Telekom. In the EuroCup he averaged 13.3 points, 3.1 assists, 2 rebounds and 1 steal per game while shooting 42.1% from three-point range. In the Turkish league he posted 12.2 points, 3.5 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game.
Smith has built a strong reputation in Europe over his career. He was named German League MVP in 2021 with Ludwigsburg and has also played for Alba Berlin, Virtus Bologna and Partizan Belgrade. He also holds Croatian citizenship and plays for Croatia's national team.
Jerusalem fans know him well from last season's EuroCup quarterfinal, when he led Turk Telekom to a dramatic 91-90 win over the Reds and eliminated them from the competition. He scored 25 points and added 6 assists in that game, including 15 points in the closing minutes.
