Hapoel Jerusalem signs veteran guard Jaleen Smith for two years

Hapoel Jerusalem has officially signed guard Jaleen Smith for the next two seasons as it begins building for the coming year after being eliminated in the playoff semifinals. The club, which has already announced Sasha Obradovic as its new coach, added the 30-year-old, 1.93-meter American-Croatian guard to its backcourt on Wednesday.

Smith arrives with extensive European experience. Last season he played for Turk Telekom, where he stood out in the Turkish league and in the EuroCup, including a 25-point, 6-assist performance in a dramatic quarterfinal win over Hapoel Jerusalem. He previously spent four years at the University of New Hampshire before moving to Europe in 2017-18 with Heidelberg in Germany’s second division.

His career since then has included stops at Alba Berlin, where he played in the EuroLeague alongside Tamir Blatt and Hapoel Jerusalem captain Yovel Zoosman, as well as Virtus Bologna, Partizan Belgrade, and Besiktas. Smith is a naturalized member of Croatia’s national team. In the 2025-26 season he averaged 13.3 points, 3.1 assists and 2 rebounds per game in the EuroCup, shooting 42.1% from three, and in the Turkish league he averaged 12.2 points and 3.6 assists while shooting 36.7% from deep.

Hapoel Jerusalem said it will play in the EuroCup again next season, and Smith will be one of the competition’s more experienced and prominent guards. After signing, Smith said he was “happy and excited” to join the club, thanked Obradovic and the organization for their trust, and said he is motivated to help the team reach its “high goals.” Obradovic called him a player who combines toughness, game intelligence, shooting and impact on both ends, adding that he expects Smith to become an important part of the roster.