Hapoel Jerusalem signs guard Jaleen Smith for two years

Hapoel Jerusalem announced on Wednesday that it has signed American-Croatian guard Jaleen Smith to a two-year contract, making him the first signing for new coach Sasa Obradovic. The 31-year-old, who is 1.93 meters tall, is expected to be a central piece in the revamped roster, as most of the club’s foreign players from this season are likely to leave.

Smith will reportedly earn about $600,000 per season, which would make him one of the most expensive players in the club’s history. Jerusalem said it hopes to build a squad capable of winning the EuroCup and securing a place in the EuroLeague.

For Jerusalem fans, Smith is a familiar and painful name. In last season’s EuroCup quarterfinals, he led Turk Telekom to a dramatic 91-90 win over the Israeli side, eliminating it from the competition. He scored 25 points and added six assists in that game, with 15 of those points coming in the decisive minutes.

Smith arrives with an established European résumé, having played for clubs including Virtus Bologna, Partizan Belgrade and Alba Berlin, where he also played alongside Yuval Zussman. Last season he averaged 13.3 points and 3.1 assists in the EuroCup, earning a place on the competition’s 2024/25 Team of the Season, and posted 12.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and one steal per game in the Turkish league. After the signing, Smith said he was “happy and excited” to join Jerusalem, thanked Obradovic and the club, and said he is looking forward to “feeling the strength of the crowd” in Israel. Obradovic called him a player who brings toughness, basketball intelligence, shooting and two-way impact.