Maccabi Tel Aviv beat Hapoel Tel Aviv on Tuesday in Game 4 of the championship series, sealing a 3-1 playoff final win, its 58th Israeli title, and a domestic double. After the celebration, the club is now turning to building next season’s team, with the goal of defending its local success and becoming more competitive in the EuroLeague.
The club plans to add at least two players, and it has identified the guard, forward and center positions as the main areas needing reinforcement. One of the names on the list is former Maccabi forward Bonzie Colson, who wants to return. Talks between the sides have intensified over the past week and a half, and the move is helped by the exit clause in his Fenerbahce contract, which a European report says is worth only 200,000 euros. Other European clubs are also interested, and Olympiacos is considering him as a possible replacement for Alec Peters.
At center, the leading option is Richaun Holmes. According to a report on Sports Channel, the big man, who spent half a season with Panathinaikos, is in advanced negotiations with Maccabi. Another candidate is Armando Bacot, formerly of Fenerbahce, a 2.08-meter, 26-year-old who played his first season in Europe last summer and could also strengthen the team next season.
The projected roster for next season currently includes Jimmy Clark, possibly Iffe Lundberg or Tamir Blatt or Amit Abo at point guard, an additional guard alongside Loni Walker and John DiBartolomeo, another forward with Oshae Brissett, and frontcourt players Jaylen Hoard, T.J. Leaf, Will Rayman, Gur Lavie, Roman Sorkin and possibly Zach Hankins at center.
