After beating Hapoel Tel Aviv in Game 4 of the finals on Tuesday night, Maccabi Tel Aviv completed a 3-1 series win, captured its 58th Israeli league title and completed a domestic double. With the season over, the club has shifted to planning for next year, aiming to build a stronger roster for both local competition and the EuroLeague.
Maccabi intends to add at least two players, and has identified three positions for upgrades: guard, forward and center. One major target at forward is former Maccabi player Bonzie Colson, who wants to return. The sides have held significant talks over the past week and a half, helped by the fact that Colson has an exit clause in his Fenerbahce contract, reportedly set at 200,000 euros.
Colson is also drawing interest elsewhere in Europe, with Olympiacos viewing him as a possible replacement for Alec Peters. At center, the leading candidate is Richaun Holmes, who spent half a season with Panathinaikos and is now in advanced negotiations with Maccabi, according to Sports Channel. Another center option is former Fenerbahce big man Armando Bacot, a 2.08-meter, 26-year-old who arrived in Europe only last summer.
The report also outlined Maccabi’s projected depth chart for next season, including Jimmy Clark, possibly Iffe Lundberg and/or Tamir Blatt and Amit Avbo at guard, another guard alongside Lonnie Walker and John DiBartolomeo, another forward with Oshay Brissett, and frontcourt options such as Jaylen Hoard, T.J. Leaf, Will Rayman, Gur Lavi, Roman Sorkin and possibly Zach Hankins.
