Fenerbahce Releases Four Players After Landing Three New Signings

Fenerbahce have moved to clear roster space after closing in on three major additions in the past 24 hours, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? No, sorry, the club’s reported incoming names are Shane Larkin, Shaq Shields and Braxton Key. The Turkish side has not made the deals official yet, but it already announced on Thursday that four players are being released.

Among those let go are two players with links to Israeli clubs. Armando Bacot, the 26-year-old center and a candidate for Maccabi Tel Aviv, is out after averaging 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10:07 minutes per EuroLeague game this season. Also released is Gilson Bango, the 27-year-old Angolan center and candidate for Hapoel Jerusalem, who did not play at all last season because of a serious injury.

The other departures are Brandon Boston Jr., the 24-year-old swingman, who averaged 4.8 points and 1.6 rebounds in 11:49 minutes last season, and Arturs Zagars, the 26-year-old Latvian point guard. Zagars also missed long stretches of the season through injury and saw limited EuroLeague action, appearing in only five games.

The reshuffle comes as Fenerbahce prepares to accommodate the expected arrivals of Larkin, Shields and Key on a roster already being adjusted to make room for the new signings.