Bnei Herzliya officially keeps DJ Barnes for next season

Bnei Herzliya announced on Thursday, June 26, 2026, that American center DJ Barnes will stay with the club. Barnes, 25, who stands 2.06 meters tall, joined in January after Jordan Varando was injured and quickly became an important part of the team.

In his stint with Herzliya, Barnes averaged 10.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists, helping the club reach the State Cup final and the league playoff quarterfinals. He was also among the players who chose to return to Israel before the ceasefire with Iran.

Barnes had previously been one of the biggest stories in U.S. college basketball when he led North Carolina State to the NCAA Final Four and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. In his final college season he averaged 12.9 points, 4 rebounds and 2.9 assists. After going undrafted, he signed in South Korea, where he posted 9.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 18.7 minutes per game, and started last season in the G League before moving to Herzliya in January.

Coach Yehu Orland said Barnes arrived as the team’s first European-level club experience in the middle of a season, replacing an injured player, and that the staff believes he has the potential to become a leading and special player in Israel and Europe. Barnes said he was happy to stay, said he had connected strongly with the city and Israel, and thanked the coaches and management for their trust, adding that he intends to come into the new season in his best form.