Maccabi Tel Aviv Manager Lists Guard Options Amidst Injury Crisis
Translated & summarized from Sport5 by baba
Maccabi Tel Aviv's professional manager, Claudio Caldebola, sent an email to owners, including Richard Dietz, detailing an urgent need for guards due to injuries. He listed several potential targets like Jahmir Young, Kamar Baldwin, Kylian Hayes, and Nemanja Nedovic, with estimated costs and contract situations. Caldebola also provided professional assessments of these players and mentioned other possibilities, including Tyler Dorsey and Leland Walker, while noting the club's initial idea to find a homegrown talent has not yet materialized.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Maccabi Tel Aviv manager Claudio Caldebola identified an urgent need for guards due to player injuries.
- Caldebola provided owners, including Richard Dietz, with a list of potential guard acquisitions.
- Potential targets include Jahmir Young, Kamar Baldwin, Kylian Hayes, and Nemanja Nedovic.
- Estimated monthly costs for these players range from $40,000 to $60,000, with some requiring release fees.
- The club's initial strategy to find a "next Jimmy Clark" from the local league has not yet yielded results.
Professional manager Claudio Caldebola has outlined a list of potential guard acquisitions for Maccabi Tel Aviv to the team's owners, including Richard Dietz, in an email detailing the club's urgent need for reinforcements. Caldebola cited a "state of emergency" at the guard position due to the injury of Ife Lundberg, leaving only four available players for two spots, excluding Amit Abo. This situation, he warned, is precarious given the demanding schedule until the end of November, high physical requirements, and constant travel.
Caldebola acknowledged the owners' efforts for the club and the challenges of playing outside Tel Aviv, which has significant financial and other implications. He also noted the increasing spending across the EuroLeague. The manager then presented several potential guard candidates with estimated costs, emphasizing that some players are under contract with other teams and their situations are dynamic.
Among the primary targets are Jahmir Young, with a potential requested price of $50-60,000 per month, and Kamar Baldwin, currently under contract with Bayern Munich, whose agent is optimistic about a release, with an estimated cost of $40,000 per month plus a release fee. Kylian Hayes, currently in the US, had an initial demand of $2 million per season, but Caldebola believes he could be acquired for around $60,000 per month, though he might require an in-season exit clause. Nemanja Nedovic, under contract with Crvena Zvezda Belgrade for €800,000, is estimated to be available for approximately €40,000 per month.
The email also mentioned other players like David DeJulius, Fatt Russell, Adam Flagler, Jordon Crawford, and Javon Freeman-Liberty. Regarding Tyler Dorsey, who is under contract with Olympiacos for $1.8 million and has rejected a contract extension, Caldebola stated that Olympiacos has unofficially indicated a $5 million release clause for any interested team, with PAOK reportedly offering him $3.5 million per season. Leland Walker, currently playing in Finland, was also mentioned, with PAOK having paid a $150,000 release fee and planning to loan him to a EuroCup team.
Caldebola provided professional assessments of the top four candidates. He expressed concerns about Jahmir Young's high-risk potential due to the team's track record with developing rookie players from the NBA or G-League. For Nemanja Nedovic, he noted the coach's preference for a point guard over a shooting guard, and while Nedovic is a combo guard, his injury history is a factor, though he has participated in about 80% of his team's games since the 2023/24 season. Kylian Hayes was described as the most intriguing name with prior EuroCup experience before being drafted seventh overall in the NBA. Kamar Baldwin was deemed a solid player despite less successful recent seasons. Caldebola also shared his impressions of Choncey Jenkins, whom he has observed, describing him as a scorer who attacks the basket well but lacks physicality and exceptional game reading.
Caldebola concluded by explaining that the initial idea was to find a "next Jimmy Clark" from the Winner League, but no suitable player has emerged. The interest in Leland Walker from Finland stemmed from this concept. He stated he would follow up with the team's coaches for their final feedback.
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