Will Clyburn Leaves Barcelona, Hapoel Jerusalem Eyes Signing Forward

Will Clyburn has ended his tenure with Barcelona after just one season, during which he was unable to help the team secure the Spanish league title. Barcelona is currently strengthening its forward positions with new signings Isaac Bonga and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, leaving no room for Clyburn on the roster. Hapoel Jerusalem, coached by Sasha Obradovic, is expected to pursue signing Clyburn. The club had previously attempted to acquire him last summer after he left Virtus Bologna but before he joined Barcelona. Dan Shamir, Hapoel Jerusalem's sporting director, previously coached Clyburn at Hapoel Holon and recommended him to David Blatt for signing at Darüşşafaka.

Clyburn, 36, began his professional career in Germany in 2013 before moving to Hapoel Holon, where he was the team's leading scorer under coaches Elad Hasin and Dan Shamir. He then had a standout season with Darüşşafaka under David Blatt, followed by five seasons with CSKA Moscow, winning the EuroLeague in 2019 and earning Final Four MVP and All-EuroLeague First Team honors. After two years with Anadolu Efes and one season with Virtus Bologna, he signed with Barcelona last summer but failed to help the team reach the EuroLeague playoffs, averaging 13.8 points and 4.2 rebounds over 33 games.

Sasha Obradovic is scheduled to arrive in Israel soon for meetings and preparations. Hapoel Jerusalem has already signed Jalen Smith and retained Jared Harper, with several other players under contract for the upcoming season.